She said in her victory speech she plans to move the state forward over the next four years. from the New York University School of Law. Maddock and Weiser had formed a tenuous alliance leading Michigan Republicans for the last two years. DePerno has also represented George Dernis, an Illinois businessman who's been in a years-long legal battle involving property in Michigan. Matthew has published 21 legal reports based on his findings from the forensic audit. The Michigan Court of Appeals ultimately upheld the decision to allow Dodge to remain a judge. KALAMAZOOA Republican running to be Michigans top law enforcement official was fired from a law firm in 2005 after colleagues alleged he padded client billings for personal and professional benefit, according to court records reviewed by Bridge Michigan. In the Republican Party, the top fundraisers in the most recent semiannual reporting period were: Tudor Dixon (Governor) - $7,362,895. to willful neglect of duty by a public officer. A lawyer by trade, DePerno rose to political prominence challenging the 2020 presidential election results and spearheading a lawsuit over the vote in northern Michigan's Antrim County. And hes 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.. It was a "trick," DePerno told the state Court of Appeals on Feb. 26, 2020. DePerno had been endorsed by former President Donald Trump. LaBrant labeled DePerno a "fool" with a "checkered past.". DePerno told the Lansing publication Gongwer News Service that he had spoken with a sheriff who said his agency wasn't going to enforce the warrant and it became a "nonissue.". "We look forward to having a Republican Party that shows Michiganders that were here to serve. Regardless, voters should trust him to run the states largest and most powerful law firm the attorney generals office because he is a fighter, DePerno said. Matthew has been attacked many times from elected officials, including current Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, but he has not backed down. He has been defending America's constitutional civil liberties for over 25 years. Matt DePerno: Liar, Liar Pants on Fire From Plan B to the 2020 Elections, DePerno continues to lie his way through this election LANSING The Michigan Democratic Party today denounced statements made by GOP attorney general candidate Matt DePerno regarding his alleged involvement in a plot to illegally access voting tabulation machines. 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 . 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. Hilson, hasn't yet announced a decision. A Republican running to be Michigans top law enforcement official was fired from a law firm in 2005 after colleagues alleged he padded client billings for personal and professional benefit, according tocourt recordsreviewed by Bridge 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. Will you please support our nonprofit newsroom? Thank goodness that most of my cases were nothing like this one.. DePerno who has pushed former President Donald Trump's false claims of widespread election fraud has slammed the probe, which is now led by a special prosecutor. I just think this guy is going to be looking for election fraud under rocks," LaBrant said. The warrant was recalled when DePerno and The News reached a $20,000 settlement in May 2021. Courser and DePerno unsuccessfully argued audio recordings that prompted Livengood's reporting in 2015 had been improperly edited. Were looking forward to a party thats successful," Karamo said. For months, Matthew has tried to take his findings to the Michigan Legislature, asking for their support in demanding a Statewide full forensic audit, to no avail. Some attorneys are more challenging than others, Dodge said in an email. Democrat Attorney General Dana Nessel, a lawyer from Plymouth, Before Matt DePerno launched a bid for attorney general, he cleared up an arrest warrant, As Michigan AG race narrows, Nessel's comments, cases take center stage. DePerno took on "several cases regarding the unconstitutional nature of these lockdowns and mandates.". Who's in, out of race? In a related case, involving a malpractice claim against DePerno, he argued the Kreis Enderle firm invented a claim of misconduct to deny him state unemployment benefits. DePerno is one of nine people who were investigated by Nessel's office for an alleged Michigan vote tabulator tampering scheme. 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. 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. The parties later settled for $20,000, which Detroit News publisher and editor Gary Miles called a message that frivolous lawsuits against news organizations for performing their duties under the First Amendment will not be taken lightly.. DePerno faces incumbent Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel on Nov. 8. 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. On Dec. 18, Karamo released a vision for the party that included converting "'GOP-phobic youth' by transitioning schools from indoctrination to education," giving "precinct delegates control over the party" and holding Republican elected officials "accountable to using the Constitution as their measure for governing.". Some Republicans voiced frustration and uncertainty about the partys direction Saturday. "I think it's extremely problematic," Truscott told Bridge Michigan. "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. "And I assume that the next step would be after this debtor's exam today to determine who owes Mr. DePerno money, and then they're going to proceed to garnish all of his, or what they can, of his receivables.". We report because the news impacts all of us. But court records show judges have repeatedly sanctioned or complained about his courtroom conduct. 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 DePernos characterization of dismissal the farthest thing from the truth.. 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. Buhl, the former judge, had already been retired for six years when he began observing DePernos legal work because he was asked to serve as an expert witness in the Moffits malpractice suit. In a related case, involving a malpractice claim against DePerno, he argued the Kreis Enderle firm invented a claim of misconduct to deny him state unemployment benefits. Anthony DePerno, 21, is majoring in Supply Chain Management at MSU and is expected to graduate this Spring, 2022. Thus began another unexpected legal fight, as the Moffits hired a new attorney to stop the foreclosure sale and sue DePerno for legal malpractice, alleging he fought their insurer without their consent, overbilled and padded billings, including a $13,000 charge to reassemble their case file after DePerno parted ways with his law firm at the time, Veritas Group. DePerno has never been publicly disciplined by the state, according to records from the Attorney Discipline Board. We are honored to have Kari's support in this race, check out the full endorsement! DePerno later sued the law firm, claiming breach of contract and oppression of a minority shareholder. "The creditor's exam was scheduled for today," Connors said in court on Feb. 7, 2020, according to a transcript. DePerno is considered a frontrunner for the Michigan Republican Partys nomination for attorney general, along with former state House Speaker Tom Leonard, the GOP nominee in 2018. "He will never give up, and thats why they absolutely cannot stand him.". Gretchen Whitmer in public polling and in the last election. "I've been doing this for 25 years," DePerno said of his legal background. Were going to be a political machine that strikes fear in the heart of Democrats," Karamo told delegates. In August 2022, Reuters reported that presumptive Republican nominee Matthew DePerno "led a team that gained unauthorized access to voting equipment while hunting for evidence to support former President Donald Trump's false election-fraud claims" following the 2020 election. He went on to earn a graduate qualification at theNew York University School of Law. Gaining unauthorized access to voting machines is a felony in Michigan. After her election Saturday night, Karamo told The Detroit News her first priority as party chair is to grow the party with everyday residents and individuals in areas weve never penetrated, especially in urban America." However, Shepard said DePerno wants to fix "the outdated and confusing" law, which dates to the 1840s. 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. "Someone had to step up and take charge of what was happening. 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. Vote DePerno. DePerno filed a lawsuit on behalf of Antrim County resident Bill Bailey, and he and his supporters claimed, without evidence, the problems were because of the technology itself. 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. Bob LaBrant, a longtime Republican lawyer who previously worked for the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, said he cast his absentee ballot for Nessel this fall. If Matthew DePerno wins his race to unseat Michigan's Democratic attorney general in November, he'll become the state's top lawyer. Both of the final two candidates, Karamo and DePerno, had denied the results of the 2020 election: Trump's loss. 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. The Protect the People political action committee called him a "corrupt lawyer" in one of its ads in recent days. DePerno has also referred to Nessel, who is gay, as a groomer, which has drawn condemnation. The ProAssurance Casualty Company alleged DePerno made unreasonable demands of attorneys they had hired to represent him in the Moffits malpractice suit. Greenlee said Republicans were responding to his message of activating and engaging the delegates. State Rep. Ryan Berman is also running. Especially if the Judge has expressed a dislike for rapists., Kent County Circuit Court Judge Donald A. Johnston, who presided over the disqualification hearing, denied DePernos request to remove Dodge, and noted that, I dont know of any judges that have ever expressed a like for rapists.. DePerno also transferred "his interest in the marital home" to his wife's trust for $1, according to the lawyers for The News. But Democrats have slammed his continued unproven claims about fraud in the 2020 election. I will issue bench warrants.". Forton said his decision was meant to ensure that a "grassroots-type" hopeful had a chance to win. From beginning to end, the problem is you.. (Bridge photo by Jonathan Oosting). Hes helped a Portage high school student rejoin the tennis team after she had been kicked off following an illegal search of her car that revealed remnants of marijuana, DePerno said. Robert Baker, DePerno's lawyer for a portion of the case, told the court at one point that DePerno had "virtually no assets," according to a court transcript. 469 views. 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 lost the 2022 attorney general election to incumbent Attorney General Dana Nessel by nearly nine points. "Incredibly, the appeals court noted, DePerno made the following analogy: lets assume a Judge was raped. DePerno is best known for defending former state Rep. Todd Courser after a2015 sex scandalcover up and challengingAntrim County election resultsin a failed lawsuit that spawned ongoing conspiracy theories about the 2020 election. Matthew DePerno for Attorney General Home About Platform Volunteer State Convention Delegate DONATE 517-618-9655 Team@Depernoformi.com 3105 S Martin Luther King Blvd #104 Lansing, MI 48910 Matt's Plan To Fix the Michigan GOP FILL EVERY PRECINCT DELEGATE SLOT In April, we the people pulled off a HUGE win. He is currently representing anAnn Arbor firefighterwho he said was fired for refusing to get vaccinated against COVID-19. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ", Karamo dismissed concerns about declining donations to the state party, saying thats going to change right away.. Nessel defeated Republican former House Speaker Tom Leonard that year by 3 points. DePerno is best known for defending former state Rep. Todd Courser after a 2015 sex scandal cover up and challenging Antrim County election results in a failed lawsuit that spawned ongoing conspiracy theories about the 2020 election. People get into disputes and they say things about each other in litigation, he told Bridge in a phone interview. Guy's office sent the official numbers to the Bureau of Elections at 6:35 a.m. on Nov. 7, 2020. Matt is a native of Michigan and has been a Kalamazoo resident with his wife, Laura, since 1994 after receiving his law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy. 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. DePerno and the firm eventually reached a settlement the terms of which were not available in court documents. The people of MIchigan are tired of the rising crime, threats to parental rights and an ongoing lack of trust in government. Lawyers for The News attempted to collect the money from DePerno but said in court documents that DePerno transferred his interest in a 2015 Ford Flex and 2012 Ford Focus to his wife, Laura, "with actual intent to hinder, delay and/or defraud The News from collecting the amount awarded." 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. 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. Develop A Candidate Recruitment Program through the Delegates, Play Offense Not Defense with the Democrats. ", 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. Ultimately, I collected the fees that were due to me, DePerno told Bridge. 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. DePerno has a bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan and later earned law degrees from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law and New York University School of Law. DePerno, who had worked with the Moffits on tax issues in the past, allegedly convinced the couple he could negotiate with the IRS. And in a new sign of former President Donald Trump's diminishing influence, the women beat the Trump-endorsed ticket of Matt DePerno and Garrett Soldano to replace MAGA loyalist Meshawn Maddock and establishment fundraiser Ron Weiser. He been critical of Nessels record as attorney general, accusing her of botching the criminal case involving the Flint water scandal and referring to her as drunk Dana because she admitted being intoxicated at a college football game. 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. but he had a falling out with the firm, which accused him of "acts of fraud and dishonesty" and alleged he "padded" his billable hours. Trump, who has touted DePerno's legal efforts, endorsed him to be Michigan's attorney general on Sept. 16, 2021. I've taken on cases that people even in the media have disagreed with.. Now calling himself a constitutional attorney, DePerno told Bridge his favorite cases are those that involve constitutional rights people who have arguments that theyve lost their rights because of government overreach.. Thus began another unexpected legal fight, as the Moffits hired a new attorney to stop the foreclosure sale and sue DePerno for legal malpractice, alleging he fought their insurer without their consent, overbilled and padded billings, including a $13,000 charge to reassemble their case file after DePerno parted ways with his law firm at the time, Veritas Group. "And yet, here I am running for attorney general to restore integrity, justice and morality in Michigan.. Could that Judge then rule on rape cases, or would that create a bias for the Judge? Greenlee advanced to the second round of voting ahead of other contenders Tuscola County GOP Chairman Billy Putman, J.D. 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.". Dodge has since retired and told Bridge Michigan he did not remember the dispute well. The bench warrant for DePerno's arrest was not resolved, according to available court records, and remained in effect for more than 14 months. 2023 Bridge Michigan. 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. State Rep. Ryan Berman is also running. DePerno was able to obtain jobless assistance by presenting paperwork to the state indicating he was fired for failing to promote a harmonious relationship with the firm, not fraud. But Greene's organization changed course and endorsed DePerno earlier this month. "And I have had people approach me across the state, and they've asked me, 'Where did that money go?'". The ProAssurance Casualty Company alleged DePerno made unreasonable demands of attorneys they had hired to represent him in the Moffits malpractice suit. While the case was ultimately settled, what he saw in pre-trial hearings was abhorrent, Buhl told Bridge Michigan. 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. But the litigation created four volumes of records at the Kalamazoo County clerk's office. Not too many people would have stuck by my family and myself like Matt has.". Michigans nonpartisan, nonprofit news source. Asked about that, Castiglia countered that people "are getting sick of the doomsday Dem approach. The Michigan Court of Appeals ultimately upheld the decision to allow Dodge to remain a judge. In a statement, Tyson Shepard, DePerno's campaign manager, said the campaign is focused on issues affecting people across Michigan instead of "washed-out stories from years and years ago.". Industrious Republican. Natalie DePerno, 23, graduated with an accounting degree from MSU. A Republican-led state Senate panel that spent months investigating the contest foundno evidence of widespread fraud. DePerno and Courser couldn't pay the amount, they argued in court. As a tax attorney who worked primarily in Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties, his legal career has been marked by discord. On February 20, 2014, Mr. DePerno physically grabbed (me) by the shirt and informed me that if I did not immediately pay the attorney fees owed that my wife and I would lose our home in a matter of weeks, Ronald Moffit, who died in 2019, said in his sworn affidavit. Who's in, out of race? And I continuously showed that throughout my career. 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.. 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. Trump's backing helped DePerno win a three-way race at an April convention for the party's attorney general nomination. Matt DePerno, a Republican candidate for Michigan attorney general, has appeared at Capitol rallies calling for a forensic audit of the 2020 presidential election. Hes also suggested banning Plan B, an emergency contraceptive that can prevent pregnancy if taken within three days of having unprotected sex. He has claimed he wants to prosecute Nessel as well as fellow Democratic incumbents Gov. While the Kries Enderle law firm and DePerno both declined to discuss his contentious departure given their confidential settlement agreement, DePerno downplayed the acrimonious split in general terms. But his supporters see him as a tenacious champion who's willing to take up causes others have declined. It was also in place as DePerno met on Jan. 6, 2021, with staff for then-U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo about the election, a convening he has acknowledged on a Republican group's candidate questionnaire. 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. DePernos biggest claim to fame has been his efforts to find evidence that fraud cost Trump the election. "They don't make guys like him anymore. I have fought to try to vindicate President Trump when no one else would., Doing the right thing doesnt always make you popular," DePerno added moments later. The warrant was in place until the sanction was resolved in May 2021 because of a $20,000 settlement with The News. Matt is a native of Michigan and has been a Kalamazoo resident with his wife, Laura, since 1994 after receiving his law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy. Some Republicans,including political strategist John Yob, now view DePerno as their best hope to win one of Michigan's top three offices on Election Day. Asked about his candidate's changing financial status, Shepard said DePerno's law firm attracted a lot of new business during the period after early 2020 partly because of restrictions Gov. 2 min read. She was speaking out against "fake issues" that she said were dividing people. Incredibly, the appeals court noted, DePerno made the following analogy: lets assume a Judge was raped. Their insurance company initially offered to pay them $123,360 for personal property losses and living expenses but asked a judge to determine whether another $80,000 should go to the Moffits or the IRS, to whom they owed money, according to court filings. 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. "I can't answer that question," the lawyer said. Nessel's office began its investigation in February, before DePerno was her opponent. Published reports say Nessel's office is asking that a special prosecutor investigate whether the Republican candidate for state attorney general, Matt DePerno, and others should be charged in . 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. 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. "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. Where Michigan attorney general foes Dana Nessel and Matthew DePerno stand. "Were going to win.. The two have been married for over 26 years and raised three children together. But he told Bridge he cannot discuss details because of a confidential settlement. Attorney general candidate Matthew DePerno is a favorite of former President Donald Trump and a leading proponent of efforts to challenge the results of the 2020 presidential election in Michigan.