Ex-governor charged in water scandal

FLINT — Former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, his health director and other ex-officials have been told they’re being charged after a new investigation of the Flint water scandal, which devastated the majority Black city with lead-contaminated water and was blamed for a deadly outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease, the Associated Press has learned.

Two people with knowledge of the planned prosecution who spoke on the condition of anonymity said Tuesday that the attorney general’s office has informed defense lawyers about indictments and told them to expect initial court appearances soon.

Snyder, a Republican who has been out of office for two years, was governor when state-appointed managers in Flint switched the city’s water to the Flint River in 2014 as a costsaving step while a pipeline was being built to Lake Huron. The water, however, was not treated to reduce corrosion — a disastrous decision that caused lead to leach from old pipes and spoil the distribution system used by nearly 100,000 residents.