Activists reiterated demands for “accountability and justice” for the people of Flint, Michigan following reports Monday that the authorities investigating the city’s water crisis executed search warrants for the state-owned cell phones of former Gov. Rick Snyder and 65 other current and former officials.
“The people of Flint deserve answers,” Mary Grant, public water for all director at Food & Water Watch, said in a statement. “Hopefully this investigation will yield them. And there needs to be accountability for those involved in creating this crisis, including former Governor Snyder.”
The Associated Press reported Monday on search warrants (pdf) the outlet obtained through public records requests.
The search warrants, signed by a Flint judge, were sought two weeks ago by Solicitor General Fadwa Hammoud and Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, who is assisting with the criminal investigation of Flint’s water being contaminated with lead five years ago and a regional outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease.
The search warrants came after Hammoud revealed in an April 26 court filing that millions of records related to the Flint water crisis allegedly were not turned over in response to subpoenas. The “trove” of documents, stored in boxes and on computer hard drives—and which supposedly included a list of state employees titled “Phones/Wiped”—were later discovered in the basement of a state-owned building.
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