FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
News from Progress Michigan
May 11, 2018
Contact: Sam Inglot, 616-916-0574, sam@progressmichigan.org
Schuette’s Real Estate Revelations Show Pattern of Abuse
AG uses office for personal, political gain, has been hiding emails sought in lawsuit
LANSING — Progress Michigan is calling attention to its lawsuit seeking emails from Attorney General Bill Schuette in light of revelations that Schuette used his office’s public staff to conduct personal real estate transactions involving tropical islands. The latest report from Crain’s Detroit Business adds to a pattern of questionable use of Schuette’s public office.
“Bill Schuette has a bad habit of using his public office to further his own political and financial interests. Our lawsuit seeks to shine a light into Schuette’s shady behavior because the public has a right to those emails,” said Lonnie Scott, executive director of Progress Michigan.
In 2017, Progress Michigan filed a lawsuit in the Michigan Court of Claims regarding the use of personal emails to conduct state business by Attorney General Bill Schuette and his staff. Progress Michigan found evidence of Schuette’s office using personal email accounts to conduct state business and sought the emails through the Freedom of Information Act, but Schuette is claiming his office has no information of that sort.
After he announced his run for governor, it was discovered Schuette had stocked his office with former GOP campaign operatives. This led many to call out Schuette for appearing to use his taxpayer-funded office for political gain.
“Using taxpayer-funded staff to assist you with personal financial transactions is the height of shady behavior, especially from the state’s top law enforcement official,” Scott continued. “But unfortunately, we’ve seen Schuette take advantage of his office time and again. He should be using his office to protect Michiganders, not further his own personal ambitions and pocketbook.”
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