Ingham County, Michigan – Former Michigan House Speaker Lee Chatfield and his wife Stephanie will appear in an Ingham County courtroom this week for preliminary hearings.
The preliminary hearing will determine whether there is sufficient evidence to move the cases forward to trial.
Lee and Stephanie Chatfield were charged in May 2024 with alleged misuse of a 501c4 fund known as the “Peninsula Fund,” a social welfare organization.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel accuses Lee Chatfield of misusing the Peninsula Fund to pay off his personal credit card, fund family vacation trips, and repay work-related mileage reimbursements for trips never taken, among other things.
Lee Chatfield faces thirteen charges:
- One count of Conducting a Criminal Enterprise, a 20-year felony;
- Four counts of Embezzlement from a Non-Profit Organization, $1,000 to $20,000, a felony punishable by 10 years’ incarceration and/or a $15,000 fine;
- Three counts of Embezzlement by a Public Officer Over $50, a felony punishable by 10 years’ incarceration and/or a $5,000 fine;
- One count of Conspiracy to Commit Embezzlement from a Non-Profit Organization, $1,000 to $20,000, a felony punishable by 10 years’ incarceration and/or a $15,000 fine and an additional $10,000 fine;
- Three counts of Embezzlement, $1,000-$20,000, a felony punishable by 5 years’ incarceration and/or a $10,000 fine; and
- One count of a Felony Violation of the Charitable Trust Act, a felony punishable by 5 years’ incarceration and/or a $10,000 fine.
Stephanie Chatfield faces two charges:
- Embezzlement – $1,000 or more less than $20,000 from a non-profit charity
- Embezzlement – $1,000 or more less than $20,000 from a non-profit charity
Stephanie’s preliminary hearing will continue Thursday.
Lee’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for Friday at 9 a.m.
