Gov. Rick Snyder says his office will release all Flint-related emails dating back to the beginning of his administration in 2011, including the governor’s emails and staff emails.
Gov. Snyder says they’ll come soon – but has not given a specific date and time.
Snyder says attorneys need to look over the emails and remove any documents that would normally be exempt from public information requests. The governor is releasing the documents voluntarily, as his office is exempt from the Freedom of Information Act.
Snyder previously released his emails from 2014 and 2015. But he said at the time staff emails would not be included because staff thought those communications would be exempt from public information requests.
The announcement did not appease the governor’s critics, who have been calling for the law to be changed to require to the governor’s office to come under Michigan’s FOIA law.
"Governor Snyder needs to do much more than release more carefully selected emails regarding the poisoning of Flint's water," Melanie McElroy, Executive Director of Common Cause Michigan, said in a written statement. “There is simply no excuse to let this secrecy continue. People have a right to know what happened in Flint and hold those who are responsible accountable so this never happens again."
