Republican Lee Chatfield is under police investigation over claims of sexual assault. Twenty-eight players have been invited to take part in the Queensland Rugby League's training squad at the Queensland Sports and Athletics Centre in Brisbane from May 15 until May 17. "I just saw the way he looked at her," Aaron said. One of those firms is Governmental Consultant Services, Inc., also known as GCSI. So we're left with the public record, which raises some serious questions that deserve answers. Chatfield's lawyer claimed that the search was an attempt to falsely connect Chatfield to financial improprieties. A Republican state representative in Michigan was rebuked by members of his own party on Monday hours after he made comments suggesting that he and others planned to . Her mental health reached a breaking point in December, when she finally shared her trauma with them and subsequently filed the police report, according to Bridge. Chatfield's financial activities, while he was a top lawmaker, are now under criminal investigation by Attorney General Dana Nessel's office. "He destroyed me, and has controlled my life since I was 15-16, the past 10-11 years," Rebekah Chatfield told Bridge Michigan in a series of interviews, published Friday, about the allegations against her brother-in-law. 2 Baths. Their visit to Washington comes as Trump . How much does a Financial Advisor make in Chatfield, Minnesota? His father is pastor of the church, the school superintendent and a teacher. 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 . Politicians sometimes create multiple PACs so that donors who hit their contribution limit to one account can essentially give as much as they want as long as there are enough PACs to which they can max out. 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. Jason Wentworth is the Speaker of the Michigan House, but he's not speaking. ", Former Michigan Lawmaker Accused of Sexually Assaulting Sister-in-Law When She Was a Minor, Pa. 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Party in $20 Million Lawsuit, Marilyn Manson Files Defamation Suit Against Evan Rachel Wood amid Sex Abuse Allegations, Prosecutor Drops Groping Charge Against Andrew Cuomo but Says Accuser Was 'Credible', Andrew Cuomo Will Not Face Charges After Being Accused of Unwanted Kissing by 2 Women, How Matt Lauer's Life Has Changed 4 Years After He Was Fired from the 'Today' Show, Singer Lisa Gentile Accuses Chris Noth of Sexually Assaulting Her and Threatening to 'Ruin' Her Career, accused him of sexually assaulting her for years. Rebekah and Aaron were pushed to marry when at 19, after their families discovered they were having sex, according to the report. It's important to note that search warrant affidavits contain what investigators think they can prove if a judge authorizes a search warrant. Another source who declined to be identified because of the ongoing investigation said Chatfield visited a home Hawks owned in Bay Harbor on at least two occasions. For now, it would be nice for Speaker Wentworth to explain why you should continue to pay the salary of a state employee who he apparently doesn't feel is fit to continue working for his political entities. Chris Thomas, Michigan's former 36-year elections director whose office oversaw lobbyist disclosures, said the issue of whether the representation of the Little River Band was properly disclosed would come down to the specifics of how GCSI and LaPorte were paid and whether Scofes and Associates was simply used as a "pass-through" for money from the Little River Band. After he finished he said, Dont worry. Job Description. Soave testified that Hizzoner didn't pay a dime for the flights, which added up to about $400,000. According to the News, the Attorney General investigator's affidavit said Chatfield asked his brother Aaron to buy Adderall for GCSI lobbyist Gary Owen. 1,056 Sq. RT @CraigDMauger: Former Rep. Frank Foster, a Republican who pushed for this change in 2014 and lost a primary race against Lee Chatfield, is in the Senate gallery this morning. Chatfield's sister-in-law, now 26, has claimed the 33-year-old former lawmaker sexually assaulted her from the time she was 15 until July 2021, her attorney tells PEOPLE. Chatfield was speaker of the state House from 2019 to 2020. Rebekah Chatfield, who is married to the former Michigan state representative's younger brother Aaron, gives details of alleged abuse that began years ago when she was a teenager 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: . "They dont have the time to manage bringing other consultants on.. , , . That didn't answer my questions, but it sure did ease my mind. I wanted to keep him happy.". In a joint statement, Hawks and GCSI lobbyists and co-owners Kirk Profit and Barb Farrah said their firm prides itself on "the highest level of professionalism and ethical conduct when it comes to advocating" for its clients. Gretchen Whitmer, Michigan House of Representatives Speaker and Republican Lee Chatfield . When I was in my darkest place, I didnt know what else to do, and he continued to remind me that I didnt have, really, anyone else but him, she said. "During their affair, this woman regularly contacted Mr. Chatfield to initiate sexual encounters, and she took steps to hide the affair from others, including her husband. He left office in 2020 due to term limits. In December 2020, the federal government made determinations in favor of the Muskegon County project. In 2017, the nonpartisan Senate Fiscal Agency said the Detroit Salt Company was the only business of four road salt suppliers with state contracts that would have benefited from the change. 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 . In his final year in office, Chatfield attempted to help GCSI secure support for a new off-reservation tribal casino in Muskegon after the firm quietly got involved on behalf of another lobbying firm through a loophole in the state's lobby law. 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. Rebekah claimed the assaults began when she was 15 or 16 years old at Northern Michigan Christian Academy, a private school in Burt Lake where Lee taught and coached soccer before he launched his political career. The now 26-year-old woman first filed the complaint with the Lansing [] First name. Mary Chartier, Chatfield's attorney, said the claims of rape are false and he is innocent. Chatfield's sister-in-law, Rebekah, reportedly told investigators that her husband Aaron would cash checks from Anne Minard and give the lucre to then-Speaker Chatfield around the time he took trips to Detroit, Miami, Las Vegas, Aspen and the Bahamas. Their affair lasted for years, but they were both consenting adults, she said. Skilled in Cold Calling, Heavy Equipment, Metal Fabrication, Behaviour Based Safety, and Business Relationship Management. [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. (Rusty has told local news outlets her claims are false.). But he did not assault this woman in any manner during their years-long adult relationship. But he said they could get more information. However, the jobs did not have to be reported on any required disclosures from Lee Chatfield while he served as speaker of the House, with the power to set policies affecting the marijuana industry. SOLD JUN 10, 2022. While police launched an investigation, reporters began digging into Chatfield's campaign accounts. Queensland Women's U/19's. Jacinta Carter (Wynnum Manly Seagulls) Jetaya Faifua (Tweed Seagulls) Jada Ferguson (Tweed Seagulls) Sunny Gerrard (Burleigh Bears) U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Flint, said on Twitter the GOP leaders are "flying to D.C. at Trump's beck and call, willingly participating in the president's desperate attempt to overturn the election . Chatfield deeply regrets the decisions he has made. GCSI represents Ann Arbor-based cannabis entrepreneur James Daly, who hired Chatfield's brothers Aaron and Paul as well as Paul's wife, Hannah, in 2020 to work in his Herbana marijuana retail stores. Along the way, investigators will likely uncover evidence that may embarrass and expose benefactors and members of both political parties. [13][11][14], In February 2022, state police searched the home of Chatfield's former top staff members, Rob and Anne Minard. Chatfield says according to press reports he had an "affair" with his brother's wife but it began when she was an adult and denies the rape allegation. . He denies wrongdoing. Michigan is currently one of two states where the governor's office and lawmakers are exempt from open records requests, meaning letters, emails and text messages between Chatfield and lobbyists about pending bills can remain secret. But there's no guarantee every suspicion and suspect mentioned in an affidavit will be confirmed or charged with a crime. . Owen's ties to Lee Chatfield surfaced in an affidavit obtained by The News that said Aaron Chatfield, Lee Chatfield's brother, previously told state investigators that he purchased Adderall for Owen, the son of a former House speaker, who was a close friend of Lee Chatfield. After reviewing more than 1,000 pages of records detailing Chatfield's political funds and a nonprofit he used to advance his political agenda, I reported in August that Chatfield's spending looked a lot like the kind of financial chicanery that helped former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick earn a 28-year prison sentence for public corruption. Chatfield's close ties to Lansing-based Governmental Consultant Services Inc. (GCSI) included renting an apartment from one of the firm's high-profile clients with regulatory issues before the Legislature and championing a bill that would have given another client a near-monopoly on contracts for road salt. She claimed the assaults continued more times than I can count. Lee Chatfield was first elected to the Michigan House of Representatives in 2014. 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. In addition, according to the affidavit, Aaron Chatfield "acquired Adderall for the lobbyist Noel LaPorte one time." Interviews with more than 30 sources and a review of previously unreported documents underscore how Michigan's lax ethics laws shielded ties between Chatfield and GCSI from the public spotlight and provided ways for the once powerful lawmaker and the multi-client lobbying firm to avoid disclosure of their collaboration. ", "Scofes and Associates were leadingthe lobbying team, and they retained GCSI," Shields said. [20] A few days after beginning his new job, Chatfield resigned, citing the controversy.[21]. Rep. Chatfield sets local fall office hours. A resolution never came up for a vote in the House. "There was an ongoing . Todd McInturf / The Detroit News. Ill talk to Aaron, you guys are getting married. Rebekah Chatfield told Bridge. The alleged assaults began when the then-14- or 15-year-old girl attended Northern Michigan Baptist Bible Church and Northern Michigan Christian Academy near Burt Lake, about 60 miles northeast of Traverse City, White said.The Associated Press does not typically identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault unless they choose to come forward publicly. In 2017, a local Rotary Club posted the above photo of the Chatfields and wrote, "Representative Lee Chatfield and his wife Stephanie at this year's Diamonds & Denim event at Bay Harbor . 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. 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. See if you qualify! Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich, D-Flint, said at some point Chatfield changed his position. $805,700. But it wasn't until he testified to providing then-Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and his family with about 20 round-trip flights to the Bahamas, Florida, New York and Texas on Soave's private jet that we learned how he greased the gears of government. That's disappointing, too. Hauck said he urged the speaker not to go forward with the resolution. Chatfield is notable for his homophobia. Scofes and Associates did report hiring the other lobbyists in an arrangement that clouded the public's ability to know GCSI and LaPorte were working on behalf of the tribe. His current term ends on December 31, 2024. Detroit officials argued it would open the door for off-reservation gambling halls in the suburbs and diminish a vital source of tax revenue for the city, which has three casinos. 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. He hailed from a northern Michigan district with other tribal casinos that could compete with a Muskegon gambling hall for patrons. Paul Bryan (Newcastle Knights) Xavier Chatfield-Mooka (Sydney Roosters) In 2018, Chatfield attempted to bring a loaded, unregistered handgun onto a commercial flight at Pellston Regional Airport. 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