Latest news with #LeeChatfield
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Former Michigan House Speaker and wife heading to trial on embezzlement charges
Former Michigan House Speaker Lee Chatfield (left) and his wife Stephanie Chatfield (right) stand at the first day of their preliminary exams as the couple face multiple charges related to embezzlement on Feb. 26, 2025 | Photo: Anna Liz Nichols Former Michigan House Speaker Lee Chatfield and his wife were bound over for trial on embezzlement felonies and other criminal charges Friday, after an investigation by the Michigan Attorney General's Office found the pair funneled money from their political nonprofit to fund their personal purchases. Ingham County Judge Molly Hennessey Greenwalt heard arguments from the defense for Lee and Stephanie Chatfield and the Michigan Attorney General's Office in February, determining this week that there was probable cause for the charges and the case should proceed to trial. The Michigan Attorney General's Office contends that through investigatory efforts by authorities beginning in 2021, it was discovered that the Chatfields had for years used nonprofit money to reimburse themselves for purchases at souvenir shops at Universal Studios during a family trip, transactions at retail stores like Coach and expenses at a strip club, amongst other expenditures. The Chatfields' attorney Mary Chartier has asserted that the charges brought against the former House Speaker, a prominent Republican in Michigan who raised millions of dollars while he was Speaker, are rooted in the political agenda for Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, a Democrat. The investigation into Lee Chatfield began back in December 2021, when his sister-in-law, Rebekah Chatfield, reported to police in Lansing that he had sexually assaulted her for years, starting when she was 14 or 15 years old. Michigan State Police opened an investigation into the report, also looking into financial behavior, which was later taken over by Nessel's office which did not find sufficient evidence to pursue charges for criminal sexual conduct. Lee Chatfield faces 13 felony counts of crimes related to conducting a criminal enterprise, conspiracy and embezzlement, while his wife faces two felony counts. Nessel released a news statement Friday expressing gratitude that the efforts of her office led to the case moving forward to trial after a long investigation period and legal process. 'Our investigation uncovered extensive evidence of elaborate schemes to embezzle and misappropriate private and public funds to bankroll Lee Chatfield's lifestyle during his time as Speaker of the House,' Nessel said in the statement. 'My office will continue to pursue public corruption with every tool at our disposal and push for stronger transparency and good governance in our state.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
CBS News
7 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
Former Michigan House Speaker Lee Chatfield, wife to stand trial in embezzlement case
Former Speaker of the Michigan House Lee Chatfield and his wife, Stephanie Chatfield, will stand trial for financial crimes, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Friday. Lee Chatfield is accused of illegally converting personal funds from the 501(c)(4) Peninsula Fund, his electoral political action committees — The Chatfield Majority Fund and The Chatfield Majority Fund 2 — and the state budget of the Michigan House of Representatives. Nessel alleges that Lee Chatfield used nonprofit funds to pay off his personal credit card, sought improper mileage reimbursements from the state House for travel to Lansing that allegedly never happened, started a check kickback scheme to move money from his political action committees through staff and back to him, and sublet an apartment that was paid for by the Peninsula Fund for his profit. Nessel charged the Chatfields in April 2024 with 13 felony charges. "Our investigation uncovered extensive evidence of elaborate schemes to embezzle and misappropriate private and public funds to bankroll Lee Chatfield's lifestyle during his time as Speaker of the House," said Nessel in a statement. "I am glad to see this case finally move forward to a trial in Circuit Court. My office will continue to pursue public corruption with every tool at our disposal and push for stronger transparency and good governance in our state." Lee Chatfield is charged with one count of conducting a criminal enterprise, four counts of embezzlement from a nonprofit organization, three counts of embezzlement by a public officer, one count of conspiracy to commit embezzlement from a nonprofit organization, three counts of embezzlement and one count of a felony violation of the Charitable Trust Act. Stephanie Chatfield is charged with one count each of embezzlement from a nonprofit organization and conspiracy to commit embezzlement from a nonprofit organization. A former Republican state lawmaker representing northern Michigan, Lee Chatfield was House speaker in 2019 and 2020. He was previously investigated by Nessel's office after his sister-in-law, Rebekah Chatfield, accused him of sexually assaulting her. Lee Chatfield denied the allegations and said the two had a consensual affair. Nessel closed the investigation without filing charges. A pretrial date for the Chatfields has not yet been established.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Ex-Speaker Lee Chatfield, wife to stand trial over alleged misuse of political money
Former Michigan House Speaker Lee Chatfield and his wife will stand trial over the alleged mishandling of thousands of dollars raised through political funds, a district judge ruled May 30. Chatfield, a Levering Republican who held the most powerful position in the Michigan House of Representatives in 2019 and 2020, faces 13 embezzlement, conspiracy and larceny charges. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel's office claims he knowingly used money from political funds to pay for vacations, dinners at upscale restaurants and other non-permitted items when he was a lawmaker. Prosecutors also claim Chatfield submitted mileage reimbursement requests from the House for trips he did not take. His wife, Stephanie Chatfield, is charged with two counts of felony embezzlement. Both have pleaded not guilty to all charges. A preliminary exam for both Lee and Stephanie Chatfield was held in February. In a 20-page opinion published May 30, East Lansing 54B District Judge Molly Hennessey Greenwalt ruled there is enough evidence to send them to a jury trial. Unlike at trial, where prosecutors must prove a crime beyond a reasonable doubt, the standard of evidence at a preliminary exam is to establish probable cause that a crime may have occurred. Hennessey Greenwalt denied a motion from prosecutors to include an additional larceny charge against Lee Chatfield. She wrote that there is not enough evidence Lee Chatfield took money from associates, including his brothers and a childhood friend who worked on his state House campaigns, without their approval. The Chatfields are set to be back in court June 11 for an arraignment hearing in Ingham County 30th Circuit Court. 'Our investigation uncovered extensive evidence of elaborate schemes to embezzle and misappropriate private and public funds to bankroll Lee Chatfield's lifestyle during his time as Speaker of the House,' Nessel said in a statement. 'I am glad to see this case finally move forward to a trial in circuit court. My office will continue to pursue public corruption with every tool at our disposal and push for stronger transparency and good governance in our state.' At the center of the charges against the former Speaker and his wife are a series of political nonprofits Lee Chatfield used to raise money. For politicians, a 501c(4) fund can be advantageous because the organizations are subject to fewer public disclosure requirements and contribution limits than traditional candidate committees, allowing for greater fundraising and less scrutiny. Lee Chatfield was considered a proficient fundraiser for his political causes. He raised "millions and millions" of dollars with the funds, his attorney Mary Chartier said at the conclusion of his preliminary exam in February. Though 501c(4) social welfare funds are allowed to pay for certain political causes, Nessel's office alleges the Chatfields used the funds to pay for things personal in nature. Witness testimony from the preliminary exam stated that one such fund controlled by Lee Chatfield, the Peninsula Fund, paid off nearly the entirety of a $153,000 credit card balance. A forensic accountant hired by prosecutors testified many of the purchases on the card didn't appear to line up with the Peninsula Fund's stated goals. Chartier argued that it was up to the law firm managing the fund, the Dykema firm in Lansing, to make sure the spending remained in compliance. The most serious charge Lee Chatfield faces carries a maximum 20-year prison sentence, if convicted. Stephanie Chatfield's charges each carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, if convicted. In Dec. 2021, Rebekah Chatfield, Lee Chatfield's sister-in-law, told Lansing police she had been sexually assaulted by Lee Chatfield from the time she was 15 years old and a student at the northern Michigan religious school where Lee Chatfield taught. She also reported misuse of campaign funds at the time, according to her court testimony in the case. Lee Chatfield has denied any sexual assault. Chartier previously said a years-long consensual affair took place between Lee Chatfield and Rebekah Chatfield when both were adults. Michigan State Police began investigating Lee Chatfield, and were later joined by Nessel's office in the investigation. When Nessel announced the financial charges against Lee and Stephanie Chatfield in April 2024, she said the investigation into the sexual assault allegations was closed without charges. Contact Arpan Lobo: alobo@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ex-Speaker Chatfield, wife to stand trial over embezzlement charges
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Judge will take additional briefs before deciding on trial for ex-Speaker Lee Chatfield
EAST LANSING – A hearing to decide if former Michigan House Speaker Lee Chatfield should stand trial over a series of alleged financial crimes related to his use of political funds wrapped up Friday after three days of testimony and argument, although it could be months still before a judge issues a ruling. Chatfield, a Republican from Levering who led the House in 2019 and 2020, was charged last year with 13 embezzlement, conspiracy and larceny charges in East Lansing 54B District Court. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel's office claims he knowingly used money from political funds to pay for vacations, dinners at upscale restaurants and other non-permitted items when he was a lawmaker. State prosecutors made their final pitch to District Judge Molly Hennessey Greenwalt about binding Chatfield — and his wife Stephanie Chatfield, who faces one count each of embezzlement and conspiracy — over for a jury trial. Both Lee and Stephanie Chatfield pleaded not guilty to all charges at an arraignment last year. But before deciding whether a trial should take place, Hennessey Greenwalt wants prosecutors and Lee Chatfield's lawyers to explain what the former Speaker's role was with the political funds he's accused of embezzling money from. She gave the Attorney General's office until March 31 to submit its brief and the defense until April 30 to respond. The judge's ruling on whether to continue the case and send the Chatfields to a trial will come after that. Nessel's office argues Lee Chatfield and Stephanie Chatfield spent thousands of dollars on a credit card on things like vacations, clothes and meals at upscale restaurants, and then knowingly used the Peninsula Fund's money to pay off their credit card balance. On Thursday, a forensic accountant called by the government as a witness said her analysis of the Chatfields' bank and credit card statements found there were likely thousands of dollars spent on things that weren't permissible under the Peninsula Fund's stated goals. The Peninsula Fund, as a 501c(4) social welfare fund, is allowed to pay for certain permissible political activities. For politicians, a 501c(4) fund can be advantageous because the organizations are subject to fewer public disclosure requirements and contribution limits than traditional candidate committees, allowing for greater fundraising and less scrutiny. Lee Chatfield, through his attorneys, argued Friday that no wrongdoing took place – and if the credit card spending reimbursed by the Peninsula Fund was improper, a law firm contracted by the Peninsula Fund to ensure compliance would have, and perhaps should have, raised alarm. Construction project to close parts of eastbound I-696 until 2027: What to know Court: 9 stalled bills should have been sent to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for signature Earlier in the hearing on Wednesday, Renae Moore, a senior compliance specialist with the Dykema law firm who was the assistant treasurer/secretary of the Peninsula Fund, testified that some spending reimbursements paid to Chatfield were questionable, including a receipt from a strip club which was eventually filed under meeting expenses. Lee Chatfield's attorneys have argued it was the responsibility of Moore and the Peninsula Fund's former president to ensure compliance, not the former Speaker's. Anne Minard, a former aide of Lee Chatfield during his time in the Capitol, was the Peninsula Fund's president. Minard faces felony financial charges of embezzling political funds. Her husband, Rob Minard, also faces charges in the case. Mary Chartier, Lee Chatfield's lead defense attorney, told reporters following the hearing she's encouraged the judge asked the parties to submit more briefs. At preliminary exams, the standard of evidence the prosecution has to prove is lower than it is at a jury trial. Instead of needing to prove beyond a reasonable doubt, at a preliminary exam, the prosecution only needs to prove probable cause that a crime took place to bind a defendant over for trial. 'The fact that the judge is taking the time to go through the evidence, the fact that she is asking for additional briefing on one of the elements, is quite a really important point, and one that we view extremely favorably,' Chartier said outside the courtroom. The most serious charge Lee Chatfield faces carries a maximum 20-year prison sentence, if convicted. Stephanie Chatfield's charges each carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, if convicted. Along with seeking improper reimbursements from political nonprofits, the state also alleges Lee Chatfield falsified mileage reimbursement forms while he was a lawmaker, claiming reimbursements for trips he didn't take. Prosecutors also claim Lee Chatfield profited by subletting a Lansing apartment where rent was paid for by the Peninsula Fund. Lee Chatfield has denied the charges. As a lawmaker, Lee Chatfield was considered a prolific fundraiser. Chartier noted the Peninsula Fund, at one point, had raised 'millions and millions' of dollars. In Dec. 2021 Rebekah Chatfield, Lee Chatfield's sister-in-law, told Lansing police she had been sexually assaulted by Lee Chatfield from the time she was 15 years old and a student at the northern Michigan religious school where Lee Chatfield taught. She also reported misuse of campaign funds at the time, according to her court testimony Thursday. Lee Chatfield has denied any sexual assault. Chartier previously said a years-long consensual affair took place between Lee Chatfield and Rebekah Chatfield when both were adults. Michigan State Police began investigating Lee Chatfield, and were later joined by Nessel's office in the investigation. When Nessel announced the financial charges against Lee and Stephanie Chatfield in April, she said the investigation into the sexual assault allegations was closed without charges. An investigation into the Chatfields' finances remains open and ongoing, according to documents filed by prosecutors in court Feb. 19. This story has been updated. Contact Arpan Lobo: alobo@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Judge to rule whether ex-Speaker Chatfield, wife, should stand trial
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Judge will take additional briefs before deciding on trial for ex-Speaker Lee Chatfield
EAST LANSING – A hearing to decide if former Michigan House Speaker Lee Chatfield should stand trial over a series of alleged financial crimes related to his use of political funds wrapped up Friday after three days of testimony and argument, although it could be months still before a judge issues a ruling. Chatfield, a Republican from Levering who led the House in 2019 and 2020, was charged last year with 13 embezzlement, conspiracy and larceny charges in East Lansing 54B District Court. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel's office claims he knowingly used money from political funds to pay for vacations, dinners at upscale restaurants and other non-permitted items when he was a lawmaker. State prosecutors made their final pitch to District Judge Molly Hennessey Greenwalt about binding Chatfield — and his wife Stephanie Chatfield, who faces one count each of embezzlement and conspiracy — over for a jury trial. Both Lee and Stephanie Chatfield pleaded not guilty to all charges at an arraignment last year. But before deciding whether a trial should take place, Hennessey Greenwalt wants prosecutors and Lee Chatfield's lawyers to explain what the former Speaker's role was with the political funds he's accused of embezzling money from. She gave the Attorney General's office until March 31 to submit its brief and the defense until April 30 to respond. The judge's ruling on whether to continue the case and send the Chatfields to a trial will come after that. Nessel's office argues Lee Chatfield and Stephanie Chatfield spent thousands of dollars on a credit card on things like vacations, clothes and meals at upscale restaurants, and then knowingly used the Peninsula Fund's money to pay off their credit card balance. On Thursday, a forensic accountant called by the government as a witness said her analysis of the Chatfields' bank and credit card statements found there were likely thousands of dollars spent on things that weren't permissible under the Peninsula Fund's stated goals. The Peninsula Fund, as a 501c(4) social welfare fund, is allowed to pay for certain permissible political activities. For politicians, a 501c(4) fund can be advantageous because the organizations are subject to fewer public disclosure requirements and contribution limits than traditional candidate committees, allowing for greater fundraising and less scrutiny. Lee Chatfield, through his attorneys, argued Friday that no wrongdoing took place – and if the credit card spending reimbursed by the Peninsula Fund was improper, a law firm contracted by the Peninsula Fund to ensure compliance would have, and perhaps should have, raised alarm. Construction project to close parts of eastbound I-696 until 2027: What to know Court: 9 stalled bills should have been sent to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for signature Earlier in the hearing on Wednesday, Renae Moore, a senior compliance specialist with the Dykema law firm who was the assistant treasurer/secretary of the Peninsula Fund, testified that some spending reimbursements paid to Chatfield were questionable, including a receipt from a strip club which was eventually filed under meeting expenses. Lee Chatfield's attorneys have argued it was the responsibility of Moore and the Peninsula Fund's former president to ensure compliance, not the former Speaker's. Anne Minard, a former aide of Lee Chatfield during his time in the Capitol, was the Peninsula Fund's president. Minard faces felony financial charges of embezzling political funds. Her husband, Rob Minard, also faces charges in the case. Mary Chartier, Lee Chatfield's lead defense attorney, told reporters following the hearing she's encouraged the judge asked the parties to submit more briefs. At preliminary exams, the standard of evidence the prosecution has to prove is lower than it is at a jury trial. Instead of needing to prove beyond a reasonable doubt, at a preliminary exam, the prosecution only needs to prove probable cause that a crime took place to bind a defendant over for trial. 'The fact that the judge is taking the time to go through the evidence, the fact that she is asking for additional briefing on one of the elements, is quite a really important point, and one that we view extremely favorably,' Chartier said outside the courtroom. The most serious charge Lee Chatfield faces carries a maximum 20-year prison sentence, if convicted. Stephanie Chatfield's charges each carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, if convicted. Along with seeking improper reimbursements from political nonprofits, the state also alleges Lee Chatfield falsified mileage reimbursement forms while he was a lawmaker, claiming reimbursements for trips he didn't take. Prosecutors also claim Lee Chatfield profited by subletting a Lansing apartment where rent was paid for by the Peninsula Fund. Lee Chatfield has denied the charges. As a lawmaker, Lee Chatfield was considered a prolific fundraiser. Chartier noted the Peninsula Fund, at one point, had raised 'millions and millions' of dollars. In Dec. 2021 Rebekah Chatfield, Lee Chatfield's sister-in-law, told Lansing police she had been sexually assaulted by Lee Chatfield from the time she was 15 years old and a student at the northern Michigan religious school where Lee Chatfield taught. She also reported misuse of campaign funds at the time, according to her court testimony Thursday. Lee Chatfield has denied any sexual assault. Chartier previously said a years-long consensual affair took place between Lee Chatfield and Rebekah Chatfield when both were adults. Michigan State Police began investigating Lee Chatfield, and were later joined by Nessel's office in the investigation. When Nessel announced the financial charges against Lee and Stephanie Chatfield in April, she said the investigation into the sexual assault allegations was closed without charges. An investigation into the Chatfields' finances remains open and ongoing, according to documents filed by prosecutors in court Feb. 19. This story has been updated. Contact Arpan Lobo: alobo@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Judge to rule whether ex-Speaker Chatfield, wife, should stand trial
