FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
News from Progress Michigan
December 17, 2015
Contact: Sam Inglot, 616-916-0574, sam@progressmichigan.org
Snyder Administration Leans on Lies to Avoid Flint Water Disclosures
Lie told by Health Department lawyer needs investigation
LANSING — In a recent story by the Detroit Free Press, it was reported that a lawyer for the Department of Health and Human Services claimed that documents related to the Flint Water Crisis could not be released because of a “litigation hold” placed on documents by the Attorney Generals office. However, the Attorney General claims he did not place a hold and the story points out that the term is not a phrase used in litigation surrounding public documents.
“This administration is more concerned with covering the Governor’s political ass than they are about the health and well-being of the children and citizens of Flint,” said Lonnie Scott, executive director of Progress Michigan. “Time and time again when it comes to FOIA, the Snyder administration has hidden behind delays, ‘the fee approach’ and now they are resorting to making up new legal terms, all in an effort to hide the truth about what happened in Flint and what led to thousands of children being poisoned on his watch. They may think that their delays are slick political operating and sound legal logic but where I come from we have a simple word for actions like these: Bullshit.”
This week, Mayor Karen Weaver declared a State of Emergency due to the poor water quality in Flint. This comes months after Gov. Snyder stood behind a podium and denied responsibility for the crisis.
“Standing behind podiums with a forced look of concern is not leadership,”Scott continued. “The Governor should immediately show leadership and order all state departments to release all documents showing when the Flint crisis was discovered and what was done to fix it. That’s what a real leader would do so I won’t hold my breath. This is the latest in a long list of examples that go to show Gov. Snyder has broken his campaign promise of more transparency and failed to address our broken FOIA system.”
###