The Royal Oak law firm of Special Assistant Attorney General Todd Flood has billed the state nearly $7 million for his investigation and subsequent prosecution of state and local officials in the Flint water crisis. Total spending on private law firms for the investigations and defense of state employees has topped $26.5 million, with capacity in current contracts for up to $34.5 million. Gov. Rick Snyder's administration has provided private attorneys for the governor and at least 30 individual state employees in the governor's office and the departments of health and human services and environmental quality.