Nessel's media advisory provided no further details of what the charges would be or specifically who will be the subject of the allegations. #Nessel has already charged #Chatfield's top 2 advisors from his term as speaker in the #corruption probe.
#Michigan police began probing #LeeChatfield, a #Republican, around Jan 2022 after a complaint was filed by his sister-in-law, Rebekah Chatfield, who said she'd been #SexuallyAbused by Lee Chatfield beginning when she was 15.
The investigation into Rebekah Chatfield's claims has focused on the fmr lawmaker's use of millions in political contributions he collected while MI House speaker in 2019 & 2020. Chatfield maintained multiple nonprofit orgs that raised & spent money, largely in secret.
Chatfield was a prolific fundraiser & worked closely w/some Lansing lobbyists. Charges against Chatfield could spur new calls for #ethics reforms in Lansing, where a series of high-profile figures have faced charges in recent years.
Chatfield allegedly used political nonprofit funds for family trips including to the Bahamas.
Nessel said #Chatfield used private donations from the Peninsula Fund, a nonprofit #social#welfare org, to pay off $132k in charges to his personal credit card.
"Numerous charges during this timeframe were unquestionably personal & only personal," Nessel said of #Chatfield's credit card reimbursements through the Peninsula Fund.
#Republican#LeeChatfield faces a litany of 13 #criminal charges, ranging from embezzlement to conducting a criminal enterprise, for alleged misuse of money from Peninsula Fund, whose donors are kept secret under state & federal #law.
#LeeChatfielfd’s wife, Stephanie, also faces #criminal charges in the probe for her alleged participation in misusing the nonprofit political funds for personal benefit, Nessel said.
The charge of conducting a criminal enterprise is a 20-year felony, the most serious of the charges Chatfield faces, Nessel said.
Nessel said the investigation of Chatfield's use of political funds remains ongoing.
FYI, #LeeChatfield was one of the two representatives from #Michigan that #Trump summoned to the White House when he was attempting to get battleground states to send fake electors.
Allegations of #SexualAssault against fmr #Michigan House Speaker #LeeChatfield were enough to spur an investigation that ended in 13 charges for alleged #financial#crimes on Tues, but fell short of securing charges in the woman's own case.
AG #DanaNessel announced Tues she would close her investigation into allegations of #SexualAssault levied by the fmr speaker's sister-in-law, Rebekah Chatfield -a decision the woman's lawyer described as "crushing."
Nessel praised Rebekah Chatfield for coming forward & credited her for providing the probable cause needed to launch the investigation in Jan2022. But there was not enough evidence to prosecute #LeeChatfield to meet a standard of proof that is "beyond a reasonable doubt” Nessel said.
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