"Thats what I am counting on, Greene said. 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. 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 DePerno: What to know about Michigan GOP attorney general candidate. Matthew DePerno (Attorney General) - $771,799. DePerno and the firm eventually reached a settlement the terms of which were not available in court documents. 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. DePerno got his law degree at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law in 1994. But he told Bridge he cannot discuss details because of a confidential settlement. She has repeatedly made unproven and false claims about Michigan's voting system. DePerno is a leading advocate for a forensic audit of the 2020 election. 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. ", While DePerno said he was conceding the race, he also said he would "refuse to concede that Michigan is a blue state. "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. DePerno lost to Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel by 9 percentage points in November. UP First. Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel, whom DePerno is hoping to unseat, and her supporters have made DePerno's efforts to undermine the 2020 presidential election and the uncertainties surrounding his finances key issues in the race to be the state's chief law enforcement officer. A Republican-led state Senate panel that spent months investigating the contest foundno evidence of widespread fraud. Matthew has been fighting against tyranny in Michigan for many years, including protesting across the state against Whitmer and Nessel's unconstitutional mask mandates, school and business lockdowns, vaccine mandates, and critical race theory. 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. Matt DePerno, a Republican candidate for Michigan attorney general, has appeared at Capitol rallies calling for a "forensic audit" of the 2020 presidential election. 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. "Petitioners have also have been in direct contact with the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Department to resolve the bench warrants.". Rigas described DePerno as the person who can unite the party. Why Michigan Republicans are fretting about 2024 | The Hill I've taken on tough cases. Him and I had discussions as to whether I should run, DePerno said. Vote DePerno. DePerno, who'd filed a lawsuit on behalf of a local resident claiming voting-machine fraud in Antrim County, more than 200 miles to the north, sent the clerk a subpoena demanding access to her. He went on to earn a graduate qualification at theNew York University School of Law. 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. 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. 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. From beginning to end, the problem is you.. Michigan attorney general says FBI confirmed she was target of plot to LaBrant labeled DePerno a "fool" with a "checkered past.". State Rep. Ryan Berman is also running. In recent weeks, DePerno has campaigned on strengthening parents' rights and showed up at a contentious Dearborn school board meeting over books in a school library with sexual or violent content to speak on the issue. "Incredibly, the appeals court noted, DePerno made the following analogy: lets assume a Judge was raped. 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 . Matt DePerno - Trump's pick - wins Republican endorsement for Michigan DePerno had represented an older couple Ronald and Cathleen Moffit whose home burned down in 2011. The COVID-19 pandemic hit Michigan weeks after the DePerno bench warrant was signed. 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. Nessel's office began its investigation in February, before DePerno was her opponent. Hes also suggested banning Plan B, an emergency contraceptive that can prevent pregnancy if taken within three days of having unprotected sex. 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. 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. "I can't answer that question," the lawyer said. We report because the news impacts all of us. 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. If you can't abide by the laws and the rules, how do you have the moral authority to prosecute criminals?". 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. Ultimately, I collected the fees that were due to me, DePerno told Bridge. The top fundraisers among Michigan statewide elected offices Thanks for submitting! The grievance commission can also privately admonish an attorney or place them on contractual probation, but those lighter punishments are not made public. "I have been told to stop talking about America first values. 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.. But court records show judges have repeatedly sanctioned or complained about his courtroom conduct. 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. A year later, with the fire reimbursement case seemingly resolved, DePerno presented the Moffits with a $109,879 check from their insurer $13,421 less than the original payment offered three years prior and a $137,779.38 bill for his legal services, according to the malpractice lawsuit. Who's in, out of race? She becomes the first Black person to lead the Michigan GOP. Conservative lawyer David Kallman, whose office is based in Lansing, said DePerno has done things he doesn't agree with. Subject. DePerno received a bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan, a J.D. But Greene's organization changed course and endorsed DePerno earlier this month. Two attorneys quit, saying they could not represent DePerno without violating the canons of ethics. So DePerno represented himself, an unorthodox move the liability insurer asked a court to stop before also agreeing to a settlement with DePerno. His wife, Laura, is a registered nurse and has experience in medical/surgical, transplant, cardiology, outpatient oncology, and trauma critical care. "We look forward to having a Republican Party that shows Michiganders that were here to serve. Matthew DePerno - Ballotpedia The Moffits never filed a criminal complaint. 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. Two attorneys quit, saying they could not represent DePerno without violating the canons of ethics. So DePerno represented himself, an unorthodox move the liability insurer asked a court to stop before also agreeing to a settlement with DePerno. In 2016, Buhlfiled a requestasking the Michigan Attorney Grievance Commission to investigate DePerno after he was accused of legal malpractice. Ive always proven that I dont back down from anyone, he said. The problematic initial numbers were caused by human errors: Election workers' failure to update equipment after additions to the ballot. 38th State Senate Candidate for Michigan. "We need somebody who will go in there and stand up for the little guy," Carra said. DePerno, 53, is a Portage-based attorney who primarily works on tax cases and worked primarily in Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties. Karamo, who lost by 14 points to Democratic incumbent Jocelyn Benson in November, made the pitch to delegates that her refusal to concede was an asset. Matts reports can be found at DePernoLaw.com. GOP's AG Nominee In Michigan Pushes Election Fraud Lies While Facing DePerno Law Office, PLLC - Matthew DePerno Law Office Matthew DePerno for Michigan (@deperno4mi) / Twitter Whitmer" for her nursing home policies. Fill in the form below and we'll be in touch. DePerno denied many of the accusations but eventually negotiated a settlement with the Moffits, whose attorney declined to discuss terms of the deal. 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 of making false claims for personal profit, echoing allegations that marred DePernos legal career nearly two decades earlier. 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 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. "The sanction award far exceeds the petitioners' ability to pay," Baker wrote in a filing on Jan. 9, 2020. I think hed be the best to try to unify everybody," Kallman said. Dana Nessel was joined alongside Ingham County Election Clerk Barb Byrum and state Sen. Jeff Irwin (D-Ann Arbor) for a live stream during the former president's rally in Macomb County Saturday night. The ProAssurance Casualty Company alleged DePerno made unreasonable demands of attorneys they had hired to represent him in the Moffits malpractice suit. Matthew DePerno was born in Warren and raised in Troy, Michigan. Matthew DePerno, who is running for the Michigan Republican party's nomination for state attorney general, speaks at a rally hosted by former President Donald Trump on April 2, 2022 near. DePerno has also said he supports and would enforce the states 1931 ban on abortion. Not authorized by any candidate. 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. 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. Primary Election is August 2nd, 2022. He cut his teeth as a tax attorney in southwest Michigan but eventually expanded his Portage-based practice. DePerno and Karamo were viewed as the favorites because they have been working with delegates for more than a year as it was the delegates who nominated them for attorney general and secretary of state last year. 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. 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. 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. 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. He picked the fight and then billed them $130,000. He alleged oppression of a minority shareholder and said his termination caused "extreme mental anguish, emotional distress, shock and humiliation.". Nessel joked about a "drag queen for every school" during an event in June. 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.) Greenlee, who's worked in politics for more than three decades, appeared to be gaining some level of support on Saturday. Matt DePerno concedes Michigan AG race to Dana Nessel Matthew and his team captured forensic images of the Dominion Voting machines and conducted forensic analyses of those images to fully understand the errors and inconsistencies in the voting process and tabulation procedures prior to, during, and after the 2020 general election. They need to see a well-organized party. While the case was ultimately settled, what he saw in pre-trial hearings was abhorrent, Buhl told Bridge Michigan. Nessel campaign spokeswoman Sarah Stevenson said the incumbent would provide hers if DePerno provided his. In 2005, DePerno launched his own law firm in Kalamazoo County, where he's practiced tax and real estate law. DePerno also has fiercely loyal supporters who defend his legal work, including clients, who contend hed make a strong attorney general. I try not to get emotional when I talk about the guy," Dernis said. More:As Michigan AG race narrows, Nessel's comments, cases take center stage. 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. John Engler. The Michigan Court of Appeals ultimately upheld the decision to allow Dodge to remain a judge. 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. In 2016, Buhl filed a request asking the Michigan Attorney Grievance Commission to investigate DePerno after he was accused of legal malpractice. Forton said his decision was meant to ensure that a "grassroots-type" hopeful had a chance to win. "The creditor's exam was scheduled for today," Connors said in court on Feb. 7, 2020, according to a transcript. Gretchen Whitmer and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson for "for all the damage they have done" in office. Both of the final two candidates, Karamo and DePerno, had denied the results of the 2020 election: Trump's loss. Karamo was elected as party chairwoman last month, defeating 10 other candidates including Trump-backed former attorney general candidate Matthew DePerno. 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. Searching for a (workable) two-party system - GulfToday Former state Rep. Aaron Miller, a Republican from Sturgis, said Karamo's victory indicated some Michigan Republicans want to keep losing elections. 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. Matthew DePerno: Trump-backed GOP candidate for Michigan AG under - CNN But his supporters see him as a tenacious champion who's willing to take up causes others have declined. Kari Lake, a champion for election integrity and the America First Movement, has officially endorsed Matt DePerno for MI GOP Chairman. 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. Will you please support our nonprofit newsroom? 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. DePerno took on "several cases regarding the unconstitutional nature of these lockdowns and mandates.". 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. Matthew DePerno, who is likely to be Republicans' nominee for attorney general in Michigan, is among a group of election deniers running for offices that have significant authority over voting. He cut his teeth as a tax attorney in southwest Michigan but eventually expanded his Portage-based practice. Whitmer won her first term by 9 points over Republican Bill Schuette in 2018. He fights the fight for the little guy, and for the good guy. 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. 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. 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." The bench warrant for DePerno's arrest was not resolved, according to available court records, and remained in effect for more than 14 months. Leave us a message. 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 . 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. If Matthew DePerno wins his race to unseat Michigan's Democratic attorney general in November, he'll become the state's top lawyer. Matt DePerno has been dodging questions about his personal finances for years, and this is one more reason why Michiganders cant trust him to be their next AG," said Emily Trifone, deputy communications director at the Democratic Attorneys General Association. A year later, with the fire reimbursement case seemingly resolved, DePerno presented the Moffits with a $109,879 check from their insurer $13,421 less than the original payment offered three years prior and a $137,779.38 bill for his legal services, according to the malpractice lawsuit. Firm: Michigan AG hopeful Matt DePerno fired over 'padded,' false 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 hissworn affidavit. And the GOP-controlled Michigan Senate Oversight Committee accused DePerno of spreading "misleading information and illogical conclusions.". DePerno has also referred to Nessel, who is gay, as a groomer, which has drawn condemnation. Chaos And Conspiracies: 12 Hours At A GOP Convention That Handed Trump We're not just a news organization, we're also your neighbors. But some Republicans were concerned about DePerno's track record. Elissa Slotkin announces bid to succeed Debbie Stabenow. DePerno has also represented George Dernis, an Illinois businessman who's been in a years-long legal battle involving property in Michigan. 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. The Protect the People political action committee called him a "corrupt lawyer" in one of its ads in recent days. In August, Nessel sought a special prosecutor to consider charges against DePerno and eight others over an alleged conspiracy to gain improper access to voting machines. Forton endorsed Karamo before the first round of voting. But DePernos critics say GOP delegates should take a closer look at his legal career, which reveals a series of disputes with colleagues, judges and clients. Another factor in his decision to run: Trump, who in July encouraged him to enter the race. At issue was DePernos effort to remove Cass County Judge Michael Dodge from the case, arguing the judge could not be impartial because he owned property on a separate lake. And DePerno later sued their attorney unsuccessfully for defamation. John Engler. 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. He alleged oppression of a minority shareholder and said his termination caused extreme mental anguish, emotional distress, shock and humiliation.. 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. All (DePerno) was interested in was generating fees for himself and protecting his way to collect it, Buhl said. Election Integrity Based. 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 endorses Michigan election challenger DePerno for attorney general See also: Michigan Attorney General election, 2022 Some attorneys are more challenging than others, Dodge said in an email. 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. His clients included former state Rep. Todd Courser, a Lapeer area Republican who was accused of misusing taxpayer dollars to cover up an affair, and Tim Rugg, an Ann Arbor firefighter who challenged the city's COVID-19 vaccine policy. If you care about Michigan, please support our work. An incumbent attorney general hasn't lost reelection in Michigan since 1954. But the litigation created four volumes of records at the Kalamazoo County clerk's office. Nessel's race was seen as one of the closer statewide campaigns during the tight midterm race. DePerno denied many of the accusations but eventually negotiated a settlement with the Moffits, whose attorney declined to discuss terms of the deal. I think the party recreates itself locally. "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. A fighter or a threat? Matt DePerno could be Michigan's next attorney You can also contact us by using this form: First Name. Getting Trumps endorsement was huge for DePernos campaign. Other issues her campaign highlights includes consumer protection, protection for seniors, environmental protection, health care access, and robocall reductions. A court filing showed the bench warrant was stamped "canceled" on May 6, 2021. I think its extremely problematic, Truscott told Bridge Michigan. DePerno had represented an older couple Ronald and Cathleen Moffit whose home burned down in 2011. "I think it's extremely problematic," Truscott told Bridge Michigan. "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.". 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.
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