Snyder emails look behind scenes at efforts to manage crisis
(AP) — Thousands of emails newly released by Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder provide a behind-scenes look at how his administration tried to manage the Flint water crisis.
In an Oct. 1 reply to senior adviser Dick Posthumus about scheduling a meeting, former Chief of Staff Dennis Muchmore lamented that he'd already met with two people the previous night, "Flint ministers this morning, Rep. (Sheldon) Neeley at 11:00, our entire group at 10, (then-Flint Mayor) Dayne Walling at 4:00 and (chief deputy treasurer Tom) Saxton at 4:30 all on Flint...help...get me out of this mess."
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared Oct. 25-31 national Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, but Snyder's staff opted out of issuing a proclamation.
Documentary filmmaker and Flint native Michael Moore tweeted in December for Snyder to be recalled, arrested and imprisoned for "poisoning the ppl left behind in Flint," prompting this email from former communications director Meegan Holland: "The pot stirrer and attention whore."
The holiday season was no respite for the administration due to the release of a critical auditor's report and a letter from a Snyder-appointed task force investigating the crisis that laid responsibility at the door of the state Department of Environmental Quality.
In a Dec. 21 email responding to an apparent lunch invitation, constituent relations manager Laura Stoken writes, "I'm hoping I can get (away) today — I am anticipating getting slammed" because of a Maddow program.
Separately, Stoken asked whether a form letter being sent to people who write to Snyder should be revised to respond to Maddow's pointed coverage.
[...] on Dec. 21, Murray sent a message to senior policy adviser Karen McPhee with the subject line, "Tell me if I was overacting to this," referring to a radio report that mentions him.
A local television reporter contacted the communications staff after Snyder accepted the resignations of Department of Environmental Quality Director Dan Wyant and communications director Brad Wurfel.