LANSING (AP) — A Michigan board has approved the state attorney general’s request for $3.4 million more to investigate Flint’s water crisis, an amount that would more than triple overall spending on the probe.
The request was approved Tuesday by the State Administrative Board. Representatives of the governor, lieutenant governor and state treasurer abstained in the voting.
Attorney General Bill Schuette hired lawyer Todd Flood and 21 other outside attorneys and investigators for the probe.
An initial $1.5 million was authorized through July 2017. The amendment calls for spending up to $4.9 million and extending the contract two more months.
For nearly 18 months, the city used the Flint River as a way to save money. But lead leached from aging pipes as improperly treated water flowed into homes and businesses.