More charges may be coming in the Flint water investigation.
Special Counsel Todd Flood hinted at the possibility of new charges during a hearing for a defendant facing an involuntary manslaughter charge in connection with a fatal Legionnaires' disease case.
He spoke cryptically about new evidence in the case.
“Some of the material that we’ve seen, that’s been disclosed in our investigation, shows source samples matching three other victims,” Flood told the judge.
Flood says a subpoena has been sent to a federal agency seeking the material.
He didn’t elaborate on the material, except to say it was in “doctor talk”.
Flood told a judge that this could lead to new charges.
After the hearing, Flood declined to discuss any specifics about the new information, including what new charges might be brought.
In all, 15 current and former government officials have been criminally charged in the Flint water probe. Two have entered plea deals with prosecutors. Five people are charged with involuntary manslaughter.
One of them was in the courtroom today.
State Health and Human Services Department Director Nick Lyon sat quietly during the hearing. His attorneys voiced objections to a prosecutor proposal to consolidate the various cases in the Flint water probe.
Currently, five judges in the 67th district are hearing parts of the cases filed against the 15 defendants.
The special counsel wants to consolidate the cases to make the process more efficient. But defense attorneys have a different idea.
Lyon’s attorneys object to moving his case to a different judge.
Earlier this week, lawyers for Michigan’s Chief Medical Executive Dr. Eden Wells also said they would oppose consolidating her case with other defendants.
Wells is charged with obstruction of justice and lying to a police officer. Her attorneys would rather not have her case consolidated with other defendants facing more serious charges.
