DETROIT — The state has spent nearly $53 million since 2016 for both the prosecution and defense of Michigan’s top officials in the Flint water criminal and civil litigation, with costs spanning four departments and at least 25 state employees, according to records obtained and reviewed by The Detroit News. About $15.8 million of the $53 million total has been spent by the attorney general’s office since 2016 to investigate the actions surrounding Flint’s lead-tainted water, prosecute state and local officials, and defend against civil lawsuits. About $37.1 million has been paid to at least tw…