A Michigan district judge has given a green light to new charges in relation to the lead-poisoned water in Flint:
Michigan's public health director and chief medical executive have been charged with criminal wrongdoing related to the Flint water crisis, moving an investigation by state Attorney General Bill Schuette closer than ever to Gov. Rick Snyder.
Genesee District Judge David Guinn authorized charges Wednesday, June 14, for Department of Health and Human Services Director Nick Lyon and Chief Medical Executive Dr. Eden Wells.
Lyon, appointed by Snyder to lead DHHS in April 2015, was charged with one count of involuntary manslaughter, a 15-year felony.
He also faces a single count of misconduct in office.
Wells, who has worked in public health in the state for more than a decade, faces charges of obstruction of justice and lying to a police officer.
Gov. Rick Snyder still has not explained why they waited so long to address the crisis:
It has never been fully explained how crucial information didn't reach the governor, or why the Snyder administration allowed the people of Flint to use undrinkable water for so long.
Red flags were being waved furiously for a year before Snyder took action, as Snyder's top aides -- including his chief of staff and his legal counsel -- expressed concern to the governor about Flint water quality reports.
Eric Rothstein, a member of Gov. Rick Snyder's task force on the Flint water crisis, is a national water issues consultant.
"If they weren't passing along those assessments to the governor, that's a huge problem," said Eric Rothstein, a member of the Snyder-appointed Flint Water Advisory Task Force. "But, if they were passing along those assessments and the governor wasn't taking action, that's a huge problem, too."
Meanwhile, many Flint residents still do not have access to clean drinking water. Nevertheless, the city has threatened to foreclose on homes for unpaid water bills. The EPA recently announced a $100 million grant to fund drinking water infrastructure upgrades.