6 more workers charged in Flint water crisis

FLINT, MICH. — Six current or former state employees were charged Friday with misconduct and other crimes in the Flint water crisis, bringing to nine the number of public officials facing prosecution over the lead contamination that alarmed parents across the country.

Attorney General Bill Schuette filed a total of 18 new charges against three employees from the Department of Environmental Quality — Liane Shekter Smith, Adam Rosenthal and Patrick Cook — and three from the Department of Health and Human Services — Nancy Peeler, Corinne Miller and Robert Scott. In addition to the misconduct in office charges, there were willful neglect of duty and various conspiracy counts.

“Each attempted to bury or cover up, downplay or hide info that contradicted their own narrative, their story ... (that) there’s nothing wrong with Flint water, it’s perfectly safe to use. In essence, these individuals concealed the truth and they were criminally wrong to do so,” Schuette said at a news conference in the poor, predominantly black city of nearly 100,000 people 55 miles north of Detroit.

Under the leadership of a state-appointed emergency manager, officials in April 2014 began using the Flint River as Flint’s water supply. State officials did not require that the river water be treated for corrosion, and lead from aging pipes and fixtures leached into Flint homes and businesses. The city remained on that water supply for 18 months, despite complaints from residents.

Elevated levels of the toxin were discovered in children. Lead contamination has been linked to learning disabilities and other problems.

Shekter Smith, former head of the state’s drinking water office, appeared last month in a Detroit courtroom so her lawyer could assert her constitutional right against self-incrimination amid ongoing investigations. She hadn’t yet been charged but was reassigned after the water crisis came to light and her firing was announced in February.

Shekter Smith’s attorney, Brian Morley, said Friday that he was surprised she was charged.

“It’s disappointing . ... I think we’re going to be really hard-pressed to find that she did anything wrong, and certainly nothing criminally wrong,” he said.

The others charged either could not be reached, did not respond to messages or declined to comment.

It’s the second round of charges stemming from the water crisis. In January, Schuette announced the appointment of a special counsel to help his office investigate whether laws were broken. In April, two state regulators and a city employee were charged with official misconduct, evidence-tampering and other offenses. At the time, the Republican attorney general guaranteed others would also be charged.

Flint utilities administrator Mike Glasgow struck a deal with prosecutors in May, pledging cooperation in exchange for reduced charges as authorities continue investigating lead contamination of the city’s drinking water supply. He entered a no contest plea to one count of willful neglect of duty, a misdemeanor, in exchange for dismissal of a felony charge of tampering with evidence.

Two state Department of Environmental Quality officials also were charged with misconduct, conspiracy, tampering with test results and misdemeanor violations of clean-water law and await preliminary examinations.