FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
News from Progress Michigan
June 28, 2017
Contact: Sam Inglot, 616-916-0574, sam@progressmichigan.org
FOIA Confirms Cover-Up at Schuette’s Office
Why is Rusty Hills using personal email on state time? Questions remain
LANSING — According to documents obtained by the Great Lakes Beacon through a Freedom of Information Act request, Attorney General Bill Schuette’s staff tried to cover up the use of a top-staffer’s use of private email on public time by haphazardly putting it online after being questioned by a reporter. The cover-up comes as Schuette’s office is embroiled in a lawsuit brought by Progress Michigan over this very behavior.
“What these documents prove is that Schuette’s office acted to cover-up inappropriate behavior when it was brought to their attention,” said Lonnie Scott, executive director of Progress Michigan. “What we still don’t know is why Schuette’s staffers are still using personal emails while a pending lawsuit is out there. Also, if this email was of personal or political nature, why is it being done on state time? Schuette recently wrote in a op-ed that he is seeking ‘higher ethical standards for government transparency and accountability’ — but clearly he doesn’t hold his staff to the same ethical standards he claims to aspire to.”
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