Former Michigan Governor Rick Snyder was charged with two counts of willful neglect related to the Flint water crisis yesterday. The health crisis began in 2014 when the city’s water source was switched to a local river that wasn’t treated properly, exposing residents to dangerous levels of lead (wiki). Michigan agreed to a $600M settlement with victims of the crisis last year.
More context: The misdemeanor charges (which carry up to $1k in fines and up to a year in jail) are the first criminal charges brought against a Michigan governor in the state’s 184-year history.
The New Paper
This story is from the January 14, 2021 edition of The New Paper – a clear, concise daily briefing that makes fact-first news easy to consume. Try it today.
