Two former emergency managers appointed by Gov. Rick Snyder are among the latest to be charged for their role in the Flint water crisis that poisoned residents and hampered the brain development of children.
Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette announced the new criminal charges today against former Flint emergency managers Darnell Earley and Gerald Ambrose. They each face up to 20 years in prison for allegedly conspiring to subject residents to unsafe drinking water to save money.
Also charged with 20-year felonies were former public works superintendent Howard Croft and utilities administrator Daugherty Johnson.
In January, Motor City Muckraker revealed how the emergency managers repeatedly lied about their role in the crisis and even knew of the dangers of using the Flint River.
The nearly one-year state investigation of the Flint water crisis has netted charges against 13 government employees.
Flint, while under emergency management, switched the city’s drinking supply from treated water from Detroit to tainted water from the Flint River in April 2014.
The state finally acknowledged the contamination in late September 2015 and advised residents against drinking tap water without a filter.
Many residents still rely on bottled water to bathe, drink and wash dishes.
Schuette said government employees sacrificed the safety of residents to save money.
“This fixation has cost lives,” Schuette said at a press conference today. “This fixation came at the expense of protecting the health and safety of Flint.”
It’s unclear whether Schuette plans to file more charges or whether Snyder will be held accountable.
Snyder-appointed emergency managers charged for role in Flint water crisis added by Steve Neavling on
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Steve Neavling
Steve Neavling lives and works in Detroit as an investigative journalist. His stories have uncovered corruption, led to arrests and reforms and prompted FBI investigations.
