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.". Both of the final two candidates, Karamo and DePerno, had denied the results of the 2020 election: Trump's loss. Forton said his decision was meant to ensure that a "grassroots-type" hopeful had a chance to win. Some Michigan Republicans say they are . "They are not here. 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. Kari Lake, a champion for election integrity and the America First Movement, has officially endorsed Matt DePerno for MI GOP Chairman. 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. In October 2019, Connors dismissed the case against The News "with prejudice" and ordered DePerno and Courser to pay The News $79,701 as a sanction, according to Washtenaw County court records. She has repeatedly made unproven and false claims about Michigan's voting system. 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. ", 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. It's unclear why DePerno was never arrested. In at least one instance, DePerno admitted that he falsified billing to a clients account, the law firms attorney said in a court filing. 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 also transferred "his interest in the marital home" to his wife's trust for $1, according to the lawyers for The News. 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. 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 . 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. 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. "Thats what I am counting on, Greene said. In a Feb. 26, 2020, filing in the Court of Appeals, DePerno addressed the warrants facing him and his client. ", "If it wasn't for Matt, we'd be out on the streets," Dernis told Bridge. ", In an Oct. 1 interview, DePerno said if he's elected, he'll work to lower Michigan's crime rate and combat sex trafficking. from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, and an LL.M. Him and I had discussions as to whether I should run, DePerno said. Michiganders deserve more from their elected officials, and as American Citizens, our constitutional right to ensure fair, free, and secure elections. The grievance commission can also privately admonish an attorney or place them on contractual probation, but those lighter punishments are not made public. Hes also suggested banning Plan B, an emergency contraceptive that can prevent pregnancy if taken within three days of having unprotected sex. That happens all the time, and then things are resolved.. Now calling himself a constitutional attorney, DePerno told Bridge his favorite cases are those that involve constitutional rights people who have arguments that they've lost their rights because of government overreach.. Chaos And Conspiracies: 12 Hours At A GOP Convention That Handed Trump 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. According to unofficial results, Nessel leads DePerno by 300,000 votes - about 7 points. His campaign website says he will "restore law and order" and "uphold the Constitution.". 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. In a recent letter to Michigan GOP precinct delegates, Trump called DePerno an "incredible attorney" who "led the charge in calling out obvious voter fraud by suing over the election in Antrim County, where an error by the Republican clerk skewed initial results in favor of Democrat Joe Biden but was quickly corrected. Nessel campaign spokeswoman Sarah Stevenson said the incumbent would provide hers if DePerno provided his. 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. All rights reserved. Subject. Matthew Wilk of Northville said Republicans cant rely on the state party to do things the state GOP used to do. We report because the news impacts all of us. Greene once tweeted that DePerno would be an "unmitigated disaster." 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 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. 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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. 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. Gretchen Whitmer in public polling and in the last election. Washtenaw County Circuit Judge Timothy Connors signed a warrant in February 2020 for DePerno's arrest after he failed to appear for a creditor's exam in an unsuccessful defamation case brought by his client, former state Rep. Todd Courser, against The Detroit News. Greenlee advanced to the second round of voting ahead of other contenders Tuscola County GOP Chairman Billy Putman, J.D. The situation also became a focus of attacks this year against DePerno. Matthew DePerno: What to know about Michigan GOP attorney general 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. DePerno also has fiercely loyal supporters who defend his legal work, including clients, who contend hed make a strong attorney general. Because of the conflict of interest of investigating him, Nessel sought the appointment of a special prosecutor to decide if charges are warranted. One of DePerno's Republican convention opponents in the spring, Leonard, called on DePerno to detail what happened with the money in March. 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. Gretchen Whitmer and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson for "for all the damage they have done" in office. 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. Michigan attorney general says FBI confirmed she was target of plot to Primary Election is August 2nd, 2022. DePerno later sued the law firm, claiming breach of contract and oppression of a minority shareholder. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has been declared the winner in the race for the state's top job. LANSING Former President Donald Trump endorsed Kalamazoo attorney Matt DePerno on Friday in the race for chairman of the Michigan Republican Party. Incredibly, the appeals court noted, DePerno made the following analogy: lets assume a Judge was raped. Trump had also endorsed DePerno in that . The special prosecutor, D.J. The Moffits never filed a criminal complaint. "Him and I had discussions as to whether I should run," DePerno said. All (DePerno) was interested in was generating fees for himself and protecting his way to collect it, Buhl said. George Dernis, who DePerno has represented in a nearly eight-year legal battle over foreclosure of Michigan properties he'd used as collateral to purchase a grocery store, said DePerno helped guide his family through "hell and back. Leave us a message. Matt DePerno, an attorney general candidate endorsed by former President Donald Trump, sued the firm over his firing and denied the allegations in court. Experts say there is no credible evidence of 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. 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. 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. 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. Elissa Slotkin announces bid to succeed Debbie Stabenow. 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 . The top fundraisers among Michigan statewide elected offices 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 don't know of any judges that have ever expressed a like for rapists.. "Someone had to step up and take charge of what was happening. 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. 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. Matthew S. DePerno, Esq. But court records show judges have repeatedly sanctioned or complained about his courtroom conduct. He moved to Kalamazoo Michigan in 1995 after law school, where he currently resides with his wife of 25 years, Laura and their two dogs Toby and Kodak. 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. Matthew DePerno: Trump-backed GOP candidate for Michigan AG under - CNN Exclusive: Trump-backed Michigan attorney general candidate - Reuters Matt DePerno announces bid for Michigan Republican Party chair 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, speaking with Bridge, called the assault allegation an "outrageous" attempt by the Moffits to avoid paying their legal bills. "Weve watched the Attorney Generals office and some of the positions theyve taken, and theyve been more political than legal," Greene said of Nessel's office. 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 has a wife and three children. 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. Former state Rep. Aaron Miller, a Republican from Sturgis, said Karamo's victory indicated some Michigan Republicans want to keep losing elections. They advanced to a second round before Karamo beat DePerno in the third and final vote. 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. "He will never give up, and thats why they absolutely cannot stand him.". Forton endorsed Karamo before the first round of voting. The bench warrant for DePerno's arrest was not resolved, according to available court records, and remained in effect for more than 14 months. 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. "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. 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. The contraceptive prevents ovulation and does not induce an abortion. On his website he states he would declare critical race theory unconstitutional, calling it a Marxist agenda.. Elissa Slotkin announces bid to succeed Debbie Stabenow. "I think it's extremely problematic," Truscott told Bridge Michigan. Rigas described DePerno as the person who can unite the party. 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. The settlement was complicated by another lawsuit from DePernos professional liability insurer, who sued him in an attempt to drop him and cancel his policy. 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. "So a police officer will be able to see on their laptop that theres a bench warrant for this person.. 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. But Greene's organization changed course and endorsed DePerno earlier this month. They've suggested fraud and hacking. A court filing showed the bench warrant was stamped "canceled" on May 6, 2021. Michigan AG nominee DePerno is investigated by AG's office : NPR 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. Samantha DePerno, 19, began her sophomore year at MSU this past Fall, 2021. 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.". Matthew DePerno for Attorney General But he never did, the Moffits attorney alleged in the malpractice suit. As a tax attorney who worked primarily in Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties, his legal career has been marked by discord. Could that Judge then rule on rape cases, or would that create a bias for the Judge? Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. ", While DePerno said he was conceding the race, he also said he would "refuse to concede that Michigan is a blue state. As attorney general, youre the states chief law enforcement officer. 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. 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. For as little as $1 a month, you can keep Manchester-focused news coverage alive. The ProAssurance Casualty Company alleged DePerno made unreasonable demands of attorneys they had hired to represent him in the Moffits malpractice suit. 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 two have been married for over 26 years and raised three children together. He is currently representing an Ann Arbor firefighter who he said was fired for refusing to get vaccinated against COVID-19. If you care about Michigan, please support our work. "Some attorneys are more challenging than others," Dodge said in an email. DePerno worked as a partner in a law firm before opening DePerno Law Office in 2005. Paid for with regulated funds by End Citizens United Non-Federal MI. GOP attorney general nominee Matthew DePerno at a Macomb County Trump rally, Oct. 1, 2022 | Laina G. Stebbins.
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