6 more Michigan public 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,” Mr. 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 stateappointed 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.
An investigator from Mr. Schuette’s office said in court Friday morning that Ms. Peeler and Mr. Scott, who work in the department’s program to prevent lead poisoning in children, conspired with others “to effectively bury” a report from an epidemiologist that warranted more investigation, according to the Detroit News. Ms. Miller, the state’s head epidemiologist, allegedly ordered a department employee to ignore the findings of high lead levels and take no action.
Ms. Shekter Smith, Mr. Cook and Mr. Rosenthal were charged with misconduct in office related to federal regulations that limit lead in drinking water. Mr. Rosenthal is accused of tampering with evidence to conceal lead levels in water and Mr. Cook allegedly forwarded false information to the federal Environmental Protection Agency.
Ms. 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.
Ms. 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.
Mr. Cook, Mr. Rosenthal and Ms. Peeler did not respond to phone messages seeking comment. A listed number for Mr. Scott couldn’t be found and Ms. Miller’s attorney declined to discuss the case.
It’s the second round of charges stemming from the water crisis. In January, Mr. 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.