Sister-in-Law Says Former House Speaker Lee Chatfield (R-MI) Raped Her for Years, Beginning at 15-yo

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:“Chatfield, former speaker of the Michigan House and legislator from 2015 through 2020, stands accused of being engaged in a “criminal enterprise” as part of court documents mistakenly made public in October. That filing also alleges that the ex-lawmaker could have also participated in embezzlement, bribery, use of controlled substances and campaign finance violations while in office.

His conduct is currently being investigated by the Department of Attorney General in conjunction with the Michigan State Police. That probe began in February 2022 when his sister-in-law Rebekah Chatfield, accused the ex-lawmaker of sexually abusing her since she was a minor.”
https://www.mlive.com/politics/2022/11/house-gop-tried-to-initiate-third-party-investigation-into-lee-chatfield-the-ag-told-them-to-stand-down.html

IOKIYAR

[Anonymous]

Former Michigan House Speaker Lee Chatfield, a Republican who left office in 2020, is facing 13 criminal charges, including conducting a criminal enterprise, embezzlement from a nonprofit, and conspiracy to commit embezzlement from a nonprofit. His wife Stephanie is also charged.

Nessel: "Our investigation has uncovered evidence that Lee Chatfield used various different schemes to embezzle, steal, and convert both private and public monies to fund a lavish lifestyle..."
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2024/04/16/lee-chatfield-michigan-house-dana-nessel-criminal-investigation/73341391007/
https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2024/04/16/michigan-house-speaker-lee-chatfield-charged-embezzlement-nessel/72097431007/

[Anonymous]

Regarding the sexual assault accusations that brought on the rest of the investigation:

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Former Michigan House Speaker Lee Chatfield, a Republican who left office in 2020, is facing 13 criminal charges, including conducting a criminal enterprise, embezzlement from a nonprofit, and conspiracy to commit embezzlement from a nonprofit. His wife Stephanie is also charged.

Nessel: "Our investigation has uncovered evidence that Lee Chatfield used various different schemes to embezzle, steal, and convert both private and public monies to fund a lavish lifestyle..."
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2024/04/16/lee-chatfield-michigan-house-dana-nessel-criminal-investigation/73341391007/
https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2024/04/16/michigan-house-speaker-lee-chatfield-charged-embezzlement-nessel/72097431007/

TY Nessel! Thought this case was dead in the water.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Regarding the sexual assault accusations that brought on the rest of the investigation:

Ugh. That poor woman.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Regarding the sexual assault accusations that brought on the rest of the investigation:

Ugh. That poor woman.

No corroborating evidence, unfortunately.

Always easier to nail people on a paper trail of money. Plus, Nessel has the wife on charges so there’s a big pressure to flip on the husband. At least the Italian mob was smart enough to never involve the wives in their crimes.

[Anonymous]

How does one remain married to a guy that raped their sister?

[Anonymous]

As a woman, I find it sort of hard to understand how a woman in her mid-20s allows her BIL to rape her on an ongoing basis? I can see it happening to a 15-year old. But a woman in her mid-20s? Genuinely puzzled. Are we sure this woman doesn't have a psychiatric condition? I mean, if it really happened, he can burn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Regarding the sexual assault accusations that brought on the rest of the investigation:

Ugh. That poor woman.

No corroborating evidence, unfortunately.

Always easier to nail people on a paper trail of money. Plus, Nessel has the wife on charges so there’s a big pressure to flip on the husband. At least the Italian mob was smart enough to never involve the wives in their crimes.

I mean I get that part, that it’s hard to prove those. It’s just frustrating that that happens to so many women (not the “for years” part) and they never see any justice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How does one remain married to a guy that raped their sister?

Wasn't the victim his brother's wife?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a woman, I find it sort of hard to understand how a woman in her mid-20s allows her BIL to rape her on an ongoing basis? I can see it happening to a 15-year old. But a woman in her mid-20s? Genuinely puzzled. Are we sure this woman doesn't have a psychiatric condition? I mean, if it really happened, he can burn.

Did you read this article? He was her teacher and her coach, his father was her pastor, and they arranged her marriage. He had total control over her.
“Lee Chatfield was a young teacher and coach at the school. Rebekah said he had taught her in several classes, and served as an assistant coach for Rebekah’s soccer team.

Through thrice-weekly church services, daily school lessons, regular after-school events and frequent visits to the Chatfield family homes, Rebekah Chatfield said, the church and its founding family gave her a sense of belonging during a traumatic and vulnerable time in her life.

They also instilled in her an obedience to church hierarchy, male superiority, sexual purity and distrust of the outside world, she said. Women were expected to marry young, have children, and obey the men in their families.

“They preach at the pulpit that the men are always right, the women have no say,” she said.
https://www.bridgemi.com/children-families/sister-law-ex-mi-house-speaker-lee-chatfield-sexually-assaulted-me-teen

[Anonymous]

The MI GOP is filled with Lee Chatfields. SO MANY others just like him. Maybe that is why the MI GOP is in such bad shape?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a woman, I find it sort of hard to understand how a woman in her mid-20s allows her BIL to rape her on an ongoing basis? I can see it happening to a 15-year old. But a woman in her mid-20s? Genuinely puzzled. Are we sure this woman doesn't have a psychiatric condition? I mean, if it really happened, he can burn.

You may never understand if you think like this.

[Anonymous]

I can't believe someone used "allow" and "rape" in a sentence describing the victim. That's not how it works.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can't believe someone used "allow" and "rape" in a sentence describing the victim. That's not how it works.

As with all magical thinking, it allows that woman to feel safe. That’s what much of the dancing around the issue of rape is about: protecting one’s self from the fear of rape, especially (for some women) if that woman has already been raped in the past. “This time I wouldn’t allow it.”

It’s so unfortunate that it’s so hard to prosecute rape cases, unfortunate for the ideal of justice, obviously, but also unfortunate for society. When they finally started going through the backlog of unprocessed rape kits (because our society collectively hates women), they found that a lot of rapists aren’t one-off rapists, they’re serial rapists. My guess about Chatfield would be that while he only had this long and deeply enmeshed of a relationship with this poor woman, then a girl, she probably isn’t his only victim.