Two environmental regulators in Michigan avoided felony charges linked to their involvement in the Flint water crisis by pleading no contest Wednesday to a misdemeanor, The Associated Press reported. Both Prysby and Busch also previously faced charges for misconduct in office, conspiracy to tamper with evidence, tampering with evidence and violating the Safe Drinking Water Act. They are the fifth and sixth state officials to accept deals with prosecutors to avoid more serious charges. Flint’s water crisis began in 2014 when officials swapped the city’s drinking water source from Lake Huron and the Detroit River, as managed by the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department, to Flint River. The new charges will likely be dismissed in one year if Prysby and Busch continue to cooperate with prosecutors, according to AP.

Source: Huffington Post December 27, 2018 04:41 UTC