Flint, Michigan - Six current and former Michigan and
Flint officials were criminally charged on Wednesday for their
roles in the city's water crisis that was suspected of being
responsible for an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease that led to
at least 12 deaths, the state's attorney general said.
Five of the officials, including Michigan Health and Human
Services Director Nick Lyon, were charged with involuntary
manslaughter stemming from their roles in handling the crisis,
Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette said in a statement.
Involuntary manslaughter is a felony that carries a sentence
of up to 15 years in prison.
Lyon, 49, was also charged with one count of misconduct in
office. The felony charge carries a sentence of up to five years
in prison.
Four current and former state and Flint officials were also
charged with involuntary manslaughter. The four had all been
previously charged with lesser crimes in connection with the
water crisis.
The state's Chief Medical Executive Eden Wells was charged
on Wednesday with obstruction of justice and lying to police.
Governor Rick Snyder said in a statement that Lyon and Wells
have his "full faith and confidence" and would remain on duty
and help in Flint's recovery. Snyder called Lyon "a strong
leader."
The charges stem from more than 80 cases of Legionnaires'
disease, including at least 12 that were fatal, that were
believed to be linked to the water in Flint after the city
switched its source to the Flint River from Lake Huron in April
2014.
Lyon was aware of the Legionnaires' outbreak in Gensee
County at least one year before he informed the public,
according to court documents. His deliberate failure to inform
the public resulted in the death of Genesee Township resident
Robert Skidmore, 85, from Legionnaires' in December 2015.
Wells lied to police about when she became aware of the
outbreak, according to the documents. She also threatened a team
of independent researchers who were studying the source of the
disease, court documents said.
An attorney for Lyon did not immediately respond to a
request for comment. It was not immediately known if Wells had
an attorney.
The crisis in Flint erupted in 2015 when tests found high
amounts of lead in blood samples taken from children in the
predominantly black city of about 100 000.
The more corrosive river water caused lead to leach from
pipes and into the drinking water. Lead levels in Flint's
drinking water had fallen fell below federal limits, state
officials said last January.