The U/19's double-header will kick off the 2022 Representative Round weekend with Ampol women's State of Origin to follow on Friday, international Test matches on Saturday before Ampol Men's State of Origin on Sunday completes the round. "Mr. Chatfield did not 'brainwash' the complainant, as she now claims. 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. 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. He claimed to Bridge that hed worked in Lansing as Lees driver and would take the rising politician to strip clubs and to meet with various women, including a former staffer. "My whole world was the Chatfield family," said Rebekah, who also attended the school-affiliated Northern Michigan Baptist Bible Church where Rusty Chatfield, her father-in-law, is a pastor. The actions that she took prove a consensual affair and not an assaultive relationship," Chartier also said. 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 . Girls high school basketball team forfeits a game because it refused to play against a team with a transgender player, Fox Leaders Wanted to Break From Trump but Struggled to Make It Happen, Not Going to Read That: White House Press Secretary Brushes Off DeSantis Op-Ed, Wakefield chairman John Minards confident in clubs hybrid Belle Vue pitch, SC House Freedom Caucus takes colleagues to federal court on free speech grounds, Michigan coronavirus cases: Tracking the pandemic. The night before the wedding, while Rebekah was crying inside of the Chatfields home, she alleged Lee offered to comfort her, before forcing her into a closet for a sex act. 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. 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. Rebekah, now 26, filed the criminal complaint with the Lansing Police Department against Lee, 33, she said in several interviews with Bridge Michigan. [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]. Ft. 7830 Richwood Dr, ORLANDO, FL 32825. [3] Chatfield and the Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey both repeatedly clashed with Whitmer over issues such as the state budget, road funding, auto insurance legislation, and criminal justice legislation. 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." 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. U14*- Born 2009, 2010 - Players must be at secondary school (Yr 9) to be eligible for selection. She still serves as the director of LARA, which oversees professional licensing and regulates the liquor and marijuana industries. He was first elected from the 107th House district in 2015. Chatfield has said the relationship was consensual. He was speaker pro tempore from 2017 to 2019, and speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives from 2019 to 2021. My dad was a recovering alcoholic, and so I believe that Lee used those (circumstances) against me and helped take advantage of me. Gretchen Whitmer and the GOP-controlled Legislature. This is about the integrity of the chamber," said Rep. Joe Tate, a Detroit Democrat. Chatfield's lawyer claimed that the search was an attempt to falsely connect Chatfield to financial improprieties. See if you qualify! Every TruGreen associate is committed to quality. GCSI and LaPorte didn't list the Little River Band among its clients on state reports, but did disclose Scofes and Associates as a client in 2020. They "ran that whole church and school," she said. When the time came to raise big bucks in 2017, Anne Minard signed on as treasurer of the Wentworth Majority Fund Political Action Committee. According to Crain's Detroit Business, Chatfield confirmed he would be moving to Kalamazoo.The former representative from Levering, who was term-limited after six years in the state House, is no friend to the LGBTQ community. "It's hard to turn a mayor down," Soave testified in 2013 during Kilpatrick's trial on public corruption charges. "If I told [the Chatfields], that would, that would ruin everything. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle noticed Chatfield's close connections to GCSI while he had the power to set the agenda in the state House. It's important to note that search warrant affidavits contain what investigators think they can prove if a judge authorizes a search warrant. His brother also worked for Representative Chatfield while he was Speaker. Email. LaPorte's firm, Capitol Advocacy Services Group LLC, is a registered lobbyist for other tribal casino operators, including the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, which runs the Odawa casinos in Petoskey and Mackinaw City in Chatfield's district in Emmet and Cheboygan counties. 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. Chatfield is the speaker of the Michigan House for the 2019-2020 legislative session. "By no stretch of the imagination is that social welfare," said longtime elections lawyer Mark Brewer, whose main areas of practice include campaign finance and nonprofit law. He destroyed me, and has controlled my life since I was 15-16, the past 10-11 years, she said. Gretchen Whitmer, Michigan House of Representatives Speaker and Republican Lee Chatfield . He was speaker pro tempore from 2017 to 2019, and speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives from 2019 to 2021. More:5 revelations in the Chatfield investigation search warrant affidavits. But on Feb. 25, 2021, about two months after Chatfield left office, the House approved a symbolic resolution in opposition to off-reservation gaming. What she is saying, I dont believe, Paul Chatfield said, adding that the best-case scenario is, Im disappointed in his brother. [7], Chatfield was a strong supporter of President Donald Trump. Because of Michigan's lack of an open records policy covering lawmakers, the House wouldn't have to disclose Chatfield's letter. Become a subscriber. "The question should be asked and looked into.. The last payments from Wentworth's PACs to Victor Strategies were made on Feb. 5, with the notation "bookkeeping no other vendor." The Little River Band didn't begin meeting with Chatfield until 2020 to make the case for the proposed casino near Muskegon, Shields said. Along the way, investigators will likely uncover evidence that may embarrass and expose benefactors and members of both political parties. But he said they could get more information. Paul Bryan (Newcastle Knights) Xavier Chatfield-Mooka (Sydney Roosters) Chatfield taught and coached at the school and was the athletic director between 2010 and 2014, according to his LinkedIn profile. Lee Chatfield has denied wrongdoing and said he had a consensual affair. As an unofficial driver for his brother, who was elected to the Michigan legislature in 2014 and served three two-year terms, Aaron told Bridge Michigan he drove Lee to strip clubs and to meet up with women, including a former staffer. But she and her mother, Debbie Newbury, both told that Bridge Michigan Lee urged her to stay in his family's orbit. Rebekah says she spent time in the Chatfield home, babysitting his young children with his wife and spending the night when it was too late to venture home. Lot 1318 Nowlan Street (Willow), Gisborne, Vic 3437. "Lee quickly took me in," Rebekah said, adding that her father's health began to decline and she became more involved with the Chatfield family. Rebekah acknowledged to the Bridge that at times it was she who initiated contact with Lee, but denied that it was consensual. That money was used to support Republican candidates with donations of up to $10,000 and, no doubt, generate the kind of goodwill and support that helped Wentworth become speaker in 2021. 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. ", "For four decades, GCSI has fostered and built relationships with a variety of leaders and lawmakers in both parties as well as with different organizations and we will continue to do so in compliance with state and federal laws," the statement by Hawks, Profit and Farrah said. Michigan reports 7,483 new COVID-19 cases, 139 deaths over past week. ", 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. GCSI and its employees spent $6,898 on food and drink for Chatfield over his two years as speaker. It's more than four times what they spent on Wentworth, who succeeded Chatfield as speaker. She also helped get Wentworth elected and was treasurer of his political action committees. And based on what we've seen so far, Lansing looks mighty murky. 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. He left office in 2020 due to term limits. "What she is saying, I don't believe," Paul said, adding that "the best-case scenario is, I'm disappointed. And I know the only way to get justice for this is to come forward and to file a criminal (complaint) against him.. 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 . Minard and his wife, a fellow House staffer, controlled the finances of a dark money nonprofit linked to Chatfield, while owning a consulting firm that was paid nearly $500,000 from various funds tied to the former House speaker. Before long, it emerged that the Minards were highly-paid state employees serving Chatfield during his tenure as speaker from 2019 through 2020, while simultaneously making a fortune on the side as their company Victor Strategies helped to raise money for and elect some of the most influential Republicans in the state House. 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. Elrick is a Pulitzer Prize- and Emmy Award-winning investigative reporter and host of theML's Soul of Detroit podcast. "Thats how he moved his agenda, Greig said of the relationship. 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). I dont remember how I asked, I just remember saying, Is something going on between you and Lee?. The Levering Republican paid $1,960 to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) after he brought the weapon to the Pellston Regional [] He said he didn't know about the alleged sexual abuse though he "always had questions.". 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. | Learn more about Sean Chatfield's work experience, education . Rebekah claimed she kept the incidents secret from her family and husband because she was ashamed and afraid to tell them. 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. Minard and her husband, Rob, have been in the news since January, when their roles as key aides to Chatfield emerged in the wake of accusations that Chatfield had sexually assaulted his sister-in-law. While you and I pray that they have the courage to kick over every stone they find, powerful people are likely preying on their fears that following this trail to the full truth will be detrimental to their careers. Explosive allegations about excessive political spending were revealed this week in the ongoing investigation into former Michigan House Speaker Lee Chatfield. 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. In 2018, Chatfield attempted to bring a loaded, unregistered handgun onto a commercial flight at Pellston Regional Airport. Each time she would break up with Aaron, she said Lee would coax them back together. Investigations take time, but dedicated diggers will almost always turn up the truth. "My dad was a recovering alcoholic, and so I believe that Lee used those [circumstances] against me and helped take advantage of me. And he walked out., After Rebekah and Aaron were married, the affair allegedly continued while the two went off to separate colleges. 03 9328 . 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. Newbury told Bridge Michigan her daughter, then 16, was "old enough to make her own decisions" and so Rebekah moved in with her father, who lived about an hour from the school and church compound in Burt Lake, Michigan. [9] 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. How much does a Financial Advisor make in Chatfield, Minnesota? Man shoots motorcyclist dead during argument at North Caro 11-year-old reads aloud from 'pornographic' book he checked out from library at school board meeting, Mike McCarthy shreds ex-Cowboys coordinator after firing, Family raises 250-pound 'dog' for 2 years then realizes it's a bear, 2023 Billboard Women in Music Awards: Lana Del Ray, Kim Petras, & more, RHOA star Drew Sidora accuses ex Ralph Pittman of cheating, mental abuse, Original Gone With The Wind script reveals secret war over slavery, cut scenes, Good luck 'worming' your way out of this one, Sunny Hostin Points Finger at China for COVID Crisis: Did Not Cooperate With the International Community, Kanye West and 'wife' Bianca Censori look surprisingly happy on dinner date. 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. 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. Samantha has 8 jobs listed on their profile. "[10], 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. State police spokesperson Shanon Banner declined to provide additional information. Staff Writer Beth LeBlanc and Politics Editor Chad Livengood contributed. Chatfield won the primary and the general election . Michigan House of Representatives District 107 is represented by Neil Friske (R). Chatfield ran to the right of then-Rep. 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