LANSING, Mich. — Fortune magazine asked its readers on Wednesday to rank the “world’s 19 most disappointing leaders” and placed Michigan Republican Gov. Rick Snyder atop the ballot for his role in the Flint drinking water public health crisis.
Snyder joins Brazil President Dilma Rousseff, who faces impeachment for allegedly cooking the government’s books; Sepp Blatter, the former chief of the corruption-plagued world soccer governing body FIFA; former Turing Pharmaceuticals CEO Martin Shkreli, villainized for huge mark-ups and profit margins on life-saving pharmaceuticals; and former Volkswagen chairman Martin Winterkorn, named for his role in an emissions test cheating scandal.
Snyder was ahead in early voting, with a significant lead over the only other governor to make the list — Chris Christie of New Jersey, nominated for his role in the “Bridgegate scandal.”
Snyder spokesman Ari Adler said, “Gov. Snyder is focused on fixing problems, not Internet polls.”
In placing Snyder on the list, the magazine said: “Snyder and his team sparked national outrage after an attempt at cost-savings left the impoverished city of Flint, Mich. with a lead-tainted water supply that is being blamed for illness and brain damage, especially among its youngest residents.”