AG Schuette Announces Most Severe and High Profile Charges in Flint Water Crisis
“One of the questions that he’ll [Schuette] have to answer today is, is this it or is there more?”
The Director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services will be charged with involuntary manslaughter in the Flint Water Crisis. Multiple news agencies this morning say Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette will also charge the state’s chief medical executive with obstruction of justice and lying to a police officer. These are the most high-profile and severe charges in the Flint Water Crisis so far.
Rick Pluta, Capitol Bureau Chief for Michigan Public Radio Network, joins Stephen Henderson on Detroit Today to discuss the implications of the new charges.
Pluta says, due to the accidental release of a document, it was known that Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Director Nick Lyon was a target the investigation.
However, the question has been whether a case could be made for a charge this serious.
“It’s always been this very awkward dance,” Pluta says, “that the attorney general is investigating an administration where he is expected to run in a Republican primary against the lieutenant governor.”
Pluta says people in Flint have told him they want guarantees of health care for issues caused by the lead-contaminated water, money to replace appliances, and things of that nature, not that they want someone convicted.
He also talks about how the evolving situation might affect Gov. Rick Snyder and his remaining time is office.
Click on the audio player above to hear the full conversation.
