MICHIGAN — Lee Chatfield’s Chatfield Majority Fund was the top donor to former State Representative Shane Hernandez who is now the running mate for Tudor Dixon. Chatfield was the former Speaker of the House who is now under criminal investigation for his actions while he was Speaker.
Since first running for office in 2016, Hernandez received $40,600 from Chatfield Majority Fund which represents the largest donor to Hernandez. In 2018, Chatfield appointed Hernandez the Chair of Appropriations, giving Hernandez control of the state’s budget.
Since leaving office, Chatfield has been accused of rape by his sister-in-law, lost a job offer to run a non-profit in Kalamazoo and now faces an investigation into his financial dealings and apparent drug use and drug dealing, as reported by the Detroit News.
The News reports: “In the affidavit dated April 6, Bryan Ferguson, an employee of the Attorney General’s financial crimes section, wrote that “it is alleged that Chatfield, along with others engaged in a criminal enterprise, which included embezzlement, campaign finance violations, bribery, the use, possession and delivery of controlled substances, misconduct in office and income tax evasion.”
Now, Shane Hernandez is running for statewide office without answering questions about what he knew about Chatfield’s financial dealings, whether or not Hernandez traveled with Chatfield at the expense of Chatfield donors and what Hernandez knew about Chatfield’s sexual abuse or drug use and dealing accusations.
Beyond his cozy financial relationship with Chatfield, Hernandez is no stranger to scandal. After being selected by the heads of the Republican Party, Hernandez posed in front a flag that represents a movement that would overthrow the government. Hernandez, who at one point was responsible for knowing where every dime of the state budget went, claimed he wasn’t aware that a flag representing violence against Americans was hanging right behind him.
