Michigan reporter Ed White and correspondent David Eggert worked sources to report exclusively that criminal charges would be filed against former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and others in the Flint water crisis, one of the worst human-made environmental disasters in U.S. history.
White was reporting an unrelated story when he asked a source about any developments in the Flint investigation. That paid off with a tip — confirmed with a second source by Eggert — about the imminent charges.
The bombshell story hit a full two days before the official announcement and was AP’s most-used story by customers online that day, widely credited by local and national news outlets, including the Detroit Free Press and the New York Times.
Edna Sabucco stands outside her house in Flint, Mich., Jan. 12, 2021. Sabucco said she still uses water filters, although the lead service line to her home of 40-plus years has been replaced, along with more than 9,700 others in Flint. Former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and other officials were to face charges resulting from the Flint water crisis, AP revealed.
AP Photo / Tammy Webber