Michigan Intends to Criminally Charge Governor Snyder Over the Flint Water Crisis
Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office intends to criminally charge former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and several of his top advisers in the Flint water crisis, Crain’s has learned.
Nessel’s office is expected to announce grand jury indictments Thursday against the former two-term Republican governor and other top officials from the Snyder administration who were in top posts in state government during Flint’s disastrous 2014-15 use of the Flint River for drinking water, according to two sources briefed on the indictments who spoke to Crain’s on condition of anonymity.
The move to charge Snyder criminally follows years-long criminal investigations of Flint’s water switch blamed for elevated levels of toxic lead in the bloodstreams of Flint children and at least a dozen deaths from Legionnaires’ disease.
The Associated Press first reported Tuesday that the Attorney General’s office has informed defense lawyers about indictments in Flint and told them to expect initial court appearances soon. They spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
