On behalf of VNA, we want to thank all eight members of the jury for their dedication and commitment to public service over the last six months, and the thoroughness with which they have approached the facts and questions before them.

We are pleased to see that the meritless allegations of the plaintiffs’ lawyers failed to convince the jury, which confirms what we have been saying all along: that the people of VNA did good work for the people of Flint.

We would have preferred a unanimous verdict and we believe that if the government officials responsible for the Flint Water Crisis, including Governor Snyder, had answered our questions instead of pleading the Fifth, the jury would have been in a better position to reach a unanimous verdict.

Today’s mistrial shows that the plaintiffs’ lawyers attempts to create a corporate scapegoat where none exists, while shielding the government officials who are truly responsible from facing justice, was a waste of time, energy, and money.

Responsibility for the Flint Water Crisis lies with these government officials who made the decision to switch Flint’s water source to save money at the expense of residents’ health and well-being, and who have so far escaped all accountability for their actions. That is clear to all who seek justice for the people of Flint and not just outsized legal payoffs.

The people of Flint have suffered deeply, and it is our collective responsibility — across government, the private sector, and the public — to work together to ensure that what happened in Flint never happens again, and to help the people of Flint get the justice they deserve.