Crime & Safety
Chatfield Aides Sentenced To Probation After Pleading Guilty To Felony Charges
As a condition of their plea agreements, both Minards have agreed to offer truthful testimony in future hearings.
December 17, 2025
Robert and Anné Minard, two aides to former House Speaker Lee Chatfield, were sentenced on Wednesday, with both pleading guilty as part of a plea agreement.
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The Minards were charged with multiple felonies in 2023 including conducting a criminal enterprise, for their role in allegedly misappropriating funds from three non-profit organizations and two political action committees tied to former Speaker of the House Lee Chatfield.
According to a notice from the Michigan Department of Attorney General, Judge James Jamo of the 30th Circuit Court in Ingham County sentenced the Minards to a 6-month delayed sentence and 36 months of probation, alongside requirements to provide full restitution of funds they owe to the Michigan Department of Treasury.
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Each defendant accepted a plea bargain with Robert Minard pleading guilty to one count of larceny by false pretenses – $20,000 or more but less than $50,000, as well as one count of filing a false tax return. The charges were related to the theft of funds from Working Together for a Better Michigan, a political action committee and the candidates that the committee was supposed to be assisting.
Anné Minard pled guilty to one count of embezzlement and one count of filing a false tax return.
As a condition of their plea agreements, both Minards have agreed to offer truthful testimony in future hearings.
Chatfield, who, alongside his wife Stephanie Chatfield, is facing charges of running a criminal enterprise and embezzling money from his nonprofit and organizing funds, is slated for trial next fall.
Robert Minard served as Chatfield’s chief of staff and Anne Minard was his external affairs director.
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