Chantia Lewis Sentenced To 30 Days In Custody, 3 Years Probation

Former alderwoman Chantia Lewis was sentenced to 30 days in jail and two concurrent three-year probation sentences Thursday morning for two felony campaign finance violations. She also faces an October restitution hearing. Lewis pled guilty to misappropriating more than $20,000 from her campaign fund and from the City of Milwaukee.

Her crimes included using campaign funds as a “personal slush fund,” seeking reimbursement for travel expenses from the city and her campaign fund, pocketing campaign contributions and obscuring contributions over the legal limit by splitting them up.

“This is the epitome of money laundering,” said assistant district attorney Matthew Westphal in detailing her crimes. He said she received more than $20,000 that personally enriched her while serving in office.

The sentence issued by Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Milton Childs was notably less than Westphal asked for.

The District Attorney’s Office asked the court to impose a one-year stay in the Milwaukee County House of Correction and a three-year prison term that was to be suspended for a three-year probationary period.

Each felony carried a maximum penalty of 3.5 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

“This was a protracted effort to defraud the city and her campaign,” said Westphal, detailing how the issues started within weeks of her being elected in 2016. “We need to tell our community that when public servants break the social contract they will be held accountable.”

He noted that the four other council members who were convicted of crimes in the past 20 years each served jail time.

“In all of those other cases there was some bribery involved,” said Lewis’ attorney Michael Chernin.

He characterized Lewis’ crimes as crimes of ignorance.

“What it does demonstrate is she had very little clue on the appropriate way to administer a campaign fund,” said Chernin.

That includes a July campaign filing that showed Lewis accepted a $30,000 loan from her mother and was using it and other contributions to pay for her legal defense. Chernin said he had no knowledge of the filing. Westphal said the filing was evidence of committing further crimes, including exceeding donation limits and not setting up a proper legal defense fund.

“A mistake is a one-time incident,” said the prosecutor.

Lewis blamed her other attorney, Michael Maistelman, for the latest issues. “Maistelman absolutely told me that was a defense fund,” she told the court. Maistelman was not present Thursday because of a health issue.

Maistelman, after this article was first published, said he has always advised his clients to follow the line. “Wisconsin law permits the setting up of a separate criminal defense fund, but the donor of such funds must expressly authorize the use of their donation for such a purpose,” he said.

“I thought running for office was traumatizing. This has absolutely been the most traumatizing experience of my life,” said Lewis.

She said she was sorry to have let down her colleagues, children, residents of her aldermanic district, church family and the broader community.

“This was absolutely not something I did nefariously or with malice. I am just not that type of person,” said Lewis.

She said her behavior was “bad judgment” and a “mistake.”

“What does make this kind of frustrating is that you… had opportunities to change or correct these items, but continued on for a four-year period of time,” said Childs.

The judge said he accepted her apology on behalf of Milwaukee County. “I think there is remorse,” he said. “It’s not over. You can bounce back.”

The judge said, if recommended by the House of Correction, she could serve her 30-day custody term under house arrest. She also could be released to work or for child care.

She received approximately 10 character letters in her defense, including submissions from Congresswoman Gwen Moore and State Representative David Bowen.

Childs cited the character letters in guiding his sentencing decision. “There is a consistency of them talking about you and the work that you’ve done,” said Childs, while noting they expressed disappointment in her. He also said Lewis lacked prior criminal convictions.

Lewis could ultimately serve more time in custody if she violates the terms of her probation, which includes absolute sobriety and a requirement to avoid other criminal behavior.

Her first felony charge includes a stayed nine-month sentence in the House of Correction. The second charge includes a stayed three-year state prison term, which would be served half in custody and half in extended supervision.

She must perform 50 hours of community service as part of the sentence. As part of the felony convictions she cannot possess a firearm for the rest of her life and cannot vote until her civil rights are restored.

The judge said there have been other consequences, including losing her job, the embarrassment of the proceedings and the felony conviction.

But Lewis still faces an Oct. 7 restitution hearing that will impose a financial penalty.

She was first elected to the Milwaukee Common Council in 2016 and re-elected in 2020. An Air Force veteran, Alverno College graduate and ordained minister, Lewis, 42, branded the far northwest-side 9th District she represented the “New Ninth” as she sought to reinvigorate the commercial area around the former Northridge Mall. Lewis has been married for 17 years and has three children, ages 16, 15 and 12.

Lewis was once seen as a rising star among Democratic politicians. She filed to run for U.S. Senate in July 2021, the ninth candidate to formally enter the Democratic primary.

But her campaign soon encountered a major roadblock. Lewis was charged in September 2021 with four felonies and one misdemeanor related to her use of campaign funds for personal expenses, submitting false reimbursement requests to the city, failing to report contributions and seeking to circumvent maximum contribution limits. The plea agreement includes dropping two felony charges (embezzlement, filing false campaign reports) and the misdemeanor charge (theft by fraud of less than $2,500).

The investigation, according to the complaint, started with a May 2020 review of multiple council members’ travel expenses and campaign finance disclosures.

“A review of the documents for all of the alderpersons showed material inconsistencies in Lewis’s filings as well as in her reimbursement for city-approved travel. In particular, they showed that Lewis had received reimbursement from the City of Milwaukee for travel, which travel she then paid for out of her campaign account, Chantia 4 Progress, keeping the reimbursement for herself,” says the complaint.

She also used her campaign funds, according to the complaint, to pay for family trips to Marietta, GA and Wisconsin Dells and personal trips to Orlando and Las Vegas. While in the Dells she made three withdrawals from her campaign account at an ATM in an outlet mall.. She filed for bankruptcy in 2005 and 2008.

Westphal said she committed fraud within two weeks of being first elected in April 2016, depositing campaign contributions into a personal account. “She used her campaign account as a personal slush fund,” he told the court.

Her first time submitting falsified travel reimbursement forms to the city occurred in November 2016. She used campaign funds to pay for a trip, then requested reimbursement from the city and deposited the money into her personal bank account.

The complaint also says Lewis improperly used campaign funds to cover costs of tuition at Agape Love Bible College, an automobile loan, a personal credit card bill, car repair and Las Vegas hotel expenses.

A special election will be called to fill her seat. Based on filing deadlines, it will occur after the upcoming November election.

A copy of the criminal complaint is available on Urban Milwaukee.

Lewis, Chernin and Westphal all declined to comment after the hearing.