Rick Snyder Donor Picked To Lead Investigation Of Flint Water Crisis

[niyad]

Rick Snyder Donor Picked To Lead Investigation Of Flint Water Crisis



Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette (R) celebrating his 2014 re-election

Weeks after refusing to even look into allegations of wrongdoing in the Flint water crisis, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette (R) announced on Monday that he is appointing a special counsel to investigate the situation. Schuette said that he has selected former prosecutor Todd Flood, a donor to both Schuette and Gov. Rick Synder (R), to determine whether anyone broke state law.

Snyder has been criticized for his administration’s handling of the crisis, which has left tens of thousands without safe drinking water and may have caused irreversible damage to Flint children, including allegations that they did nothing even after learning the water was not safe to drink. A class-action lawsuit filed by Flint residents alleges that both Snyder and the state government breached their contract to provide drinkable water and of violated the state’s Consumer Protection Act by saying it was safe.

Schuette, whose office is also responsible for defending Snyder in the class action suit, vowed to establish “an ethics-based conflict wall between him and his investigation team, and the team defending the governor and state departments against Flint water-related law suits.” As part of this effort, he appointed Flood to be special counsel and former Detroit FBI Chief Andrew Arena to assist the investigation.

Flood vowed to “provide Michigan residents with an impartial answer to the question of whether any state laws were broken.” But his own impartiality could come into question. According to National Institute on Money in State Politics data, Flood contributed $3,400 to Schuette’s 2010 campaign and $6,800 more to his 2014 re-election effort. He also gave $1,000 to Synder’s 2010 campaign committee and $2,000 for his 2014 race. Flood said at the announcement press conference that he has contributed to both parties over the years and that despite his financial support for Snyder, “I don’t have a bias or prejudice one way or another.”

. . . .

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2016/01/25/3742461/michigan-attorney-general-appoints-snyder-donor/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=tptop3&utm_term=5&utm_content=53&elq=69b84c15e80742c5883acfb6c60a0f37&elqCampaignId=4871&elqaid=28900&elqat=1&elqTrackId=b35698515be9426db1f19b6eac0880a8

[Dont call me Shirley]

1. Oh, that one oughtta be fair and impartial...

[niyad]

2. oh, yes, absolutely.

[VulgarPoet]

7. Nepotism, thy name is Snyder.

[tularetom]

3. Fox meet henhouse

I guess the justice department was too busy prosecuting the thugs who took over that wildlife refuge

Oh wait...

[niyad]

6. of course.

[hobbit709]

4. They don't even try to hide it any more.

[niyad]

5. why should they? they are getting away with their destructive, murderous crap every single

day, without any fear of punishment, or even, in many cases, awareness.

[SammyWinstonJack]

8. Perfect.

[Octafish]

9. Schuette GOP Toadie.

Guy was going to be close to -- if not one of -- those benefiting from piratization of Detroit's water supply.

He won't be mentioning that, I betcha.

[niyad]

10. shhhhhh

[Octafish]

11. They're calling in the Feds.

Former Detroit FBI chief to assist Flint water probe

http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2016/01/25/former-detroit-fbi-chief-assist-flint-water-probe/79288714/

I wonder if these are the same Feds who didn't like it when local reporters upstage them on crimes and stuff.

[niyad]

12. not holding my breath for any meaningful action.

[Octafish]

13. They thought they could steal the Van Goghs.

Snyder's EM-driven, bankster-benefiting Detroit Bankruptcy would set the table for a complete looting, from the Department of Water and Sewerage to the VanGogh masterpieces hanging on the walls of the Detroit Institute of Arts.

In Detroit, the Emergency Manager shut down electric power downtown one busy summer weekday. The resulting confusion trapped people in elevators, caused traffic jams and delays, inconvenienced the living hell out of the major players downtown who have not FLED the city for greener pastures: the hospitals, universities, corporate and government offices.

The move was a message from the EM, that he would not tolerate dissent. We talked about it on DU:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023669148

In the days after, I had the chance to ask some reporter chums at one of the Detroit dailies why they had not covered the story. The reporters said they, too, had heard the reports, but added the EM had told them nothing to worry about. (From the link above: It was just an old cable that blew or something we had to turn off. Don't listen to what our guy just said.)

Another reporter who had followed the real story for local public radio wanted to air it when she was shown the door a few days after. Reporters who find evidence for conspiracy that leads to the government have that happen a lot.

[niyad]

14. I missed that particular post, although I do remember the "lesson"