He was the last to be caught.
A former police officer turned Lutheran pastor indicted along with Donald Trump was the last of the former president’s 18 co-defendants to turn themselves in to Fulton County authorities on Friday, wearing his clerical attire for the mugshot.
Stephen Cliffgard Lee looked stern in the booking photo that had his collared shirt exposed.
Lee’s attorney, David Shestokas, previously told the Chicago Sun-Times that the 70-year-old would turn himself in Friday morning, just before a noon deadline set by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
Bail for Lee was set at $75,000, which Shestokas called “excessive.”
“He is a shepherd. These are not people who do things to get rich,” the lawyer mocked.
Lee posed for his mugshot with his clerical collar visible. via REUTERS
“There is no reason to believe there is a flight risk. I told them that he is not a rich man and that he would not be able to set up a bond”.
However, on Friday afternoon, the Fulton County Jail said Lee was released after being booked.
Some of the funds from Lee’s bonds may have been provided by the Christian organization Illinois Family Institute, which announced Thursday that it was raising funds to support Lee, who was called “the chaplain to Americans.”
Lee was caught on body camera in December 2020 allegedly trying to intimidate a poll worker.via REUTERS
Lee, of Orland Park, Ill., faces five counts in the indictment returned by a grand jury Aug. 14 in connection with his alleged attempt to pressure Georgia poll worker Ruby Freeman into a false admission of voter fraud.
Lee and Chicago publicist Trevian Kutti are charged with violation of the Georgia RICO Act, conspiracy to solicit false statements and writings, and influencing witnesses. Lee faces two additional counts of criminal intent to influence witnesses.
Kutti, who previously worked with Kanye West and R. Kelly, also turned himself in Friday and was released on $75,000 bond, Fulton County records show.
Donald Trump turned himself in Thursday night. FULTON COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE/AFP via Getty Images
In December 2020, Lee was captured on police body camera footage as authorities responded to a 911 call from Freeman, who has been publicly accused by Trump and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani of counting. illegal votes, the Sun-Times reported.
Freeman called 911 after Lee allegedly knocked repeatedly on her door.
When confronted in his vehicle, Lee, who was wearing his necklace, told officers he was “working with some people to help Ruby” and “get some truth out of it.”
Publicist Trevian Kutti also turned himself in to Fulton County Friday morning.
When Freeman refused to speak to him, prosecutors say, Lee enlisted Kutti and Harrison Floyd, then the director of Black Voices for Trump, to arrange a meeting with her.
According to the Fulton County indictment, Lee told Floyd that he thought Freeman was afraid to talk to him because Lee was a white man.
Lee is a pastor outside of Chicago.Living Word Lutheran Church/YouTube
Lee was a police officer in California in the 1980s before being ordained a minister through the conservative Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod, according to the website of his former organization, Peace Officer Ministries.
He is currently the pastor of Living Word Lutheran Church in Orland Park, southwest of Chicago, the Sun-Times said.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn