Schuette to place personal assets in a blind trust

LANSING (AP) -- Bill Schuette's office says the first-term Republican state attorney general will voluntarily place his financial assets into a blind trust to avoid any conflicts between personal interests and his job. Spokesman John Sellek said last Friday in a statement that an independent trustee will oversee decisions about Schuette's assets over the next four years. Schuette is to have no knowledge of, or control over, how the assets will be managed. A summary of his 2010 federal income tax return and 2009 tax information also will be made public. Schuette reports that he and his wife, Cynthia, paid $85,695 in taxes last year based on their adjusted gross income of $355,330. The couple also reports nearly $36,000 in donations to charity. Schuette was elected in November to a four-year term. Published: Tue, Apr 19, 2011