Lee Chatfield, Michigan’s former House speaker, pleaded not guilty Thursday to 13 felonies, including charges for embezzlement and conducting a criminal enterprise. Chatfield appeared in court via video call while making a court-approved trip to the Kentucky Derby.
Prosecutors accused Chatfield and his wife, Stephanie Zondervan Chatfield, of tapping an “unregulated slush fund.”
Chatfield, 35, served as House speaker for one term starting in 2019. During his speakership, he became known for disputing the fine details of infrastructure bills. He left politics in 2021 after hitting the House’s term limit.
By early 2022, Chatfield had caught the attention of law enforcement. In February of that year, state police searched the home of the former treasurer for several of Chatfield’s political action committees.
Last month, prosecutors finally filed the charges. In a press conference, Attorney General Dana Nessel accused Zondervan Chatfield of monitoring her husband’s credit card balance and paying it with money from the “Peninsula Fund,” including $132,000 over 14 months. The attorney general called it an “unregulated slush fund.”
Chatfield stands accused of using the Peninsula Fund’s money to cover personal expenses like travel and housing. Meanwhile, federal law allows money from this tax-exempt fund to be used only on social causes.
Zondervan Chatfield faces two charges, one for conspiracy and one for embezzlement. She pled not guilty.
Chatfield has faced scrutiny from law enforcement before. In 2022, he faced accusations of sexually abusing his underage sister-in-law. Chatfield acknowledged a consenting affair with his now-adult sister-in-law, but he disputed the allegations of sexually abusing her as a minor. State police investigated, but prosecutors declined to file charges, citing a lack of evidence.
Then, as now, Chatfield’s team has spoken loudly about the case.
“He is looking forward to his day in court and fighting this,” defense attorney Mary Chartier said during Thursday’s arraignment in the embezzlement case. “It took almost 2 1/2 years for the AG’s office to come up with charges. It’s going to be pretty flimsy if it took that long.”
Chartier committed to fighting the charges “each and every step of the way.”
If found guilty, Chatfield may face 20 years.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.