Lee Chatfield

Lee Roberson Chatfield (born May 25, 1988) is an American former politician and a Republican former member of the Michigan House of Representatives. He was first elected from the 107th House district in 2015. He was speaker pro tempore from 2017 to 2019, and speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives from 2019 to 2021.

In April 2024 he was charged with thirteen felony counts of embezzlement, larceny and conspiracy involving spending private foundation and state money for personal use while he was Speaker of the Michigan House.

Education and career before politics Chatfield received a bachelor's degree from Northland International University, an unaccredited, now defunct Baptist college in Wisconsin, and a master's degree from Liberty University online. Before his election to the state House in 2014, he worked at a Christian school in northern Michigan operated by his father, a minister. Chatfield was a teacher, coach and athletic director at the school. Chatfield criticized Foster for supporting Medicaid expansion He was fined $250 for failure to register his handgun, which he had purchased in December 2015. He also paid a $1,960 fine assessed by the Transportation Security Administration. Chatfield had previously introduced a bill in the Michigan House of Representatives to make handgun registration voluntary.

Role in 2020 presidential election Chatfield was a strong supporter of President Donald Trump. Paul Mitchell, the U.S. representative for Michigan's 10th congressional district, said that the purpose of the meeting may have been to discuss the appointment of pro-Trump electors to the U.S. Electoral College. Despite pressure from Trump, Chatfield ultimately declined to support passage of a Michigan Legislation to pass a resolution purporting to retroactively change Michigan's slate of electors for Trump, saying that such a move "would bring mutually assured destruction for every future election in regards to the Electoral College" and "we would lose our country forever."

Allegations of sexual assault and financial impropriety Initial allegations that Chatfield sexually abused a high school student at a school where he taught led to multiple financial and corruption charges against Chatfield and his wife, though no sexual abuse charges were filed.

On January 6, 2022, The Detroit News reported Michigan State Police were investigating Chatfield over allegations that he sexually abused a girl for 12 years, beginning in 2009 when she was between 14 and 15 years old and continuing until 2021. When she was 18 she married Aaron Chatfield, Lee's brother. 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.

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.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel charged Chatfield and his wife with financial crimes in April 2024, alleging they misappropriated political campaign finance accounts for personal travel, housing and other benefits.

Post legislative career Due to term limits, Chatfield was ineligible to run for another term in the Michigan House of Representatives. In mid-February 2021, after leaving office, Chatfield was appointed as the new CEO of Southwest Michigan First, a privately funded economic development organization covering the seven counties of southwest Michigan (Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph and Van Buren).

Chatfield's hiring caused a backlash due to Chatfield's past stances in opposition to LGBTQ rights. Various groups including the City of Kalamazoo and the Kalamazoo Promise, pulled support from Southwest Michigan First.

Following the backlash from his hiring, Southwest Michigan First and Chatfield stated that they would support expanding the state's civil rights act (the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act) to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, a stance that the Southwest Michigan First board had voted in 2017 to support. During his tenure in the Michigan House, Chatfield had opposed such an expansion, which he viewed as an infringement on religious freedom.

Personal life Chatfield has four sons and one daughter.