Residents of Flint, Michigan, allege that state and city officials ignored evidence the city was pumping toxic water from the Flint River into their homes. Bill Schuette, Michigan's Republican attorney general, hasn't finished his investigation into whether any state laws were broken when Flint’s water was poisoned. But in the legal fight, Schuette is already picking sides: On Friday, he said in a court filing thathis office probably can't ethically defend Gov. Rick Snyder (R) in court while defending certain lower-level state officials -- and those lower-ranking bureaucrats will need their own lawyers.
Schuette, who is widely believed to have ambitions of running for governor in 2018, said that because there is a potential conflict between current and former employees for the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, and the governor and the state, “it is likely [counsel] cannot effectively represent both sets of clients.”
The attorney general is asking for additional time so that MDEQ defendants can get their own attorneys. "We’re going to work with the governor’s office to make sure these folks have lawyers,” a Schuette spokeswoman told the Detroit Free Press. Schuette’s office did not respond to provide additional comment on why he feels there is a conflict. A spokeswoman for MDEQ declined to comment.
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