Nessel releases final report on Department of Attorney General’s Flint Water Crisis investigation

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel released a final report on the Flint Water Crisis investigation, acknowledging that the goal of holding officials accountable was not achieved since none of the nine people charged, including former Gov. Rick Snyder, were convicted. Roughly 140,000 residents of the majority-Black, economically disadvantaged city were exposed to lead after Flint switched water sources in 2014 without adequate corrosion controls; state data attributes 12 deaths to related Legionnaires' disease outbreaks, though a 2019 Frontline investigation suggested the toll was higher.

The report explains the investigation's use of a one-person grand jury to secure indictments, a process the Michigan Supreme Court later ruled the presiding judge lacked authority to use, leading to dismissal of all charges. Nessel said she would have made the same decision in hindsight and expressed regret that the report's findings were never aired in open court. The state separately reached a $626 million civil settlement with Flint, the state, McLaren Regional Medical Center and Rowe Professional Services.

The full dispatch is available from the source below.