LANSING— The progressive group Progress Michigan filed a lawsuit on Tuesday in the Michigan Court of Claims regarding Attorney General Bill Schuette and his staff’s use of personal emails to conduct state business.

However, Schuette’s office denied knowing anything about the matter, according to a Progress Michigan press release.

Progress Michigan Executive Director Lonnie Scott said there’s a clear problem in sight.

“The public deserves a transparent and accountable government,” Scott said. “And that’s why we’re seeking the disclosure of these emails. Clearly, there’s a problem when we find numerous examples of an elected official like Bill Schuette, and members of his staff, using personal emails to conduct state business — but for them to then deny the existence of documents which we have proof exist, we knew we had to take further action to find the truth.”

The lawsuit was filed after the attorney general’s office rejected a Freedom of Information Act request from Progress Michigan that asked for all emails sent or received using a personal email account for official purposes since Nov. 1, 2010. In its reply, the office said it “does not possess records meeting your description.”

The lawsuit challenges that statement, claiming it is false and offers proof of purported uses of personal email for state business.

Attorney General spokesperson Andrea Bitely said the office is presently reviewing the lawsuit.