EXPERIENCED AND HOW HE MADE IT THROUGH IT ALL. IT’S TODAY ON FLASHPOINT.
ALRIGHT. LET’S START THIS
MORNING WITH THE LATEST ON THE
FLINT WATER CRISIS, THE STATE
SUPREME COURT ORDERING THE
DISMISSAL OF THE CHARGES AGAINST
FORMER GOVERNOR SNYDER AND
OTHERS. THOSE CHARGES WERE THEN
RE FILED LATE FRIDAY. BUT WHERE
WILL ALL OF IT GO? I WANT TO
TALK IT OVER WITH A GUY WHO
KNOWS AS MUCH ABOUT THIS CASE IS
ANYONE ATTORNEY TODD FLOOD WAS
THE ORIGINAL INVESTIGATOR AND
PROSECUTOR APPOINTED BY THEN
BILL SHOOT E. BUT WHEN DANA
NESSEL TOOK OVER, SHE RESTARTED
THE ENTIRE CASE AND THAT
INCLUDED DISPATCHING TODD FLOOD.
SO TODD. SOME MIGHT SUGGEST YOU
HAVE A MAYBE AN AX TO GRIND IN
THIS CASE, BUT THE TRUTH IS WHEN
THE DECISION FROM THE STATE
SUPREME COURT CAME DOWN THIS
WEEK, I THINK YOU FELT IT ALL
VERY PERSONALLY, YOU KNOW, IT
WAS HARD FOR ME TO PROCESS AND A
LOT OF WAYS SAD. AH I WANTED TO
SEE AT LEAST TRIAL AT LEAST SOME
MODICUM OF JUSTICE THAT LAID OUT
IN FRONT OF 12 JURORS FOR THE
CASE. I HAVE FRIENDS THERE
LIFELONG FRIENDS IN FLINT. AND
THEY’RE SUFFERING THEY WANT THEY
WANT ANSWERS, AND THEY WANT TO
AT LEAST HAVE THE DAY IN COURT.
AS IS REQUIRED. ANY CASE LIKE
THIS, AND UNFORTUNATELY SADLY SO
PROCEDURAL STEPS. UM REVERSED.
COURSE FOR THE PROSECUTOR IN
THIS CASE, AND I HAVE, ALBEIT I
HAVE GREAT RESPECT FOR KIM
WORTHY AND FADWA MAHMOUD, BOTH
BRILLIANT LADIES. UM AND I KNOW
THEIR HEARTS ARE IN THE RIGHT
PLACE, AND THEY WANT TO DO
EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO BRING
JUSTICE. BUT THIS IS A MAJOR
SETBACK. UM AND I’M SURE THEY’RE
ALL TOGETHER, BRINGING THE TEAM
TOGETHER FROM ALL DIFFERENT
PLACES ATTEMPTING TO FIGURE OUT
HOW TO GET TRACTION BACK IN IN
THE COURTROOM, AND IT SOUNDS TO
ME AS THOUGH THEY’VE MADE THIS
MOTION. TO REMAND AND REISSUED
THE CASE BACK TO THE PRELIMINARY
EXAM STAGE AND DEVIN, THAT’S
WHAT WE DID FOR 12 12 MONTHS PUT
ON. OR DIFFERENT EXAMS GOT 15.
PEOPLE CHARGED FOR FOUR TO
PLEASE TO COOPERATE, AND THERE
WERE MORE INDICTMENTS READY TO
GO, SO THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH
THAT PROCESS. BUT I KNOW THEY’RE
DEVOTED AND DEDICATED TO MAKING
IT HAPPEN. IS IT AS SIMPLE AS
JUST SAYING, OK, RESTART AND
FILING PAPERWORK AGAIN OTHER
THAN THE DELAY OF TIME, WHICH IS
AGONIZING FOR A LOT OF THE FOLKS
IN FLINT, WHO HAVE TO AT THIS
POINT, BELIEVE NOTHING’S EVER
GOING TO BE SOLVED. IS THERE IS
THERE MORE DAMAGE TO THE CASE,
THOUGH, THAN THAT? THAT’S BEING
DONE BY THIS RULING THAN SIMPLY
DELAYING WHAT HAPPENS. WELL, I
OUT WILL BE INTERESTED IN
HEARING THE MOTION THAT THEY
FILED BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME
ISSUES AS IT RELATES TO THE
STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS ON THE
MISDEMEANORS. RIGHT LION. HE HAD
HIS CASE REVERSED AND HE WAS
ASKING FOR A DISMISSAL, AND THE
SUPREME COURT SAID TO THE
CIRCUIT COURT. YOU GOT IT WRONG.
DISMISSED NICK LYONS CASE. NANCY
PEELER, UM AND ASKED FOR A
REMAND TO DO A PRELIMINARY EXAM.
THEY REVERSED THE CIRCUIT COURT
THERE. SO I’M I’M CURIOUS TO
FIND OUT HOW THEY GET AROUND THE
STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS ON SOME
OF THESE CASES WITH THE
MANSLAUGHTER CASES THAT HAVE
SAFE WATER, THEY CAN STILL
NAVIGATE THE PRELIMINARY EXAM
FOR THE MANSLAUGHTER CASES. SOME
OF THE OTHER CASES JEREMY AND HE
ALSO HIS PERJURY CASE TOOK PLACE
DURING OUR INVESTIGATION, SO
THAT’S IN SAFE WATER WITH
REGARDS TO SEXUAL LIMITATIONS.
STATUES OPERATIONS ON ON
MANSLAUGHTER, BUT IT’S IMPORTANT
TO POINT OUT ON THE NUMBER OF
THE PEOPLE WHO WERE FACING
CHARGES WERE ONLY INCLUDING
GOVERNOR SNYDER, ONLY FACING
MISDEMEANOR COUNTS. AND THOSE DO
I THINK YOU AND A LOT OF OTHER
ATTORNEYS WOULD SUGGEST THAT
THERE IS A STATUTE LIMITATIONS
ON THOSE KIND OF CHARGES. THERE
IS SO THE QUESTION IS GOING TO
BE DID THE CLOCK TALL. WAS THERE
A STOP IN THE CLOCK AS IT
RELATES TO THE STATUE OF
LIMITATIONS? I THINK THERE’S
GOING TO BE SOME MERITORIOUS
ARGUMENTS. AT LEAST THERE’S
GOING TO BE A LOT OF LEGAL
ARGUMENTS PUT FORTH ON ON THAT
ISSUE. THERE’S ANOTHER HUGE
ISSUE GOING FORTH AS WELL. AH
AND THAT IS THE TAINT REVIEW. I
READ THAT MOTION AND I SAW THAT
THE CIRCUIT COURT IN GENESEE
COUNTY. MADE THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL’S OFFICE GO THROUGH WHAT
WE SAID. IN THE VERY BEGINNING.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE A TAINT REVIEW
TEAM THAT SIMPLY IS YOU CAN’T BE
TAKING PRIVILEGED COMMUNICATIONS
FROM THE DEFENDANTS. YOU HAVE TO
HAVE A PRIVILEGED LOG IF YOU
WILL, AND TO MAKE SURE THAT
YOU’RE NOT GETTING INFORMATION
THAT YOU’RE NOT ENTITLED TO NOT
SUPPOSED TO HAVE THAT’S
CONFIDENTIAL AND THE LIKE. WELL,
THAT DIDN’T HAPPEN. NECESSARILY
IN THIS CASE, SO I’M SURE THAT
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND FADWA
MAHMOUD AND KIM WORTHY HAVE A
PLAN TO OVERCOME THAT THEY HAVE
TO SHOW BY CLEAR AND CONVINCING
EVIDENCE THAT THAT’S NOT GOING
TO BE USED OR NOR IS IT RELEVANT
NECESSARILY IN THEIR CASE. SO
ANOTHER HURDLE MORE TIME. MORE
MONEY, MORE FRUSTRATION, BUT I.
I’VE TALKED TO FATWA AND MANY OF
OCCASIONS I BELIEVE IN HER, AND
I BELIEVE THAT HER HEART’S IN
THE RIGHT PLACE AND SHE’S GOING
TO DO EVERYTHING SHE CAN TO
BRING JUSTICE FROM MY FRIEND AND
FLINT. LET ME ASK YOU IF WE SET
ASIDE ALL OF THE DIFFERENT
ARGUMENTS THAT WE’VE HEARD ALL
OF THE OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE TO
FOLLOW. WE HAVE TO FOLLOW LEGAL
RULES IN COURT. ALL OF THESE
THINGS, THOUGH, IF WE CAN SET
ALL THAT ASIDE AND GET TO THE
HEART OF WHAT YOU FOUND IN YOUR
THREE YEARS OF LOOKING INTO WHAT
HAPPENED IN FLINT, WHERE DO YOU
BELIEVE? WHAT DID YOU DECIDE?
WHERE WAS THE ULTIMATE
RESPONSIBILITY FOR WHAT HAPPENED
TO THE PEOPLE OF FLINT? IT
HAPPENS WITHIN THE
ADMINISTRATION IN THE CABINET OF
THE STAGNER ADMINISTRATION, IN
MY HUMBLE OPINION, AND THAT’S
WHAT I PROVED IN DIPLOMA NERI
EXAM. IT WAS REALLY QUITE SIMPLE
FOR EVERYBODY TO UNDERSTAND WHEN
IT WAS COMPLICATED, BUT IT ONLY
BECAME EASY WHEN IT BECAME EASY
AND YOU UNDERSTOOD IT. AT THE
END OF ALL OF THIS, THERE WAS
LEGIONELLA THAT WAS IN THE PIPES
IN THE SYSTEMS AND BECAUSE THE
PIPES HAD BEEN BEEN STRIPPED OF
THEIR PROTECTIVE COATING.
LEGIONELLA WAS GROWING. UM AND
IT HAD FOOD TO GROW. CALLED
TRIHALOMETHANES. THAT’S JUST THE
ORGANIC MATERIAL THAT WAS COMING
DOWN THE PIPE. AND VACANT LOTS
AND VACANT STREETS. THOSE PLUMES
, THE SMALL PLUMES OF LEGIONELLA
WOULD GROW AND BECOME MASSIVE
AND THEN, AS THE WHOLE OF WATER
WENT DOWN TO THE OTHER HOMES AND
HOSPITALS AND NURSING HOMES. UM
THAT KILLER THAT POISON WAS
BROUGHT IN AND IT WAS SILENT AND
BROUGHT INTO THE PEOPLE’S HOMES
. SO NOT ONLY DID YOU HAVE LED
BECAUSE THE LEAD LEACHED FROM
THE PIPES BECAUSE THERE WAS NO
PROTECTIVE COATING. YOU ALSO
HAD, UM THIS LEGIONELLA, WHICH
CAUSED SEVERE PNEUMONIA. AND IF
YOU HAD ANY KIND OF CO MORBIDITY
, ANY KIND OF DIABETES OR HIGH
BLOOD PRESSURE, HEART DISEASE.
ANYTHING OF THAT SORT IT WAS A
DEATH SENTENCE FOR MANY. AND YOU
KNOW, I BURIED A FRIEND UP THERE
. UM MAN ONLY BECAME FRIENDS
WITH HER. WELL I WAS UP THERE. I
BECAME FRIENDS WITH PLENTY OF
PARENTS. I STILL HAVE LIFELONG
FRIEND HAD THEY HAVE A FIVE YEAR
OLD THAT, UM IS SUFFERING FROM
LEAD POISONING. UM AND IN FACT,
WILL BE WHO WILL BE SPENDING
YEARS WATCHING FOR SIGNS OF WHAT
THE LEAD HAS DONE TO THEIR
CHILDREN. THAT’S RIGHT. THAT’S
RIGHT. AND IF IT YOU KNOW,
SOMEHOW, SOME WAY IT LOOKS LIKE
CALCIUM WHEN IT TAKES AN X RAY
OR, YOU KNOW WHEN YOU’RE IN YOUR
BODY, AND IF IT GETS INTO THE
BLOODSTREAM, YOU KNOW IT. YOUR
PEDIATRICIAN. I MEAN, THAT NEEDS
TO BE CONSULTED RIGHT AWAY. UM
THERE’S A LOT OF UNSUNG HEROES
UP THERE. DR LAWRENCE REYNOLDS.
YOU KNOW HIS WIFE AT THE
PRELIMINARY EXAM. HE WAS THE ONE
THAT, UM, MADE SURE THAT THE
DOCTORS IN AND FLINTS TOOK THE
PRECAUTIONS AND MADE SURE THERE
WERE PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS. HE
WAS AN AMAZING MAN IS AN AMAZING
MAN. UM, AND THE PASTOR’S UP
THERE. AH, SO. YOU KNOW, THE SAD
THING IS THEY NEED REDRESS. THEY
NEED SOME MERCY. THEY NEED SOME
SOME CLEAN WATER CONSISTENTLY.
THEY NEED OBVIOUSLY AN
INFRASTRUCTURE THAT’S WORTHY OF
HAVING WATER COME THROUGH IT,
AND THEY NEED THEIR DAY IN
COURT. THEY REALLY DO AND I SEE
IT. IT’S REALLY SIMPLE TO PROVE
THIS CASE AT THE END OF THE DAY.
IT’S NOT GONNA IT’S NOT THAT
COMPLICATED. BUT FAD WAS GOING
UP AGAINST GOLIATH. THE A G S
OFFICE DOESN’T HAVE THE MONEY.
TRUST ME WHEN I TELL YOU, SHE’S
GOING UP AND I DID THE SAME
THING AND I KNOW SHE’S TIRED,
BUT I KNOW SHE WAS GOING UP
AGAINST HEAVY HITTERS AND
MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
BEING FRONTED TO THE DEFENSE
ATTORNEYS, UM AND TO THEIR
EXPERTS, SO IT’S A TOUGH GAME.
IT’S A TOUGH TOUGH ONLY GOT
ABOUT 30 SECONDS LEFT, BUT I
WANT TO QUICKLY LET YOU WEIGH IN
ON THE CIVIL CASE. GOVERNOR
SNYDER TAKING THE FIFTH, WHICH
HE, OF COURSE IS OF HIS RIGHT TO
DO IN MY SUPPOSED TO READ
SOMETHING INTO THE GOVERNOR,
EXERTING HIS FIFTH AMENDMENT
RIGHTS AGAINST SELF
INCRIMINATION. YOU KNOW, HE TOOK
THE, UH, FIFTH BASED ON THE
ADVICE OF COUNSEL, BUT HE
TESTIFIED IN FRONT OF CONGRESS,
AND HE TESTIFIED AT A DEPOSITION
IN THE CIVIL CASE. THEY USED
THAT MATERIAL AND IF PEOPLE
LISTEN TO PEOPLE LISTEN TO THAT
TESTIMONY IN FRONT OF CONGRESS.
AND THERE WILL BE SOME STRIKING
REVELATIONS. BUT ANYWAY NO, I
WOULDN’T READ INTO IT. OTHER
THAN THAT POTENTIAL MORE CHARGES
COULD COME DOWN THE PIKE IF THEY
FIND MANSLAUGHTER ISSUES. I SO
APPRECIATE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS