The state administrative board has approved a $1.5 million contract to fund the Michigan attorney general's investigation into Flint's lead-tainted water.
The board voted 4-0 Tuesday to authorize $1.25 million in additional spending for a special counsel and outside investigators.
Attorney General Bill Schuette did not need approval of an initial $249,000 contract because it was below the threshold requiring the board's backing.
Representatives for Gov. Rick Snyder, Lt. Gov. Brian Calley and the state treasurer abstained from voting because the Snyder administration's role in the water crisis is under investigation.
Also Tuesday, a Democratic lawmaker and other Snyder critics urged the board to reject up to $1.2 million in spending by the governor's office for legal assistance related to Flint's disaster.
The board ignored the requests because under a rule change adopted when Snyder took office in 2011, governor-approved contracts for services do not need board approval.
