**Rob Minard Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud and Embezzlement in Multi-Year Corruption Probe**
LANSING — Rob Minard, former chief of staff to ex-House Speaker Lee Chatfield, has pleaded guilty to falsifying a tax return and stealing tens of thousands of dollars from fundraising accounts he oversaw. The charges stem from a wide-ranging, multi-year corruption investigation that has ensnared Minard, Chatfield, and their spouses.
Minard worked as Chatfield’s chief of staff in 2019 and 2020 and, along with his wife Anné Minard, is accused of misusing over $600,000 from Chatfield-linked accounts. Prosecutors allege the couple siphoned money to finance a lavish lifestyle that included tropical vacations and luxury items like Gucci handbags.
Ingham County Circuit Court heard Minard’s guilty plea on Thursday, where he admitted to filing a false tax return and stealing between $20,000 and $50,000 from political fundraising accounts connected to Chatfield. Minard acknowledged “overbilling” clients of his political consulting firm, Victor Strategies, which managed various candidates.
According to prosecutors, Minard has agreed to cooperate fully with the investigation and testify against Chatfield. In exchange, he will receive a six-month suspended jail sentence, three years of probation, and must pay approximately $37,000 in back taxes and penalties.
“He received payments that he was not entitled to receive,” Minard’s attorney, Robert Harrison, stated in court. Reflecting on the proceedings, Harrison said, “This is the conclusion of a terribly disruptive series of events for Mr. and Mrs. Minard, and it’s good to get it over.”
Minard’s wife, Anné, who served as Chatfield’s director of external affairs and oversaw his extensive fundraising efforts, pleaded guilty in late October. Like her husband, she agreed to cooperate with prosecutors for a reduced sentence. The Minards are scheduled for sentencing in December — Anné on the 3rd and Rob on the 17th.
The couple was charged in late 2023 with eight felony counts each, including “conducting a criminal enterprise,” a charge that carries up to 20 years in prison, and embezzlement of $100,000 or more. Anné Minard also faced additional counts related to embezzlement and false pretenses involving smaller amounts.
Investigators presented evidence at the Minards’ preliminary examination detailing five distinct methods the couple used to divert funds from the accounts under their control. This illicit activity allegedly funded personal expenses such as luxury handbags and cosmetic surgery services.
At the time the crimes were committed, Rob Minard was the highest-ranking staffer in Michigan’s House of Representatives, earning a salary surpassing that of Governor Gretchen Whitmer. The Minards jointly managed Victor Strategies while also receiving legislative salaries and overseeing multiple Chatfield-linked fundraising accounts.
Court documents reveal that Chatfield’s brother and sister-in-law received checks from Anné Minard during trips to destinations like Detroit, Miami, Las Vegas, Aspen, and the Bahamas. More than $6 million flowed through Chatfield’s various accounts during his legislative tenure, with Victor Strategies earning over $1 million from political committees in the same period.
Meanwhile, Lee and Stephanie Chatfield have both pleaded not guilty to charges related to misusing money from these accounts and other corruption-related offenses. Their trials are scheduled for September 2026.
This case underscores ongoing concerns about corruption within Michigan’s political fundraising and the misuse of public trust for personal gain.
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**Related:**
– Plea deal: Lee Chatfield aide to testify against him in Michigan corruption case
– Corruption trial for ex-Michigan Speaker Lee Chatfield delayed to fall 2026
– Lee Chatfield raised millions, traveled often. Michigan law kept much secret
https://bridgemi.com/michigan-government/lee-chatfields-chief-of-staff-will-testify-against-him-in-corruption-probe-plea-deal/