Former Michigan House Speaker (R) and wife heading to trial on embezzlement charges

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.




https://michiganadvance.com/briefs/former-michigan-house-speaker-and-wife-heading-to-trial-on-embezzlement-charges/