The last of Donald Trump’s 18 co-accused to turn himself in to Fulton County authorities on Friday was a former police officer who became a Lutheran priest. He was wearing his clerical attire for the mugshot.
In the booking photograph, Stephen Cliffgard Lee wore a tab-collar shirt and appeared glum.
Before a deadline of noon set by Fulton County DA Fani Willis, Lee’s lawyer, David Shestokas, earlier informed the Chicago Sun-Times that the 70-year-old will turn himself in on Friday morning.
Shestokas criticized Lee’s $75,000 bond as being “excessive.”
“He’s a pastor. These are not folks that do things to get wealthy,” the attorney scoffed.
“There’s no reason to believe he’s a flight risk. I advised them that he is not a wealthy man and wouldn’t be able to make bond.”
However, the Fulton County Jail reported on Friday afternoon that Lee had been freed upon booking.
The Christian group Illinois Family Institute, which announced on Thursday that it was holding a fundraiser for Lee, whom they referred to as “America’s Chaplain,” may have contributed some of Lee’s bond proceeds.
Lee, a resident of Orland Park, Illinois, is the subject of an indictment issued by a grand jury on August 14. The indictment charges him with five counts related to his purported endeavor to coerce Ruby Freeman, a Georgia election worker, into falsely confessing to engaging in election fraud.
Both Lee and Chicago publicist Trevian Kutti have been accused of violating Georgia’s RICO Act, conspiring to solicit false statements and writings, and attempting to influence witnesses. Lee is confronted with the prospect of being charged with two further charges of criminal attempt to influence witnesses.
According to records from Fulton County, Kutti, who has prior professional experience collaborating with Kanye West and R. Kelly, voluntarily surrendered herself on Friday and subsequently secured her release on a $75,000 bond.
According to the Sun-Times, in December 2020, Lee was recorded on police body camera footage following the response of authorities to a 911 call made by Freeman. Freeman had been publicly accused by former President Trump and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani of engaging in the illegal counting of ballots.
Freeman promptly contacted emergency services by dialing 911 after to Lee’s purportedly persistent knocking on her door.
When approached inside his vehicle, Lee, who was donning clerical attire, informed the law enforcement officers that he was engaged in collaborative efforts with certain individuals to provide assistance to Ruby and uncover veracity.
According to the prosecution, Lee enlisted the assistance of Kutti and Harrison Floyd, who was the director of Black Voices for Trump at the time, in arranging a meeting with Freeman after she declined to engage in conversation with him.
Based on the indictment from Fulton County, Lee conveyed to Floyd his belief that Freeman exhibited apprehension in engaging in conversation with Lee due to Lee’s racial identity as a white individual.
According to the website of Peace Officer Ministries, Lee served as a police officer in California throughout the 1980s prior to his ordination as a minister within the conservative Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod.
According to the Sun-Times, the individual in question presently holds the position of pastor at Living Word Lutheran Church, located in Orland Park, a suburb situated southwest of Chicago.
