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. "From his dangerous stances on abortion and birth control, to his embrace of Donald Trumps most fringe election conspiracy theories, its clear that Michigan needs to reelect Dana Nessel as AG.". In another suit, the Michigan Court of Appeals dismissed a DePerno request to disqualify a judge from a lawsuit involving lakefront property easement, and highlighted an unusual comparisonDePerno had made in a 2015 court hearing. "Dana Nessel, the Radical Left, and the RINOs (Republicans in name only) are targeting Matt because he gets results and has exposed so much voter fraud in Antrim County, and many more places, in the 2020 election," Trump said at the time. The situation also became a focus of attacks this year against DePerno. Connors agreed on July 2. Experts say there isno credible evidenceof fraud in Antrim County, and a hand recount of paper ballots later confirmed the official results showing Trump won the area with 61 percent of the vote, just shy of his 62 percent showing in 2016. Where Michigan attorney general foes Dana Nessel and Matthew DePerno stand. DePerno, 53, is a Portage-based attorney who primarily works on tax cases and worked primarily in Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties. We report because the news impacts all of us. 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. All rights reserved. It was a "trick," DePerno told the state Court of Appeals on Feb. 26, 2020. Karamo defeated unsuccessful GOP attorney general candidate Matt DePerno of Kalamazoo, a fellow election denier who was endorsed in the party chair race by Trump. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement. If you care about Michigan, please support our work. Ive taken on cases that people even in the media have disagreed with.. 2023 The Detroit News, a Digital First Media Newspaper, who resigned from the state House after he attempted to cover up an extramarital affair with a fellow lawmaker, told the Lansing publication Gongwer News Service that he had spoken with a sheriff. DePerno has also said he supports and would enforce the states 1931 ban on abortion. Dernis labeled DePerno a person of integrity. Gretchen Whitmer imposed to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Michiganders deserve more from their elected officials, and as American Citizens, our constitutional right to ensure fair, free, and secure elections. Matthew DePerno was born in Warren and raised in Troy, Michigan. 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. Gretchen Whitmer in public polling and in the last election. I try not to get emotional when I talk about the guy," Dernis said. DePerno is well-known and well-liked by many clients, but his legal career has been marked by some discord. 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. DePerno received a bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan, a J.D. The numbers became jumbled during the communication of the unofficial results to the county's election management system. 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.". 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. Democratic Gov. Kristina Karamo (Secretary of State) - $796,022. 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. 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. And I continuously showed that throughout my career. "The creditor's exam was scheduled for today," Connors said in court on Feb. 7, 2020, according to a transcript. His experience and record of success has benefited individuals, small business, and multi-national corporations. Industrious Republican. I think its extremely problematic, Truscott told Bridge Michigan. But court records show judges have repeatedly sanctioned or complained about his courtroom conduct. But it leaves him running to. Were going to be a political machine that strikes fear in the heart of Democrats," Karamo told delegates. The bench warrant for DePerno's arrest was not resolved, according to available court records, and remained in effect for more than 14 months. 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 is willing to take on "the status quo of corruption," Carra 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. I've always proven that I don't back down from anyone, he said. 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. The billing allegations could be a disqualifying factor for DePerno as a candidate, said John Truscott, a Republican public relations professional who served as press secretary under former Gov. We report because the news impacts all of us. Last weekend, Democrats reelected Lavora Barnes to a third term as chairwoman of the Michigan Democratic Party. 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. Who's in, out of race? 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 yet, here I am running for attorney general to restore integrity, justice and morality in Michigan.. He 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 Michigan, DePerno is one of nine people who were investigated by Nessel's office for an. "They are not here. Maddock called DePerno and Secretary of State hopeful Kristina Karamo the "strongest candidates" to address "the stolen 2020 election" and push for a "forensic audit" of the states voting in that contest. I think the party recreates itself locally. DePerno is a leading advocate for a forensic audit of the 2020 election. Vote Furyk. 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. She said in her victory speech she plans to move the state forward over the next four years. Samantha DePerno, 19, began her sophomore year at MSU this past Fall, 2021. "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. Putman and Glaser each got 12% on the first ballot. Could that Judge then rule on rape cases, or would that create a bias for the Judge? And DePerno later sued their attorney unsuccessfully for defamation. He cut his teeth as a tax attorney in southwest Michigan but eventually expanded his Portage-based practice. 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. They need to see a well-organized party. We're not just a news organization, we're also your neighbors. His campaign website says he will "restore law and order" and "uphold the Constitution.". It's unclear why DePerno was never arrested. A year ago this month, DePerno stood on the steps of the state Capitol in front of a banner that told people to "demand a forensic audit" of the November 2020 election. Incredibly, the appeals court noted, DePerno made the following analogy: lets assume a Judge was raped. Greenlee, who's worked in politics for more than three decades, appeared to be gaining some level of support on Saturday. Former state Rep. Aaron Miller, a Republican from Sturgis, said Karamo's victory indicated some Michigan Republicans want to keep losing elections. 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. In early August, Nessel sought a special prosecutor to consider potential charges against DePerno and eight others because of an alleged "conspiracy" to gain improper access to voting machines in Michigan. 38th State Senate Candidate for Michigan. From beginning to end, the problem is you.. 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. 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. "I can't answer that question," the lawyer said. Who's in, out of race? He has claimed he wants to prosecute Nessel as well as fellow Democratic incumbents Gov. Democratic President Joe Biden beat Trump by 154,188 votes in Michigan. 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. 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. He has been defending America's constitutional civil liberties for over 25 years. 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. Lena Epstein (University of Michigan Board of Regents) - $319,210. (Bridge photo by Jonathan Oosting). Some attorneys are more challenging than others, Dodge said in an email. Asked if he has concerns about how DePerno would handle a future election that's challenged, Greene said yes, but he added there will be "checks and balances," including from the Legislature. But he told Bridge he cannot discuss details because of a confidential settlement. DePerno worked as a partner in a law firm before opening DePerno Law Office in 2005. "Were going to win.. Confused, concerned and ultimately outraged that DePerno was charging them nearly $140,000 after losing them $13,000, Ronald Moffit said he confronted DePerno over the legal bill, which led to what the couples attorney would later call battery and assault by DePerno. 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. 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." And I continuously showed that throughout my career. Recently, in an election of national significance, a Donald Trump-backed candidate was easily bested in his quest to lead the Michigan Republican Party, a state considered pivotal for control of both the Senate and the presidency in 2024. "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. His work on an unsuccessful lawsuit challenging 2020 results in Antrim County put him on the front lines of Trumps attempt to overturn the election, and litigation involving that effort continues. DePerno has never been publicly disciplined by the state, according to records from the Attorney Discipline Board. 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. Guy's office sent the official numbers to the Bureau of Elections at 6:35 a.m. on Nov. 7, 2020. The Oak Park educator and conservative activist will take the reins months after the Michigan GOP in November lost long-held majorities in the House and Senate and lost races seeking to oust the incumbent Democratic governor, secretary of state and attorney general. She said the party would focus on local issues over national politics. In 2016, Buhlfiled a requestasking the Michigan Attorney Grievance Commission to investigate DePerno after he was accused of legal malpractice. "Mr. DePerno has received calls from the sheriff's deputy that's going to come and try to execute writs of execution, I guess, on his office furniture and supplies," Baker said during a Jan. 16, 2020, court hearing. "That would be a privileged question.". 2023 The Detroit News, a Digital First Media Newspaper, DePerno said of the last presidential election. As he's campaigned for attorney general, DePerno vowed to "investigate and prosecute Gov. 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. Matthew has been attacked many times from elected officials, including current Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, but he has not backed down. The probe is completely ridiculous and part of the reason DePerno decided to run for attorney general, he told Bridge, likening it totalitarianism since Nessels office battled him as opposing counsel in the Antrim County case. New York University School of Law Master of Laws (LL.M.) 500 Terry Francois St. SF, CA 94158. info@mysite.com 123-456-7890. 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. 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. 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. Show your unity and support today! 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. Leave us a message. "I think it's extremely problematic," Truscott told Bridge Michigan. The Michigan Court of Appeals ultimately upheld the decision to allow Dodge to remain a judge. 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. LaBrant labeled DePerno a "fool" with a "checkered past.". It just screams out: This is why people hate lawyers. We dont need this in our profession.. Karamo had 58% of the vote on the . "Although we didn't emerge victorious tonight, I believe we sent a strong message to Lansing. She becomes the first Black person to lead the Michigan GOP. 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. 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.". 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. Miller called it a sad day for the GOP. Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. From beginning to end, the problem is you.. I dont 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. Michigans nonpartisan, nonprofit news source. Whitmer" for her nursing home policies. 2023 Bridge Michigan. DePerno lost the 2022 attorney general election to incumbent Attorney General Dana Nessel by nearly nine points. During her remarks on Saturday, Karamo said she refused to concede her 615,000-vote loss to Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson because the election was a "fraudulent process." DePerno beat Tom Leonard in the second round of voting with 54% of . 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.. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. She was speaking out against "fake issues" that she said were dividing people. He is currently representing anAnn Arbor firefighterwho he said was fired for refusing to get vaccinated against COVID-19. DePerno had padded billings, claimed excessive write offs, manipulated the firms timekeeping system and logged hours with no explanation, according to the interoffice memo prepared by Kreis Enderle administrator Mike Beam. DePerno raised nearly $400,000 for an Election Fraud Defense Fund in 2020, and critics have urged him to disclose what he did with that money. In 2005, DePerno launched his own law firm in Kalamazoo County, where he's practiced tax and real estate law. Develop A Candidate Recruitment Program through the Delegates, Play Offense Not Defense with the Democrats. John Engler. See also: Michigan Attorney General election, 2022 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. "Some attorneys are more challenging than others," Dodge said in an email. 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. In an interview Tuesday, DePerno told Bridge he and colleagues had a dispute on where the firm was going but resolved the case with mutual satisfaction. He declined to discuss specific allegations, citing the secrecy agreement. ", I have been told by our elected officials to stop talking about this issue," DePerno said of the last presidential election, which Trump lost to Democrat Joe Biden in Michigan by 3 percentage points or 154,000 votes. 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. 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. If you care about Michigan, please support our work. "We look forward to having a Republican Party that shows Michiganders that were here to serve. 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. "Him and I had discussions as to whether I should run," DePerno said. It takes working together to restore this great state. 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. New York University School of Law Master of Laws (LL.M.) Democratic President Joe Biden beat Trump by 154,188 votes in Michigan. 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. The Michigan Court of Appeals ultimately upheld the decision to allow Dodge to remain a judge. ", 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. In May 2021, a local judge blocked DePerno's push for an "independent and nonpartisan forensic audit" in Antrim County. 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. Matt DePerno, a Republican candidate for Michigan attorney general, has appeared at Capitol rallies calling for a "forensic audit" of the 2020 presidential election. The Moffits never filed a criminal complaint. Taxation 1994-95 University of Detroit Mercy School of Law Forton endorsed Karamo before the first round of voting. Will you please support our nonprofit newsroom? 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. 2 min read. The warrant was recalled when DePerno and The News reached a $20,000 settlement in May 2021. ", In an Oct. 1 interview, DePerno said if he's elected, he'll work to lower Michigan's crime rate and combat sex trafficking.
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