Chaplain Stephen Lee Says Dismissal of RICO Case Marks Shift “From Defense to Offense” (Tinley Park, IL) – Chaplain Stephen Lee on Wednesday welcomed the dismissal of all racketeering charges filed against him in the sweeping 2020 election interference case out of Fulton County, Ga., saying he now intends to “go from defense to offense” in response to what he described as political “lawfare.”
Lee, who was indicted alongside President Donald Trump and more than a dozen others in 2023, said the case was formally dropped after a new prosecutor declined to pursue it.
“The case is entirely dropped,” Lee said in an interview, calling the charges the product of “the disgraced and then removed DA Willis.” Former Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis was removed from the case earlier this year following a judicial ruling that found a conflict of interest.
“The prosecutor who took it over made a decision not to pursue it. It’s officially done,” Lee said. “Now, I feel a sacred obligation to carry things forward in terms of holding people accountable and to deter future lawfare.”
Lee said he hopes the dismissal sends a message to religious leaders who feel targeted for their political or social views.
“I want the Christians and pastors in this country, and the religious community in general, to know they have a warrior who is fighting on their behalf to protect their First Amendment rights,” he said. “This is not over.”
He added with a laugh, “We have got to grow a backbone here. I’ve been officially recognized as having a ‘titanium backbone’ by IFI, so I intend to use it,” referencing a 2024 Illinois Family Institute award.
Lee, long known in law enforcement and ministry circles, first came to national attention after serving as a chaplain at Ground Zero in the immediate aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks. He is credited with helping preserve the steel-beam cross found in the wreckage, which is now displayed at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum in New York City.
Over his career, Lee has served at numerous disaster and mass-casualty sites, including Columbine, the Pulse nightclub shooting, the Mandalay Bay massacre in Las Vegas and, most recently, an attack at a Minneapolis Catholic church. He also authored God’s Word for Peace Officers, a devotional Bible for law enforcement.
Supporters praised him after Wednesday’s dismissal.
“America owes Chaplain Lee a personal thank you,” said Paul Hurst of Illinois Family Action.
“We’re grateful for his efforts to keep responders in the fight at Ground Zero, for his extension of Christian love to hurting family members, and for encouraging our law enforcement officers.”
The Illinois Family Institute, a conservative Christian nonprofit, was an early and vocal defender of Lee during the Georgia prosecution. The group argued that the charges were politically motivated, a view they said was reinforced by the case’s collapse following Willis’ removal.
More information about the organization is available at illinoisfamily.org.
Chaplain Stephen Lee Says Dismissal of RICO Case Marks Shift “From Defense to Offense”
