Gov. Rick Snyder (file photo)
Gov. Rick Snyder isn't shocked he won't be a grand jury investigation target.
"This isn’t surprising, given that it was a baseless accusation,” spokeswoman Anna Heaton tells The Detroit News.
She reacts to a rejection by Ingham County Circuit Court of a request for a one-person grand jury to investigate whether the governor committed misconduct in office by using public funds to hire private attorneys representing him in criminal probes of Flint’s water contamination crisis, Jonothan Oosting reports.
Ingham judges -- several with strong ties to the Democratic Party -- met last week and denied the request.
Attorney Mark Brewer, former chairman of the Michigan Democratic Party, filed a complaint last month on behalf of Flint resident Keri Webber, who said she was “appalled” Snyder was spending public funds on private attorneys while she and other Flint residents continued to suffer from the water crisis, The News writes.
A special investigative unit for the state Attorney General's Office is looking into any criminal allegations involving the Flint water crisis.
The decision by the Ingham judges would not preclude the group from going after Snyder if it found criminal wrongdoing.
