Flint Water Crisis: Attorney Says Snyder Charged In Wrong County

FLINT, MI — Attorneys representing former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder in a criminal case regarding his involvement in the Flint Water Crisis said the former governor was charged in the wrong county, The Associated Press reported Tuesday.

Snyder, 62, last week was charged with two misdemeanor counts of willful neglect of duty in Genessee County. An attorney representing Snyder said he should be charged in Ingham County, where the state capitol and offices Snyder worked are in.

“Neither of these allegations of non-feasance, or failure to act, occurred while the former Governor was in the City of Flint. At all times set forth in the Indictment, our client was the presiding governor of the State of Michigan with the Executive Office of the Governor located at the Romney Building in downtown Lansing,” attorney Brian Lennon said in a letter to prosecutors, according to The Associated Press.

Lennon also wrote in the letter that he would soon be asking Genesee County Judge William Crawford to dismiss the case.

Read More: Flint Water Crisis: Snyder, 8 Others Charged In AG Investigation

Snyder, a Republican who has been out of office for two years, was governor when Flint switched its water source from the city of Detroit to the Flint River to save money in 2014, while under the control of a state-appointed emergency manager, The Associated Press reported. State environmental regulators advised Flint not to apply corrosion controls to the water, which was contaminated by lead from aging pipes.

Residents quickly began complaining that the water was discolored and had a bad taste and smell. They blamed it for rashes, hair loss and other health concerns. But local and state officials insisted it was safe, the AP reported.

Researchers with Virginia Tech University reported in summer 2015 that samples of Flint water had abnormally high lead levels. Shortly afterward, a group of doctors announced that local children had high levels of lead in their blood and urged Flint to stop using water from the river.
Snyder eventually acknowledged the problem, accepted the resignation of his environmental chief and pledged to aid the city, which resumed using Detroit water.

Researchers said in late 2016 that lead was no longer detectable in many homes. But residents used bottled water for drinking and household needs for more than a year, and residents still have trust issues about the water provided to them.

Snyder and eight others were charged last week following an investigation by the Michigan Attorney General's office. While Snyder received misdemeanor charges, several people face felonies for their connection to the case.

Two former state health officials were charged with nine counts of involuntary manslaughter in the case.

Information and reporting from The Associated Press were used in this report.