Two former Michigan health officials charged with manslaughter for contaminated water

Flint, Michigan – Two former Michigan health officials were charged Thursday with manslaughter in the deaths of nine people contracted from Legionnaires’ disease during the polluted water crisis in the city of Flint.

Meanwhile, prosecutors analyzing how the city’s water system was contaminated with lead and bacteria have charged extortion and perjury against key adviser to the former administration, Rick Snyder.

Snyder joined a parade of former state and city officials pleading innocent in Genesee County District Court. He is charged with deliberate neglect of duties in Flint in a case filed Wednesday night and became the first governor or former governor in Michigan’s 184-year history to face charges related to his tenure.

All allegations stem from evidence presented to Judge David Newblatt, who served as the investigative jury. Special adviser Fadwa Hammoud declined to provide details at a press conference, but said Snyder had “failed to protect the health and safety” of Flint’s roughly 100,000 residents.

“There is no preferential treatment in our criminal justice system,” Hammoud reiterated. “No one – no matter how powerful or well-connected they are – is beyond accountability when they commit a crime.”

Lawyer Brian Lennon called the case a “sham.”