Michigan governor tweets during Democratic debate: ‘This was never about money’

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder’s name was invoked several times during Sunday’s Democratic presidential debate in Flint, Mich., where Hillary Clinton joined Bernie Sanders in calling for him to resign over the water crisis there.

“The governor should resign or be recalled,” Clinton said, marking the first time the Democratic frontrunner has called for Snyder’s resignation. “It is raining lead in Flint, and the state is derelict in not coming forward with the money that is required.”

Sanders expressed the same sentiment earlier in the debate. “One of the points that I have made is that I believe the governor of this state should understand that his dereliction of duty was irresponsible,” he said. “He should resign.”

Gov. Rick Snyder speaks after attending a Flint Water Interagency Coordinating Committee meeting in February. (Photo: Paul Sancya/AP)

A cost-saving decision to switch the city of Flint’s water source from Detroit to corrosive river water caused lead in aging water pipes to seep into the homes of Flint residents for more than a year.

Snyder, whose verified Twitter handle is @onetoughnerd, defended himself in a series of tweets.

“This was never about money,” the governor wrote on Twitter. “This was a failure of government at all levels that could be described as a massive error of bureaucracy.“

Snyder accused the candidates of using the Flint water crisis to score political points.