43w. Anne Minard's day job is event planner for the Michigan House Republican Caucus, a gig paid for with $40,000 of our tax dollars. The congressional report on the Jan. 6 Capitol attack lays out how Trump and his allies targeted Michigan in an effort to overturn the election. Thanks for contacting us. Become a subscriber. "The bigger issue is the disclosure of all of this spending," state Rep. Gary Howell, R-North Branch, said of Chatfield's travel habits. As senior representatives of our school . Former Michigan state Rep. Lee Chatfield's sister-in-law who accused him of sexually assaulting her for years, according to a recent criminal complaint being investigated by Michigan State Police has come forward to share details of what he allegedly did to her. His brother also worked for Representative Chatfield while he was Speaker. "I had a lot of family stuff going on in my life," Rebekah told Bridge Michigan. Rebekah says the alleged abuse began with unwelcome touching and escalated to unwanted sex, which happened "more times than I can count." Which is too bad, because I have a lot of questions for him about one of his employees, who is at the heart of what could turn out to be one of the biggest scandals in Michigan political history. 1,056 Sq. Lee Chatfield has denied wrongdoing and said he had a consensual affair. [11][12], The sexual abuse is alleged to have begun when the girl was attending Chatfield's church, Northern Michigan Baptist Bible Church, and continued while she was a student at the school associated with the church, where Chatfield taught physical education. Rebekah Chatfield, who is married to the politicians younger brother, claims the former speaker assaulted her more times than I can count beginning when she was 15 years old more than a decade ago. "Thats how he moved his agenda, Greig said of the relationship. Gretchen Whitmer and the GOP-controlled Legislature. Lee Chatfield, the then-Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives, speaks during a campaign rally in Muskegon, Michigan, on October 17, 2020. Experienced Sales / Branch Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the construction, Mining & Hospitality industry. Michigan House of Representatives District 107 is represented by Neil Friske (R). "He did not assault this woman in any manner during their years-long adult relationship," the attorney, Mary Chartier, said. Updated, 6:40 p.m. Michigan House Speaker Lee Chatfield only had to pay half the fine he was originally slapped with after bringing a loaded, unregistered handgun to an airport last summer, The Detroit News reported. In exploring the links between Chatfield and GCSI, The News also learned Chatfield won a $1 million appropriation for a Petoskey-area performing arts center whose board members at the time included the wife of GCSI CEO and co-owner Mike Hawks. Samantha has 8 jobs listed on their profile. Michigan reports 7,483 new COVID-19 cases, 139 deaths over past week. Chatfield was term limited from office in 2020. There is no job too small or too great that doesn't equally impact our future. The schedule for office hours is as follows: Monday, September 16, 10:00-11:00 a.m. McKinley Township Hall 1820 N. U.S. Highway 31 Pellston, MI 49769 Friday, October 11, 11: . Im rethinking every conversation I ever had with Lee, Aaron reportedly said. I don't want to get ahead of myself again so far everyone connected to the Chatfield matter accused of wrongdoing has professed their innocence but I love trials. But it's a bit more understandable since they appear to be in the crosshairs of an epic investigation into possible criminal wrongdoing. The accuser, now 26, filed a criminal complaint with the Lansing Police Department, which referred it to state police earlier this week. LaPorte did not return my message. But they declined to answer questions from The News about the firm's relationship with Chatfield, issuing a statement saying they operate in "an extremely competitive, regulated lobbying environment. State budget documents listed Chatfield as the legislative sponsor of the allocation and said the money would go to the construction of a venue. Chatfield taught and coached at the school and was the athletic director between 2010 and 2014, according to his LinkedIn profile. View 1 property photo, floor plans and Kalkallo suburb information. The actions that she took prove a consensual affair and not an assaultive relationship," Chartier also said. What she is saying, I dont believe, Paul Chatfield said, adding that the best-case scenario is, Im disappointed in his brother. In 2019, like politicians before him who aspired to be speaker, Wentworth set up a second PAC. Rebekah claims the abuse began when she was a student at Northern Michigan Christian Academy, where Lee was a teacher and an athletic director. Here's why. R19208. Aaron Chatfield, Lee's younger brother, spoke with Bridge Michigan and said he supports his wife. Let's hope the Attorney General's investigators, who work for an agency headed by Democrat Dana Nessel, don't flinch if the trail leads them in the direction of other Democrats, or their allies. SOLD JUN 10, 2022. Contact him [email protected] follow him on Twitter at@elrick,Facebook at ML Elrick and Instagram at ml_elrick. There are few independent directors as passionate and successful as Neil Chatfield. Orlene Hawks told my colleague Paul Egan in 2019 that she has "served the people of Michigan with the utmost honesty and integrity" throughout her career as a state employee. In the 2017-18 term, when he held a lower-ranking leadership position in the House, Chatfield successfully secured a $1 million appropriation in the state budget for the Great Lakes Center for the Arts in Bay Harbor, a resort community west of Petoskey overlooking Little Traverse Bay. State Rep. Lee Chatfield, R-Levering, is the new Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives. Aaron Parsley has been a part of PEOPLE's digital team for more than 15 years. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, accused former Michigan House Speaker Lee Chatfield, Ex-con sentenced to 37 to life in prison for brutal rape inside NYC sidewalk shed, Lawyer attacked by client who allegedly decapitated lover withdraws from case, Behind teen girls sky-high depression: Forced sex, social media, Woke LA DA suspends lead prosecutor of trans woman convicted of molesting 10-year-old girl. LaPorte and Hawks had a close relationship with Chatfield. Rebekah said she finally told her husband, Aaron Chatfield, her mother and other family members in December, when she also notified police in Lansing, Michigan, who referred the complaint to Michigan State Police. Getting to the bottom of Chatfield's relationship with GCSI has the potential to get messy. More:5 revelations in the Chatfield investigation search warrant affidavits. When I reached out to GCSI CEO Mike Hawks to discuss his firm's relationship with Lee Chatfield as well as all that dough they spent spent on him GCSI Vice President Barb Farrah sent a statement that said the firm prides itself "on the highest level of professionalism and ethical conduct" and that they "comply with all campaign finance laws, lobbying requirements and required disclosures under Michigan law.". Gretchen Whitmer named to lead Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), which is one of the state's largest and most far-reaching government agencies. Lee Chatfield has admitted having an affair with his sister-in-law and with other women, but said that these affairs were between consenting adults. Every TruGreen associate is committed to quality. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Biden laughs at Marjorie Taylor Greene pinning 2020 fentanyl deaths of two brothers on him, Cop finishes DoorDash delivery for pregnant driver after car wreck, Long-lost ship found in Lake Huron, confirming tragic story, Michigan Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin announces 2024 Senate run. The woman who accused former Michigan House Speaker Lee Chatfield of multiple sexual assaults since she was a teenager was revealed to be his own sister-in-law.. Rebekah Chatfield, who is married . Neither of the 19-year olds were prepared for marriage, and had second thoughts, the report said. She also served as treasurer when Wentworth started his second PAC. Catch up fast: The state investigation began in January after Chatfield's sister-in-law, Rebekah Chatfield . But Shields, a longtime Republican political consultant, said the Little River Band's use of GCSI and LaPorte for lobbying on the casino project "was reported and transparent. Chatfield, the youngest House speaker in more than a century, was the Republican leader for two years and was among seven Michigan GOP lawmakers whomet with then-President Donald Trump at the White Houseas Trump tried to overturn Democrat Joe Bidens win in the state. With trouble at home, she became more dependent on the Chatfield family, who ran that whole church and school that had become essential to her social life, she said. I didn't know there was an option to report," she said. A talented group of Queensland Under 19 players will this month step up preparations for the 2022 representative clash against New South Wales. Shirkey and Representative Lee Chatfield, the top two Republican leaders of Michigan's legislative chambers, are set to meet with Trump on Friday. [3] Whitmer signed the bill, but with 147 line-item vetoes plus several administrative transfers.[3]. "I think hes kinda the perfect person to be the frontman," said Paquette, who referenced Chatfield's background as a Christian school teacher who won his seat by unseating an incumbent GOP representative. That's unfortunate, because elected officials have an obligation to speak out on important matters, such as whether we can trust them and their staff unless the official thinks there's a chance he someday will have to invoke his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. Orlene Hawks was a member of the board at that time and resigned from it in 2019 after Whitmer appointed her director of the state Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. At one point, her family discussed sending her to a public school. And since he's term-limited and not running for another office, Wentworth doesn't even need to worry whether anything he says in the court of public opinion could be used against him. Elrick is a Pulitzer Prize- and Emmy Award-winning investigative reporter and host of theML's Soul of Detroit podcast. In October, The News first reported that Nessel's investigators have inquired about how three Chatfield siblings landed jobs at the same cannabis retailer that is represented by GCSI lobbyist Gary Owen. 0:05 / 0:31. LANSING State Rep. Jason Wentworth of Clare will be the new speaker of the House, Republican lawmakers announced Thursday. Terry Burns, executive vice president of the auto dealers association, acknowledged to The News that the group never reported the arrangement because of a broad exemption in state regulations for transactions made in "the ordinary course of the lobbyist's business." If state officials learned only one thing over the past decade or so, it should be that we want to know whether the water we're drinking is clean. Phone and text messages seeking comment were left by the AP Thursday night for Chatfield, 33, who left the House in 2020 due to term limits. [2][3] Chatfield criticized Foster for supporting Medicaid expansion[3] and for supporting an extension of Michigan's Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in housing and employment.[2]. The emerging details of how Chatfield used his influence have the potential to spur an overhaul of how Lansing operates as Democrats prepare to take control of the House and Senate in January. 5 bedroom house for sale at Lot 35128 Souter Avenue (Cloverton), Kalkallo, VIC 3064, $793,008. That relationship and access seems to have been especially strong with Chatfield. In addition, according to the affidavit, Aaron Chatfield "acquired Adderall for the lobbyist Noel LaPorte one time." Chatfield won the primary and the general election . View job description, responsibilities and qualifications. Rebekah claimed she kept the incidents secret from her family and husband because she was ashamed and afraid to tell them. $805,700. During Chatfield's tenure as speaker of the House, Michigan had divided government, with both chambers of the legislature controlled by Republicans, but with a Democratic governor (Gretchen Whitmer). He was re-elected to the state Legislature in 2016 with 67 percent of the vote, and in 2018, with over 58 percent of the vote. In 2018, "the Great Lakes Center for the Arts reached out" to Chatfield requesting assistance with an economic development project in his House district, according to Orlene Hawks' statement. Staff Writer Beth LeBlanc and Politics Editor Chad Livengood contributed. As long-time CFO of Toll Holdings he helped create a transport, logistics and infrastructure powerhouse, but since 2005 he's also been sitting on public company boards which have largely been a great success for shareholders. Jack "Jackey" Chatfield is an American politician, businessman, and rancher, currently serving as a member of the New Mexico House of Representatives. Stephanie Chatfield, 28, wife of Michigan State Representative Lee Chatfield (R-Levering), also 28, wrote in a Facebook post Friday about an incident in which she was apparently sexually assaulted . House Speaker Lee Chatfield and Rep. Jim Lilly were photographed on Friday night indulging in a bottle of Dom Perignon at the hotel's Benjamin Bar & Lounge. Because sunlight may be the only disinfectant that will help us clean up Michigan politics. The Emmet County Republican's rental of the Lansing apartment from the Michigan Automobile Dealers Association likely skirted the spirit of the state's lobbying law, one expert said, because the trade group never disclosed the transactions over six years. The affidavits also said Anne Minard believed Chatfield abused Adderall, a drug used to treat attention deficit disorder that also acts as a stimulant. [3], As speaker, Chatfield presided over the passage of a bipartisan auto insurance bill that allowed motorists to chose their level of personal injury protection coverage. "I just saw the way he looked at her," Aaron said. Current representative: The current representative for the 107th District is Rep. Lee Chatfield (R-Levering). "Lee portrays himself as a family tradition, conservative guy who believes in the Bible and the Bible is so important," the younger Chatfield said. 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