Former Michigan House Speaker’s Wife Sentenced to Probation in Nonprofit Embezzlement Case

On Monday, July 21, 2026, a courtroom in Lansing heard the sentencing of Stephanie Chatfield, 38, the wife of former Michigan House Speaker Lee Chatfield. She was ordered to serve six months of probation, complete 25 hours of community service and pay a $2,000 fine after pleading guilty to a felony count of embezzling from a nonprofit organization.

The nonprofit at issue, the Peninsula Fund, was allegedly part of a larger scheme that funneled public and private money into the Chatfields’ personal accounts while Lee Chatfield was still a state representative. A second charge – conspiracy to commit embezzlement – was dropped as part of the plea agreement.

Lee Chatfield, meanwhile, remains under a cloud of criminal accusations. Prosecutors have filed 13 felony counts alleging that he used the Peninsula Fund, his own political action committees and even state‑allocated House budget money to cover more than $130,000 in personal debt in April 2024. He has pleaded not guilty and is slated for trial in May.

The investigation into the former speaker began back in 2022, when his sister‑in‑law accused him of sexual assault. While those allegations were eventually set aside, the police inquiry broadened to include financial wrongdoing, eventually uncovering the alleged embezzlement network.

Adding to the drama, two of Lee Chatfield’s former top aides, Rob and Anne Minard, were charged in 2023 with 21 felonies for allegedly siphoning $525,000 from the same nonprofit. They were sentenced in December 2025 and are expected to testify against the former speaker.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel issued a statement emphasizing that “proximity to influence does not grant immunity from accountability.” She added that the Chatfields “were willing participants on the Peninsula Fund gravy train, enjoying a lifestyle funded by money meant to support public welfare.”

Stephanie Chatfield’s sentencing underscores the state’s growing resolve to pursue public officials and their associates who treat charitable accounts as personal piggy banks. The case remains ongoing, and all eyes will be on the upcoming trial that could determine the fate of the former House speaker.