press release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

News from Progress Michigan

October 9, 2017

Contact: Hugh Madden, 734-250-2070, hugh@progressmichigan.org

Progress Michigan to Schuette: Charge Hollins, Snyder, or Stand Aside

Hollins and Snyder knew of legionella danger, failed to inform public

LANSING — Progress Michigan is calling on Attorney General Bill Schuette to put politics aside and charge Governor Rick Snyder and his top aide Harvey Hollins with the same crimes he charged Health and Human Services Director Nick Lyon, and now Dr. Eden Wells, or else it’s time to stop acting like he is trying to bring justice to the people of Flint.

“The people of Flint still don’t have clean water, people have died and yet Governor Snyder hasn’t been charged with a single crime. Worse, not one person in his administration has been convicted,” said Lonnie Scott, executive director of Progress Michigan. “At this point, Bill Schuette appears to be either a horrible prosecutor who doesn’t have the legal chops to be Michigan’s top law enforcement official or playing politics because of his political aspirations – or both.”

Last week, Harvey Hollins testified that he informed Governor Snyder about the legionella outbreak in December of 2015, a full month before Snyder informed the public and nine months after Hollins himself knew of the dire health situation in Flint. Hollins’sworn testimony contradicted the testimony Governor Snyder gave to Congress in February of 2016 as well as Hollins’ own statement to the press in February of 2016 when he said he informed the governor in January 2016.

Emails released by Progress Michigan show Hollins had knowledge of the situation and failed to act for nine months, and Governor Snyder apparently failed to act for a month. Because of their delays, the people of Flint were not informed of this deadly outbreak for nearly a year.

“Since the Flint Water Crisis became known, the Snyder administration has not been straight with the people of Michigan. Now, we find out that Hollins and Snyder have differing stories of who knew what when,” Scott continued. “Sadly, it looks like Bill Schuette has decided playing politics and posing for the cameras is more important than justice for the people of Flint. These latest revelations make it clear Schuette should have the guts to charge the state’s highest-ranking Republican, or stick to serving coffee to wealthy donors at political fundraisers and let someone else do the hard and necessary work.”

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