(Source: MIRS.news, Published 12/14/2022) Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Wednesday said Michigan needs to “look at loopholes” in lobbying policies that arguably contributed to concerns that House Speaker Lee Chatfield improperly used his lobbying and campaign donor connections to fund lavish travel.
The Attorney General’s office is investigating the Republican former Speaker and that investigation involves other “high level” state officials, lobbyists and governmental appointees, according to a public transcript of a November court hearing.
“I don’t even know how to phrase it, to be honest. Scandal? alleged?” Whitmer said. “. . . I also know that there’s probably a lot of stuff none of us know, yet, so . . . we’ve got to understand it and see, learn from it and fix areas where we can.”
When asked if she was aware of unethical or potentially criminal behavior, Whitmer replied: “No. I did not know them socially. On a handful of occasions, he came over to the residence but we didn’t hang out.
“But for all the people who wondered why it was so hard to find common ground, you heard the going away speeches and see all the coverage of the other and (can) appreciate some of the challenges,” she added with a chuckle.
Meanwhile, Assistant Attorney General Michael Frezza told an Ingham County judge in November that the “investigation involves a series of former Michigan officials, current officials, lobbyists, governmental appointees at high levels, and other governmental employees," according to the transcript, which became available Wednesday.
Whitmer said she was “keen to understand" and “very interested” in what Frezza's wording referred to.
“Some day, I'll write a book and you can read about my early conversations, some of the subjects of that inquiry,” she said. “… I think that it appears that there were a lot of things that don't work well in terms of oversight accountability and I think that there's a lot of work that this incoming Legislature is keen on doing. … People deserve to know that their leaders are looking out for them and not themselves.”
Frezza was before Judge Wanda Stokes seeking an order to shield records in the Chatfield investigation after search warrant affidavits were released to The Detroit News. The judge granted the request.
“There may be, as in any investigation, situations where some people, just having a name associated with wrongful conduct, could be exposed to embarrassment,” Frezza told the judge according to a public transcript of the hearing. “Professional embarrassment. Personal embarrassment . . .
“They are only allegations, your Honor. And, as this Court is well aware at this stage, and subsequent stages, the People are interested in doing justice,” he added. “We are in the mode of finding what the true facts are.”
The probe began in January after Chatfield’s sister-in-law accused him of sexually assaulting her beginning when she was a teenager.
Chatfield has denied wrongdoing, saying their relationship was a consensual affair, his attorney said. To date, no criminal charges or civil claims have been filed in connection with the affair.
The Detroit News reported in October that search warrant affidavits – which the court claims were sealed and should not have been released – showed the allegations include that Chatfield is part of a “criminal enterprise” involving alleged embezzlement and campaign finance violations.
Frezza told the court, however, that is a “series of internal search warrant files … above and beyond the search warrants” previously noted (and) related to the other former and current officials.
