by Scott McClallen
A Genesee County Circuit Court judge has ordered charges dropped against former Gov. Rick Snyder for his role in handling the Flint water crisis.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s Flint legal team vowed to appeal.
The order follows a June Michigan Supreme Court ruling that a one-man jury can investigate, issue subpoenas, and arrest warrants but not indict someone.
The Flint water crisis began in 2014 when health officials switched the city’s water supply to the Flint River as a cost-saving measure. The water wasn’t treated for corrosion control, resulting in lead and other contaminants leaching into the drinking water, which supplied roughly 100,000 people.
The Flint Water Prosecution Team said the ruling wasn’t surprising and vowed to appeal.
“We anticipated that this ruling would be similar to other outcomes that only considered process,” the team said in a statement. “Our team has been preparing for this and looks forward to addressing these issues in court. As we have reiterated time and again, rulings up to this point have been on process alone – not on the merits of the case. We are confident that the evidence clearly supports the criminal charges against Rick Snyder, and we will not stop until we have exhausted all possible legal options to secure justice for the people of Flint.”
In October, a judge dismissed felony charges against several other former government officials related to the Flint water crisis. In 2021, a judge approved a $626 million settlement for those harmed by contaminated water. Most of the money will flow to those who were children at the time of the water source switch.
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Scott McClallen is a staff writer covering Michigan and Minnesota for The Center Square. A graduate of Hillsdale College, his work has appeared on Forbes.com and FEE.org.
Photo “Former Governor Rick Snyder” by Governor Rick Snyder.
