The state's latest feeble attempt at an investigation into the Flint water crisis has us questioning whether Attorney General Bill Schuette is on duty for the people of Michigan, or for his political allies.



Schuette has appointed former Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor Todd Flood to spearhead his office's investigation into whether Michigan laws were broken in the Flint water crisis. Meanwhile, the political money trail shows Flood has donated thousands of dollars over the years to the campaigns of Schuette and Gov. Rick Snyder, both Republicans, as well as a GOP-affiliated political action committee.



At the very least, Schuette's appointment of Flood presents a perceived conflict of interest. The investigation hasn't even started and already it's as contaminated as Flint's drinking water.



The people of Michigan, especially those who were unknowingly drinking lead-tainted water, deserve nothing less than an independent investigation into why this fiasco happened and how it can be prevented in the future. We have doubts on whether a politically connected campaign donor will deliver the unvarnished truth. And even if he does, his findings will be tainted by the perception that he is a political player and not an impartial investigator.



So far, we're less than impressed with the two established state reviews of what went wrong in the state's own oversight of Flint's 2014 switch to a new drinking water source. On the one hand, you have Snyder's hand-picked Flint Water Task Force and on the other, the appointment of a political donor by Schuette.



Any claims that these investigations will yield impartial results is tone deaf amid the government distrust that continues to balloon with every revelation of the state's involvement in the water crisis. Surely there are other former prosecutors - ones who haven't contributed to Schuette or Snyder's campaign coffers - who are capable of providing meaningful insight into this crisis.



We're not questioning Flood's qualifications or ability. But given the serious questions about Snyder's administration so far on the matter, even the mere appearance of a conflict casts a cloud over the entire probe.



A new appointment needs to be made. With an emergency manager at the helm of city operations during the switch, and with the state Department of Environmental Quality's admittedly faulty oversight at least partly to blame for the elevated lead levels in Flint water, a thorough review of the Snyder administration's role is key to seeking accountability.



An external investigator with zero ties to Michigan politics should lead the probe, or else the findings of this so-called independent investigation are sure to fall flat under the weight of the ensuing public scrutiny.

This is the opinion of the editorial board of MLive Media Group, the parent company of MLive.com. The board is made up of the company's executive leadership and the news leaders who oversee the 10 local markets that make up MLive Media Group.