(WWJ) – Months after charges were thrown out against former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder for his alleged role in the Flint Water Crisis, he says it’s time to focus on water issues not only in Flint, but across the state and country.
Snyder spoke live on WWJ Tuesday morning about his new cyber security company SensCy. WWJ’s Jonathan Carlson also asked the former governor if he had anything he wanted to say to the people of Flint to “put that issue to rest.”
“Mistakes happened, we reacted and did a lot of good things, but it’s an ongoing healing process,” Snyder said. “I appreciate the Supreme Court opinion. That was a wise opinion that was smart and let’s get this behind us in terms of the legal side and let’s focus in on water issues across, not just Flint, but across our state and across our nation.”
Snyder said there are “big problems that still need to be addressed” when it comes to water across the country.
Back in June the Michigan Supreme Court issued an opinion saying a judge had no power to issue indictments against Snyder and eight others charged in the scandal.
Last week a Michigan judge threw out felony charges against seven other people in the case, leaving prosecutors angry and disappointed, but saying they’re still committed to pursuing justice for those poisoned by the water.
On Tuesday lawyers for Snyder urged a judge to drop misdemeanor charges against him, as he wasn't covered in last week's dismissal.
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In August a jury couldn’t reach a verdict, resulting in a mistrial in a liability case against two engineering firms accused of not doing enough to get Flint to treat the highly corrosive water or urging the city to go back to using a regional water supply.
The water crisis began in 2014 after officials authorized switching the city’s water source from the Detroit water system to the Flint River in what was seen as a move to save money. Lead then infiltrated the water system through aging pipes, leading to dangerously high lead levels in drinking water in the city. The issue was then blamed for an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease that left 12 Genesee County residents dead.
WWJ's Jackie Paige also asked Snyder whether he would be endorsing a candidate in this fall's gubernatorial election in Michigan. He declined to do so, but said he encourages people to get out and vote in what he called "a critical election."
“Think about candidates that are into civility, about how we can work together as opposed to how we can call each other names," Snyder said. "We need a much more civil political environment than what we have today. That's my big message."
“We’re divided. And that’s the problem. We need leadership that wants to bring people together," he said when asked where Michigan stands politically.
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