Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel (D), the official tasked with investigating the Flint water crisis, made a joke about porta potty toilets when challenged on her prosecution case of the Flint water scandal.
The joke, which seemingly downplays the significance of the case, was considered by many to be insensitive and highly inappropriate.
Nessel has been criticized for having a campaign donor handle the case, and Michigan Rising Action claimed Nessel was not happy when she was informed she would be asked a question about that at a recent appearance:
.@dananessel's face when she's told someone is going to ask her about campaign donors running the Flint investigation. pic.twitter.com/MOdwXro3tM
— Michigan Rising Action (@MIRisingAction) August 24, 2021
Nessel responded to Michigan Rising Action, claiming that actually the face she makes when “told the only bathrooms are porta potties.”
Actually, that’s the face I make when told the only bathrooms are porta potties.
My Flint investigation is being run by Kym Worthy, Wayne Co Prosecutor and Solicitor General Fadwa Hammoud-both highly respected career prosecutors. Fadwa is arguing before the US SCT in October. https://t.co/cLWK2irGFQ
— Dana Nessel (@dananessel) August 25, 2021
She continued to claim that the investigation is “being run by Kym Worthy, Wayne Co Prosecutor and Solicitor General Fadwa Hammoud-both highly respected career prosecutors. Fadwa is arguing before the US SCT in October.”
A video posted by the group showed Nessel walking away and not engaging someone asking why she has a campaign donor on the case. The Detroit News reported Nessel spent $300,000 on outside attorneys to investigate and prosecute the accused, after she previously criticized former Attorney General Bill Schuette for taking similar action.
Michigan Rising Action identified three of those attorneys — Michael Ajami, Molly Kettler, and Alexandra Peterson — donated to Nessel’s campaign.
“It is difficult to tell which is more concerning- that the verified account of the state attorney general is making bathroom jokes, or that she continues to lie about her legal team being comprised of campaign donors,” Michigan Rising Action Executive Director Eric Ventimiglia said in a statement.
“Both are completely unethical yet on-brand for the Attorney General. She does mention Solicitor General Fadwa Hammoud is in charge of the case, but conveniently forgets that Hammoud is a top donor to her campaign.”
In addition to the lead investigators, Nessel has faced widespread criticism over the handling of the investigation, including from Flint’s former mayor. In a recent report from Detroit Metro Times, Democrat Karen Weaver called out Nessel for her empty promises to residents of the city.
“She was not truthful to the people of this city,” Weaver said. “She told us that they were going to have some criminal charges, and not just charges, but convictions, and she did not want people to get away with these crimes, and we see a misdemeanor is getting away with murder.”
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Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Star News Network. Follow Cooper on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
