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Flint Water Crisis Update: First Government Official Charged With Manslaughter

For the first time, a government official has been indicted for deaths resulting from the Flint water crisis in Michigan. Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Director Nick Lyon is charged with the deaths of Robert Skidmore and John Snyder, both of Genesee County.

Lyon will stand trial for two counts of involuntary manslaughter of both men who died of Legionnaires’ disease and one count of misconduct in office. The judge’s decision to allow Lyon to face charges means the judge found probable cause between Lyon’s neglect of duty and the deaths of both Skidmore and Snyder.

Nick Lyon Is the Highest Ranking Government Official Charged in Flint Water Crisis

Since the water crisis in Flint started in 2014, no government official or city worker has been convicted of any criminal wrongdoing in connection to the water problem. Lyon’s indictment is the first time a judge has weighed in on criminal misconduct by state and local officials in connection to the Flint water issue.

Fifteen other city and state government officials, as well as former employees, have been charged with criminal wrongdoing in connection to the Flint water crisis, but Lyon is the highest-ranking member of the government of all of them. He is a member of Gov. Rick Synder’s cabinet and is answering the charges leveled against him while still working. Four of the 15 cases agreed to plea deals, and nine others are still pending. One other case is scheduled for a pre-trial hearing on August 28th.

What has made Lyon’s indictment so significant is the fact that a high-ranking government official is actually being held accountable for deaths caused by his neglect in office, something that is a rarity in the U.S. As Esquire illustrated, when a fertilizer plant exploded in Texas decimating the town and killing 15 people, nobody was charged criminally.

Lyon Fails to Protect Public, Creates Flint Water Crisis

According to special prosecutor Todd Flood, Lyon failed to protect the public when he could have changed the source of Flint’s water after it became apparent there was an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease. Further condemning Lyon, prosecutors allege that Lyon prevented researchers from investigating the source of the Legionnaires’ disease crises in an attempt to cover up the connection to the Flint River.

The DHHS has maintained that exposure to McLaren-Flint hospital and not Flint water is the cause of the surge in Legionnaires. However, two university studies stated that the Flint River was the source of the epidemic.

Further investigations revealed the DHHS was aware that rising cases of Legionnaires’ disease became apparent after the city switched its water source, but it took Lyon over a year to brief the governor directly in January of 2016.

Witnesses testifying in Lyon’s case include current and former DHHS employees, doctors and Legionnaires’ researchers from Wayne State University. One witness testified that Lyon said to him during a 2016 meeting about Flint water, “We can’t save everyone, everyone has to die of something’ … or something similar to that.”

Legionnaires’ disease is an acute, sometimes fatal, lobar pneumonia caused by bacteria and characterized by fever, muscle and chest pain, as well as headache, chills and dry cough. The outbreak of the disease was first recorded at an American Legion convention in Philadelphia in 1976.

 

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89 Comments

  1. Michael S Gregory Sr. August 28, 2018

    Lock Them All Up.

    Reply
    1. jacque September 4, 2018

      Alright, finally the good American people attain a wee bit of hope with this first of its kind breakthrough of justice against corrupt unempathetic public officials via the Judicial system.

      This could be the tiny dike leak that springs open a rushing current of justice for the good American people against their corrupt public officials.

      God bless America.

  2. BenJamin Stokes August 28, 2018

    people’s express… keep on rolling~

    Reply
  3. Larry L. Cunningham August 28, 2018

    Dollars over life……

    Reply
  4. Frank Renew August 28, 2018

    They’ve all got to go.

    Reply
  5. Dorothy Wong August 28, 2018

    It’s about time ! Something as simple as water in America , this is disgusting !

    Reply
  6. Walls Bett August 28, 2018

    Good

    Reply
  7. Martin Walker August 28, 2018

    At best he’ll get a slap on the wrist ?

    Reply
  8. Janice Delsignore August 28, 2018

    Keep it going…..

    Reply
  9. Linda Craig August 28, 2018

    Sorrowfully, I am glad because I hope it will be a deterrent to many who place the value of money and jobs over life.

    Reply
  10. Buddy Manley August 28, 2018

    Lock them up, lock them up !!!!

    Reply
  11. Victor Lopez August 28, 2018

    About time!
    Only one person being charged, is a little bit too suspicious… the mayor and the governor; must be included.

    Reply
  12. Kenneth Tuch August 28, 2018

    Should stand trial for genocide. Involuntary manslaughter is just the tip of the holocaust.

    Reply
  13. Deborah Anderson August 28, 2018

    This whole party in flint needs to burn in hell arrest them let them spend time in prison. They have allowed these people poisoned

    Reply
  14. Terry Modert August 28, 2018

    Yes I hope thay go right up to the Governor and get him two

    Reply
  15. Chari Hayes August 28, 2018

    And more need to join him.
    And why are they still dragging their heels?

    Reply
  16. Ronnie Vela August 28, 2018

    Hang them all.

    Reply
  17. Donna Gardner August 28, 2018

    What about Swindler Snyder?

    Reply
  18. Good now let’s convict him

    Reply
  19. Carol Rhoades Melby August 28, 2018

    Actions have consequences

    Reply
  20. Phil Tsakiridis August 28, 2018

    Put them in jail and make him drink the water for two years or three years

    Reply
  21. Ray Rossman August 28, 2018

    It’s about time! How about the others?

    Reply
  22. Judith Ann Buller August 28, 2018

    its about time for the flint water problem to be fixed huh

    Reply
  23. Garry A Baizley Sr August 28, 2018

    Maybe we should fix our problems in this country before we send one more dollar to ANY foreign country as aid!!!!!

    Reply
  24. Shirley Barnett Wade August 28, 2018

    Now get the rest of them

    Reply
  25. Kathy Holley August 28, 2018

    Why isn’t the governor in prison?

    Reply
  26. Ronald Christensen August 28, 2018

    The friggen Governor cause the problem,send the SOB too jail !

    Reply
  27. Cindy Stevens August 28, 2018

    Let Justice prevail fix Flint water now

    Reply
  28. Steve Ackerman August 28, 2018

    Glad to see this happen.

    Reply
  29. James Esdon August 28, 2018

    Lock him up!

    Reply
  30. Carol Carpinteyro August 28, 2018

    Good

    Reply
  31. Beatriz Salinas August 28, 2018

    The sun is starting to shine, lock them all up!

    Reply
  32. Roderick Smith August 28, 2018

    He needs REAL time in a REAL jail

    Reply
  33. Ferne Fitzpatrick Carbo August 28, 2018

    What about the governor…he MUST be charged…he is responsible …the buck stops with him!!!!!!

    Reply
  34. Sharon Fox August 28, 2018

    Bout time
    And they will have clean water in the jetsons future correct

    Reply
  35. Sue Ross August 28, 2018

    Finally. It took long enough.

    Reply
  36. Marie Marks August 28, 2018

    I Hope He Goes To Prison For A Loooong Time Followed By The Rest Of These Monsters!!!!!!

    Reply
  37. Janice Iannaccone August 28, 2018

    Took long enough!

    Reply
  38. Cheryl Yeager August 28, 2018

    Get them all

    Reply
  39. Bob Hillenbrand August 28, 2018

    Finally. But don’t stop here. Remember Lt. Calley in Vietnam? Someone gave Calley his orders, just as the Flint killings were enabled by someone/s else in Lansing.

    Reply
  40. James Martin August 28, 2018

    Good!
    More to come I hope!

    Reply
  41. Dianne Antonio August 28, 2018

    This just might open the doors for damage to all the kids from lead poisoning..class action suits

    Reply
  42. Jack Strubel Jr. August 28, 2018

    hang them all

    Reply
  43. Mickie Murphy August 28, 2018

    I want to see the Governor go down. It’s his administration-the buckstops with him!

    Reply
  44. Trena Chamness August 28, 2018

    It’s about time someone became accountable for This Disaster for killing and hurting children and people drinking lead poison it’s totally outrageous.

    Reply
  45. Jessica Bailey Harrington August 28, 2018

    About time!

    Reply
  46. Rick Little August 28, 2018

    Good now it’s time for the rest.

    Reply
  47. Tim Eastman August 28, 2018

    Make him drink the water!!

    Reply
  48. Marsha Slaughter August 29, 2018

    Justice for the people of Flint, Michigan. Prayers of God’s Blessings, for the families and their children. Amen ??

    Reply
  49. Shanna Druckemiller August 29, 2018

    Boo! Doesn’t deserve to be housed in prison for yrs, deserves death!

    Reply
  50. DayDay West August 29, 2018

    Scum

    Reply
  51. Ronald Christensen September 3, 2018

    The worthless Governor should be the first to go too jail, he authorized this bad decision!!!!!!!!

    Reply
  52. Shirley Hawkins September 3, 2018

    He just as guilty as trump pence charged with murder. Lock the man up and traitors and lies in any respect for Americans, they all dishonesty and traitors. Lock them up for treason and traitors and lies.

    Reply
  53. Fred Nightwalker September 3, 2018

    Firing squad. Murdering anericans.

    Reply
  54. Gary Fuller September 3, 2018

    Good dump them all sooner the better!

    Reply
  55. Nancy Wartella September 3, 2018

    So Slimey Snyder gets off scot free?? BS!

    Reply
    1. Walter Brewer September 3, 2018

      NOT YET…

  56. Wanda Bingham September 3, 2018

    That SOB should be charged with Murders!!!! Smh

    Reply
  57. Carol-lee Kantor September 3, 2018

    about time

    Reply
  58. Linda McWilliams September 3, 2018

    Good

    Reply
  59. Kern Burden September 3, 2018

    need to put Snyder on the list

    Reply
  60. Herman W. Faceson September 3, 2018

    Good riddance

    Reply
  61. Anita Polidori Kramer September 3, 2018

    About time

    Reply
  62. Bob Burge September 3, 2018

    Why not that POS governor, after all, wasn’t his idea to switch the way Flint receives it’s water?

    Reply
  63. Wb Good September 3, 2018

    But can they get some clean water PLEASE

    Reply
  64. Rudy Zarate Alvarado September 3, 2018

    Good

    Reply
  65. Sandy Shewmaker Shake September 3, 2018

    Finally?!?!?

    Reply
  66. Cat Ewing September 3, 2018

    ?? finally

    Reply
  67. Joel Herrera September 3, 2018

    Bout time!

    Reply
  68. Bob Berry September 3, 2018

    This is only one, lets have the rest including the governornat the time.

    Reply
  69. Lynn Marie Macy September 3, 2018

    And yet the Governor gets away Scott free!

    Reply
    1. Walter Brewer September 3, 2018

      NOT SO FAST….THERE IS STILL MORE LEGAL HOOPS TOO GOT TRUE…

  70. Nick Ruth Martinez September 3, 2018

    AWAITING FOR THE REST.

    Reply
  71. Jeanne Perry September 3, 2018

    What about the governor ???????????????

    Reply
  72. Ann Corson September 3, 2018

    About time.

    Reply
  73. Walter Brewer September 3, 2018

    JUSTICE FINALLY…..MORE TO COME….

    Reply
  74. John Brown September 3, 2018

    Ya he was grandstanding for the party but a city manager in charge to force his agenda when mayor wouldn’t switch befor the safety.study was done the wrest is history

    Reply
  75. Dellene Garlock September 3, 2018

    Make his kids drink that shit. Matter of fact make every public official be the water tester for their area. They need to test it daily. On their own children. Fuckers.

    Reply
  76. Linda Waterman Bentz October 3, 2018

    Lock him up

    Reply
  77. Beatriz Salinas October 3, 2018

    Throw away the key!

    Reply
  78. Roger Jasso October 3, 2018

    Yeahhh! What a great news!!

    Reply
  79. Deborah Anderson October 3, 2018

    The rest of them need to be behind bars

    Reply
  80. Nora Figueroa October 3, 2018

    Great, now he can go to prison.

    Reply
  81. Thomas Mueller October 3, 2018

    70,000 in their homes and children in Milwaukee Wisconsin and yet the media refuses to cover

    Reply
  82. Louise Dodson October 3, 2018

    About time..

    Reply
  83. Carolyn Kenoshmeg October 3, 2018

    trump will probably pardon him

    Reply
  84. Ferne Fitzpatrick Carbo October 3, 2018

    Why has the governor not been charged yet…he signed off on this travesty!!!!!

    Reply
  85. Lesa Wilson Strange October 4, 2018

    Fahrenheit was a HUGE eye opener to many things about this!!! I had no idea the republican governor switched the water back for the GM plant when they complained it was corroding their new cars!!! He left it for all the people of flint though!!!!!

    Reply
  86. Doris Schultz October 4, 2018

    Good

    Reply

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