- April 17, 2017
Attorney Mark Brewer of Goodman Acker, P.C. is counsel in a lawsuit recently filed against Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette. The lawsuit resulted after Schuette refused a request under the Freedom of Information Act to provide copies of emails sent from personal email accounts in which he and at least 20 former and current staff discussed, planned, and oversaw official government matters.The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Progress Michigan, a statewide group that advocates for transparent government. Progress Michigan has evidence filed as part of the lawsuit showing that private emails were sent between Schuette and his staff from May 2014 to May 2015. Schuette has denied that such emails exist. The questions before the court will be whether, as Attorney Brewer pointed out, the Michigan Attorney General is lying about their existence, is trying to hide them, or has improperly destroyed them.
Accusations of elected officials using private emails to conduct official government business are nothing new. Indeed, in recent years, it has been revealed more and more often. Both Hillary Clinton and Mike Pence have been accused of using private email. Michigan Governor Rick Snyder has used private email to communicate with his staff members, a practice revealed after he turned over records related to the ongoing water crisis in Flint, Michigan. Indeed, such behavior and its apparent widespread use is one of the reasons why groups like Progress Michigan are created.
You can find more information about this ongoing lawsuit within these various sources:
For more information or legal support regarding election and political law cases, you can contact Goodman Acker P.C. and request a free consultation with our Detroit and Wayne County attorneys. Call (248) 286-8100 today.