Michigan – Lee Chatfield, the former Speaker of the House in Michigan, and his wife, Stephanie Chatfield, are going to trial in Ingham County Circuit Court on a number of felony charges related to a large investigation into embezzlement and misappropriation. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel filed the charges against Lee Chatfield because he is accused of using his position and access to several funding sources to benefit himself while he was in state government.
Prosecutors say that 35-year-old Lee Chatfield set up a complicated network of financial maneuvers that took money from a number of sources, such as the Peninsula Fund, a nonprofit group, his own political action groups, and even the state budget for the Michigan House of Representatives.
Authorities say he stole money from nonprofits to pay his own credit card bills, claimed mileage reimbursements for trips he never made, and used staff as middlemen in a plot to get kickbacks for political donations. One allegation points to Chatfield profiting off an apartment paid for with nonprofit money by subletting it for personal gain.
Attorney General Nessel said that the alleged wrongdoing was “elaborate” and that her agency uncovered strong evidence that public and private money were misused on a regular basis. Nessel said she was dedicated to keeping public officials responsible and promised to keep going after corruption and strive for better monitoring in Michigan’s government.
Lee Chatfield is facing serious charges, including running a criminal organization, stealing money from nonprofit organizations numerous times, stealing money from a public officer, planning to steal money, and breaking the state’s Charitable Trust Act. The punishments for these crimes range from five to twenty years in prison and hefty fines.
Stephanie Chatfield faces two felony charges: embezzling money from a nonprofit and planning to embezzle money. Each count could result in up to ten years in prison and significant financial penalties.
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There is no pretrial date set for any defendant at this time. The case has gotten a lot of attention from the public because of the serious nature of the accusations and the individuals involved. The prosecution says it will go after the case diligently, and as the case moves forward, calls for state government to be more open and accountable have only gotten stronger.