", Matt DePerno's rapid rise in GOP politics mired in controversy, lawsuits, an Ann Arbor firefighter who challenged the city's COVID-19 vaccine policy, The numbers became jumbled during the communication of the unofficial results to the county's election management system, push for an "independent and nonpartisan forensic audit" in Antrim County, "misleading information and illogical conclusions. But court records show judges have repeatedly sanctioned or complained about his courtroom conduct. Before the November election, she unsuccessfully sued and asked a judge to require residents of Detroit, Michigan's largest city, to vote in person or obtain their ballots in person at the clerk's office. Two years into what had become a vicious legal fight, DePerno allegedly pressured the Moffits to sign a fee agreement that put their property mortgages up as collateral in the event they could not pay DePernos legal bills, which Buhl described as an unorthodox deal the kind of which he had never seen before. Trump has thrown significant political weight behind DePerno, endorsing him, speaking on his behalf at a Mar-A-Lago fundraiser and announcing plans to stump for him and other endorsed candidates at a Michigan rally on April 2. They need to see a party actually advocating for the values we espouse. Matthew DePerno, the Republican nominee for attorney general in Michigan who has made a name for himself by pushing lies about the 2020 election and by becoming the target of an investigation into whether he illegally tampered with voting machines is spending the final stretch of his campaign spouting new falsehoods about supposed election crimes. Trump had also endorsed DePerno in that . Courser and DePerno unsuccessfully argued audio recordings that prompted Livengood's reporting in 2015 had been improperly edited. And the GOP-controlled Michigan Senate Oversight Committee accused DePerno of spreading "misleading information and illogical conclusions.". Because of the conflict of interest of investigating him, Nessel sought the appointment of a special prosecutor to decide if charges are warranted. He picked the fight and then billed them $130,000. In his original complaint, DePerno alleged he was wrongfully fired from his $110,000 job because he had raised questions about the financial operations of the firm. The Protect the People political action committee called him a "corrupt lawyer" in one of its ads in recent days. Aug. 15:Report: Trump allies sought election data in Antrim, Wayne countiesApril 23:Michigan GOP endorses Trump favorites DePerno, Karamo at conventionApril 21:DePerno loses another bid for Antrim County audit as court dismisses appealApril 12:Trump favorite Matt DePerno back in court, seeks another Antrim County audit. And I continuously showed that throughout my career. "I don't have a bad word to say about him, and other than people he grew up with and has been around his whole life, I probably got to know him better than anybody since the November election," Bailey said. Democratic President Joe Biden beat Trump by 154,188 votes in Michigan. Another factor in his decision to run: Trump, who in July encouraged him to enter the race. Kari Lake, a champion for election integrity and the America First Movement, has officially endorsed Matt DePerno for MI GOP Chairman. I think were going to do local infrastructure and getting back to basics, the blocking and tackling of winning elections.". New York University School of Law Master of Laws (LL.M.) DePerno has begun to pivot to other issues during the general election campaign, but a special prosecutor is investigating him and others on allegations they illegally accessed voting machine equipment in their efforts to investigate the election. "We look forward to having a Republican Party that shows Michiganders that were here to serve. They've raised concerns about Dominion Voting Systems, the equipment used in Antrim County. Instead, the Oversight Committee urged Nesselto investigate those who have been utilizing misleading and false information about Antrim County to raise money or publicity for their own ends.. Last Name. Matt DePerno concedes Michigan AG race to Dana Nessel Published November 9, 2022 2022 Midterm Elections FOX 2 Detroit Whitmer's victory speech: Michigan is about to 'step on the. Then, on June 23, 2021, DePerno filed a motion to have the bench warrants set aside "nunc pro tunc," essentially meaning the cancellation should be retroactive to the day the warrants were issued in February 2020. Ive taken on tough cases. But he told Bridge he cannot discuss details because of a confidential settlement. "The creditor's exam was scheduled for today," Connors said in court on Feb. 7, 2020, according to a transcript. The Antrim County case made DePerno a national figure in Trumps campaign to overturn the election but prompted criticism from a Republican-led Michigan Senate panel that accused him ofmaking false claimsfor personal profit, echoing allegations that marred DePernos legal career nearly two decades earlier. Courser, who was accused of using House staff and resources to help cover up an extra-marital affair, ultimately pleaded no contest to a charge of willful neglect of duty by a public officer, a one-year misdemeanor. He alleged oppression of a minority shareholder and said his termination caused extreme mental anguish, emotional distress, shock and humiliation.. 2023 The Detroit News, a Digital First Media Newspaper, endorsed by former President Donald Trump, DePerno rose to political prominence challenging the 2020 presidential election results, sought a special prosecutor to consider charges against DePerno. Lansing Republican Matt DePerno's embrace of former President Donald Trump's unproven election fraud claims moved the Kalamazoo trial lawyer from political obscurity to the front lines. DePerno refused. UP First. Karamo, DePerno and Lansing political consultant Scott Greenlee were initially the top three vote-getters in what was a nine-person race at the start of the convention Saturday morning in downtown Lansing. The guys got no ethics at all, William Buhl, a retired Van Buren County Circuit Court judge and former Republican, told Bridge. Getting Trumps endorsement was huge for DePernos campaign. He also has a big fan inside the Michigan Republican Party: co-chair Meshawn Maddock, who endorsed him earlier this month, an unusual move considering the party traditionally is expected to stay out of contested convention races. (Bridge photo by Jonathan Oosting). However, Shepard said DePerno wants to fix "the outdated and confusing" law, which dates to the 1840s. As DePerno worked on the 2020 election, his law office's website linked to a fundraising page that brought in nearly $400,000. State Rep. Ryan Berman is also running. DePerno was fired from one law firm, fought over client records after leaving a second firm and was accused of assaulting a client amid a fee dispute, according to court documents and transcripts reviewed by Bridge. I've always proven that I don't back down from anyone, he said. DePerno is well-known and well-liked by many clients, but his legal career has been marked by some discord. from New York University School of Law. The grievance commission, the investigative arm of the Michigan Supreme Court, only makes its findings public if it authorizes formal charges against a lawyer with the state Attorney Discipline Board, which it did not do for DePerno. "Incredibly, the appeals court noted, DePerno made the following analogy: lets assume a Judge was raped. After practicing law as a partner at a large law firm for 10 years, Matthew opened his own law practice in 2005, DePerno Law, PLLC. ", In an Oct. 1 interview, DePerno said if he's elected, he'll work to lower Michigan's crime rate and combat sex trafficking. But court records show law firm colleagues confronted DePerno in October 2005 and presented him with evidence detailed in a confidential memo included in public filings, along with 190 pages of internal billing documents. Ann Arbor Republican Matt DePerno, who's asking voters to make him Michigan's top law enforcement official on Nov. 8, faced a bench warrant for his arrest about two months before he launched his campaign for attorney general, according to court records. As he's campaigned for attorney general, DePerno vowed to "investigate and prosecute Gov. But in the 32 months that followed, DePerno launched a campaign for attorney general, won the Republican Party's nomination and poured $130,000 of his own money into his bid, representing about 13% of his total fundraising. He alleged oppression of a minority shareholder and said his termination caused "extreme mental anguish, emotional distress, shock and humiliation.". See also: Michigan Attorney General election, 2022 Matt DePerno, an attorney general candidate endorsed by former President Donald Trump, sued the firm over his firing and denied the allegations in court. Nessel, the Democratic attorney general, later acknowledged that her office is investigating DePerno but said she recused herself from the probe given the political implications and will appoint a special counsel if charges are warranted. John Engler. In his suit, DePerno said he had explained "the background of every issue identified" and "rebutted any reasonable notion of improper conduct.". Karamo, considered a favorite among the party's grassroots but viewed as divisive among the establishment, beat out former attorney general candidate Matt DePerno, 58% to 42%, in the third round of voting. "That would be a privileged question.". DePerno committed fraud, deceit and dishonesty with regards to bogus billing, duplicate billing and write offs, in addition to other wrongful acts, his former law firm Kreis, Enderle, Calendar and Hudgins PC alleged in a 2006 legal filing. @mdeperno. DePerno beat Tom Leonard in the second round of voting with 54% of . I'll continue to write good people in on my election ballots. As a tax attorney who worked primarily in Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties, his legal career has been marked by discord. DePerno had represented an older couple Ronald and Cathleen Moffit whose home burned down in 2011. When Courser and DePerno sued The Detroit News over its original reporting on the sex scandal, Washtenaw County Circuit Judge Timothy Connors dismissed the case and ordered Courser and DePerno to jointly pay $79,701.63 in sanctions. Hes helped a Portage high school studentrejoin the tennis teamafter she had been kicked off following an illegal search of her car that revealed remnants of marijuana, DePerno said. Michigan GOP precinct delegates will vote to endorse a candidate at an April 23 convention that will decide the partys de facto nominee to take on Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel in November. In the Republican Party, the top fundraisers in the most recent semiannual reporting period were: Tudor Dixon (Governor) - $7,362,895. Kallman declined to detail the issues. For as little as $1 a month, you can keep Manchester-focused news coverage alive. In an August interview, DePerno declined to say whether the money helped fund a group of "expert witnesses" who pushed to obtain and analyze voting tabulators in Michigan. In 2016, Buhl filed a request asking the Michigan Attorney Grievance Commission to investigate DePerno after he was accused of legal malpractice. DePerno faces incumbent Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel on Nov. 8. The ProAssurance Casualty Company alleged DePerno made unreasonable demands of attorneys they had hired to represent him in the Moffits malpractice suit. Gretchen Whitmer and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson for "for all the damage they have done" in office. The Michigan Court of Appeals ultimately upheld the decision to allow Dodge to remain a judge. Gretchen Whitmer in public polling and in the last election. "Anyone who does not treat systemic election corruption commensurate with the state and national threat it is, should be disqualified from any position in party leadership," Karamo's plan said. But the changing tallies led to a wave of concerns and conspiracy theories about what had happened. But court records show judges have repeatedly sanctioned or complained about his courtroom conduct. ", We're not just a news organization, we're also your neighbors. ", "If it wasn't for Matt, we'd be out on the streets," Dernis told Bridge. He cut his teeth as a tax attorney in southwest Michigan but eventually expanded his Portage-based practice. DePerno's work with Courser led to a years-long defamation suit against The News and staff member Chad Livengood, who broke the story of Courser's affair and the lawmaker's scheme to hide it. Were good neighbors and were going to be winning elections again.. The initial tallies in the Republican stronghold had Democrat Joe Biden winning by 3,260 votes with 62% of the overall total to Trump's 36%. He also represented former state Rep. Todd Courser in a sex scandal cover-up case, which ended with Courser pleading no contest to willful neglect of duty by a public officer. For the 53-year-old attorney's detractors, he's a threat to democracy with a questionable professional record that includes an ongoing state criminal investigation into a scheme to access voting tabulators. The News eventually sued Laura DePerno in Kalamazoo County court, and Matt DePerno challenged the Washtenaw County court's ruling in the state Court of Appeals. But he told Bridge he cannot discuss details because of a confidential settlement. If you care about Michigan, please support our work. 2023 FOX Television Stations, The heaviest snow is behind us heading into the weekend, Snow storm shuts down Detroit Metro Airport, Power outages hit Metro Detroit hard as winter storm pounds area, WATCH - Jennifer Hammond talks with Detroit Titans guard Antoine Davis after coming up just short of the NCAA all-time scoring record, Southeast Michigan weather: The latest totals and what to expect tonight, Dead woman found tied up, wrapped in tarp in abandoned Monroe County building, sources say, Disneyland banned Rebel Wilson over selfie, actress says, Winter storm leaves 205k DTE customers without power, dry and mild weekend ahead, MSP: Driver of crashed car fatally struck on I-96, at-fault driver without license. In 1994, he received his Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law and the following year his Masters in Taxation Law (LL.M.) ", called on DePerno to detail what happened with the money, sought a special prosecutor to consider potential charges against DePerno and eight others because of an alleged "conspiracy" to gain improper access, The DePerno 9: Outspoken election critics tied to Michigan tabulator 'conspiracy', a Democrat who was named the special prosecutor in September, endorsed him to be Michigan's attorney general on Sept. 16, 2021, vowed to "investigate and prosecute Gov. Nessel defeated Republican former House Speaker Tom Leonard that year by 3 points. Weve been there for you with daily Michigan COVID-19 news; reporting on the emergence of the virus, daily numbers with our tracker and dashboard, exploding unemployment, and we finally were able to report on mass vaccine distribution. I think the party recreates itself locally. Whitmer" for her nursing home policies during the COVID-19 pandemic, called for increased transparency standards for state government and voiced opposition to abortion. Email. But six days after the Moffits refused to pay his fees, DePerno took action to try and collect: He began foreclosure proceedings to sell the Moffits new home and the land where their old home had burned down, according to court filings. A secretary at DePernos second law firm the Veritas Group said in a sworn affidavit that she had heard yelling from the conference room as he met with the Moffits. "We tried to plot our strategy that way. (Bridge photo by Jonathan Oosting). Matt DePerno, a Republican candidate for Michigan attorney general, has appeared at Capitol rallies calling for a forensic audit of the 2020 presidential election. And I continuously showed that throughout my career. DePerno is a "workaholic" who goes to great lengths for his clients and is like an "encyclopedia" of law and the Constitution, Bailey told Bridge. Login. Thanks for submitting! I will issue bench warrants.". DePerno has also represented George Dernis, an Illinois businessman who's been in a years-long legal battle involving property in Michigan. Buhl, the retired judge who had prepared to serve as an expert witness for the Moffits legal defense team, asked the Michigan Attorney Grievance Commission to investigate DePerno in 2016. DePerno also transferred "his interest in the marital home" to his wife's trust for $1, according to the lawyers for The News. "And yet, here I am running for attorney general to restore integrity, justice and morality in Michigan.. Lansing Matt DePerno, who lost his bid for attorney general but has been a favorite of former President Donald Trump, announced Monday that he wants to be the Michigan Republican Party's . "The Washtenaw County Sheriff Department said they thought the bench warrant was so outrageous that they did not consider it enforceable," Shepard said. They advanced to a second round before Karamo beat DePerno in the third and final vote. Republican activists across Michigan will soon gather to select the next leader of the Michigan GOP.The decision will help decide the future of the Republican Party after a midterm election that . The nomination wont be official until a separate August convention, but the early endorsement will allow a candidate to raise funds and campaign as the presumed nominee. "Someone had to step up and take charge of what was happening. DePerno has also referred to Nessel, who is gay, as a groomer, which has drawn condemnation. And he's not afraid of what has turned into, unfortunately, a convoluted judicial system., Bill Bailey, a real estate broker who DePerno is representing in the ongoing Antrim County election appeal, called him "one of the most honest, hardworking souls I truthfully have ever met.". And when DePerno asked her to enter the room to notarize mortgage documents, the secretary said it was clear Cathy Moffit had been crying and did not want to sign the papers. Tyson Shepard, DePerno's campaign manager, said the candidate would enforce the state's 1931 abortion ban, which prohibits the termination of any pregnancy except if necessary to preserve the life of the mother because it's the policy on the books. The nomination wont be official until a separate August convention, but the early endorsement will allow a candidate to raise funds and campaign as the presumed nominee. Nessel campaign spokeswoman Sarah Stevenson said the incumbent would provide hers if DePerno provided his. His experience and record of success has benefited individuals, small business, and multi-national corporations. Karamo's election as state party chair marks the first time in state history that both the Michigan Republican and Democratic parties are chaired by Black women. The warrant was in place as DePerno led high-profile litigation in the weeks after the November 2020 presidential election to challenge the results in northern Michigan's Antrim County. All rights reserved. "Him and I had discussions as to whether I should run," DePerno said. I think hed be the best to try to unify everybody," Kallman said. The numbers became jumbled during the communication of the unofficial results to the county's election management system. Among the questionable billings: DePerno allegedly charged the Moffits $1,024.35 to videotape a deposition that a federal magistrate had ordered him to personally pay as a sanction for obstructing an earlier deposition, coaching a witness and raising utterly meritless objections. Kristina Karamo (Secretary of State) - $796,022. He is currently representing an Ann Arbor firefighter who he said was fired for refusing to get vaccinated against COVID-19. He also represented former state Rep. Todd Courser in a sex scandal cover-up case, which ended with Courser. Matthew DePerno was born in Warren and raised in Troy, Michigan. Anthony DePerno, 21, is majoring in Supply Chain Management at MSU and is expected to graduate this Spring, 2022. His experience and record of success has benefited individuals, small business, and multi-national corporations. The ProAssurance Casualty Company alleged DePerno made unreasonable demands of attorneys they had hired to represent him in the Moffits malpractice suit. DePerno is willing to take on "the status quo of corruption," Carra said. Ann Arbor Republican Matt DePerno, who's asking voters to make him Michigan's top law enforcement official on Nov. 8, faced a bench warrant for his arrest about two months before he. DePerno has never been publicly disciplined by the state, according to records from the Attorney Discipline Board. Instead, DePerno filed a counter-claim against the insurance company without the knowledge or consent of his clients, which prompted the insurer to stop its initial payment. But his supporters see him as a tenacious champion who's willing to take up causes others have declined. Sponsor But he told Bridge he cannot discuss details because of a confidential settlement. Ironically, DePerno, who was a fierce opponent of the 2020 election results and consistently denied their outcome, conceded the race for attorney general prior to it being called by media outlets. It just screams out: This is why people hate lawyers. We dont need this in our profession.. When Courser and DePerno sued The Detroit News over its original reporting on the sex scandal, Washtenaw County Circuit Judge Timothy Connors dismissed the case and ordered Courser and DePerno to jointly pay $79,701.63 in sanctions. Democratic President Joe Biden beat Trump by 154,188 votes in Michigan. If Matthew DePerno wins his race to unseat Michigan's Democratic attorney general in November, he'll become the state's top lawyer. While Nessel might be vulnerable, there remain questions two weeks before Election Day over whether DePerno was the right person to beat her and become the state's top law enforcement official. George Dernis, who DePerno has represented ina nearly eight-year legal battleover foreclosure of Michigan properties hed used as collateral to purchase a grocery store, said DePerno helped guide his family through hell and back., If it wasnt for Matt, wed be out on the streets, Dernis told Bridge. Where Michigan attorney general foes Dana Nessel and Matthew DePerno stand. More:The DePerno 9: Outspoken election critics tied to Michigan tabulator 'conspiracy'. Dernis labeled DePerno a person of integrity. "Matthew DePerno showed up the day after the election, using our president's name, taking nearly $400,000 from every one of you," Leonard said during a debate in Oakland County. At the end of 2020, DePerno began gaining national attention for challenging the election results in northern Michigan's Antrim County. In Ingham County, a judge overseeing Todd Coursers criminal case announced he might retire before his term ended because the headache of dealing with DePerno and the other attorneys started to "eat away" at him. 2023 Bridge Michigan. Aug 7 (Reuters) - The Republican nominee for Michigan attorney general led a team that gained unauthorized access to voting equipment while hunting for evidence to support former President. A Republican-led state Senate panel that spent months investigating the contest foundno evidence of widespread fraud. DePerno called Buhls accusations total nonsense and told Bridge the matter was ultimately dismissed by the grievance commission, as it should be., While Buhl said the professional code of conduct for attorneys prohibits him from revealing results of the grievance commission investigation, he called DePerno's characterization of dismissal "the farthest thing from the truth.. Nessel joked about a "drag queen for every school" during an event in June. DePerno holds an English degree from the University of Michigan, a law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy and a graduate degree in taxation from the New York University School of Law.