Up North Progressive

How does this keep happening?

While many were putting out vegan treats for the Qanon Shaman’s magical visit on Insurrection Day Eve, Lee Chatfield was likely concerned over a news story about to break. The former Michigan Speaker of the House, the guy who based his political career on denying people their civil rights because of who they love or their identity, was accused of raping a 15-year-old girl when he was 21 and continued to rape her for the next 11 years.

Lee Chatfield worked as a history teacher and athletic director at a school run by Pastor Rusty Chatfield’s Burt Lake, Michigan church. Rusty Chatfield also has a show on the local Christian radio station with Ken Bradstreet.

In 2014, Chatfield primaried Republican incumbent Frank Foster for Michigan’s 107th state house seat because Foster supported expanding the Elliot-Larson Civil Rights Act to include LGBTQ people. Thanks to Chatfield winning that seat, LGBTQ people in Michigan can still get fired from their jobs, refused goods and services, or denied adopting children.

Before the rape allegations came to light, the most significant moment in Lee Chatfield’s career came in 2018 when he tried to board a plane with a loaded, unregistered handgun in his carry-on bag only weeks after arguing in favor of eliminating firearm registration in Michigan.

In 2020, Chatfield supported MeShawn Maddock’s Operation Gridlock from the windows of the state capitol. He led the statehouse in stripping Executive Orders on the books for 70 years. Hence, Governor Whitmer could no longer keep Michiganders safe during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

When Trump lost the election in Michigan, Lee Chatfield led a contingent of GQP lawmakers to Washington DC, where they were wined and dined to consider overturning a free and fair election in Michigan, where Joe Biden won.



After being termed out, Chatfield surprisingly chose to end his political career and took a job in Kalamazoo with Southwest Michigan First. Ironically, he left that job after a few days when his legacy of denying LGBTQ people their civil rights became known.

It’s not surprising Lee Chatfield is finally outed as the rapist of a minor child. He fully supported Trump, who has multiple allegations of rape, including a 13-year-old at Jeffry Epstein’s house in New York. What’s surprising is the Republican Party tolerates this kind of activity. If Chatfield were still in some elected official capacity in Michigan, the GOP would treat him like others in the same situation and forget about it. No level of depravity is too low for Republicans.

May this new page in Lee Chatfield’s history keep him out of public office for good.