George Dernis, who DePerno has represented ina nearly eight-year legal battleover foreclosure of Michigan properties hed used as collateral to purchase a grocery store, said DePerno helped guide his family through hell and back., If it wasnt for Matt, wed be out on the streets, Dernis told Bridge. "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.". The two have been married for over 26 years and raised three children together. He cut his teeth as a tax attorney in southwest Michigan but eventually expanded his Portage-based practice. 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. Fill in the form below and we'll be in touch. 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. He went on to repeatedly appear in Antrim County court to challenge the November 2020 election results while the warrant was in place. After realizing there were problems with the numbers, Antrim County Clerk Sheryl Guy's office canvassed the election results and reported official numbers. The secret to a good campaign is to peak at the right time," Greenlee said. In May 2021, a local judge blocked DePerno's push for an "independent and nonpartisan forensic audit" in Antrim County. 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. Critics of Karamo questioned her ability to unite the party, raise money and her history of spreading unfounded conspiracy theories involving elections, porn and yoga. They've raised concerns about Dominion Voting Systems, the equipment used in Antrim County. Nessel's office began its investigation in February, before DePerno was her opponent. He went on to earn a graduate qualification at theNew York University School of Law. $400,000 for an Election Fraud Defense Fund in 2020, and critics have urged him to disclose what he did with that money. GOP attorney general nominee Matthew DePerno at a Macomb County Trump rally, Oct. 1, 2022 | Laina G. Stebbins. I've always proven that I don't back down from anyone, he said. If you cant abide by the laws and the rules, how do you have the moral authority to prosecute criminals?. That happens all the time, and then things are resolved.. If Matthew DePerno wins his race to unseat Michigan's Democratic attorney general in November, he'll become the state's top lawyer. DePerno, 53, is a Portage-based attorney who primarily works on tax cases and worked primarily in Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties. As attorney general, youre the states chief law enforcement officer. His experience and record of success has benefited individuals, small business, and multi-national corporations. Trump, who has touted DePerno's legal efforts, endorsed him to be Michigan's attorney general on Sept. 16, 2021. Dernis labeled DePerno a person of integrity. DePerno is well-known and well-liked by many clients, but his legal career has been marked by some discord. 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. (FOX 2) - Republican Matthew DePerno has conceded the race for attorney general to Dana Nessel, releasing a statement thanking voters for showing up for the candidate. ", More:Matt DePerno's rapid rise in GOP politics mired in controversy, lawsuits. Not too many people would have stuck by my family and myself like Matt has.". 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. DePerno had represented an older couple Ronald and Cathleen Moffit whose home burned down in 2011. 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. They need to see a well-organized party. Paid for with regulated funds by End Citizens United Non-Federal MI. Muskegon County Prosecutor D.J. Michigans nonpartisan, nonprofit news source. 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. While the case was ultimately settled, what he saw in pre-trial hearings was abhorrent, Buhl told Bridge Michigan. Anthony DePerno, 21, is majoring in Supply Chain Management at MSU and is expected to graduate this Spring, 2022. People need to see a competent party, Karamo said. 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. 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. DePerno received a bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan, a J.D. 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. DePerno denied many of the accusations but eventually negotiated a settlement with the Moffits, whose attorney declined to discuss terms of the deal. He fights the fight for the little guy, and for the good guy. 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, whom they owed money to, according to court filings. All rights reserved. Matthew Wilk of Northville said Republicans cant rely on the state party to do things the state GOP used to do. 1:04. Nessel's race was seen as one of the closer statewide campaigns during the tight midterm race. In a Michigan Court of Appeals filing, DePerno accused lawyers for The News of telling him before the Feb. 6, 2020, hearing that it had been adjourned. In at least one instance, DePerno admitted that he falsified billing to a clients account, the law firms attorney said in a court filing. 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 . Were good neighbors and were going to be winning elections again.. Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. DePerno has also said he supports and would enforce the states 1931 ban on abortion. 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.. "So a police officer will be able to see on their laptop that theres a bench warrant for this person.. His experience and record of success has benefited individuals, small business, and multi-national corporations. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. "And I have had people approach me across the state, and they've asked me, 'Where did that money go?'". "The creditor's exam was scheduled for today," Connors said in court on Feb. 7, 2020, according to a transcript. New York University School of Law Master of Laws (LL.M.) 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. And DePerno later sued their attorney unsuccessfully for defamation. But the litigation created four volumes of records at the Kalamazoo County clerk's office. Trump's campaign lawyer, Christina Bobb, worked with DePerno on the convention floor. The News asked DePerno and Nessel to release their most recent tax returns. 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. 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. 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. "Him and I had discussions as to whether I should run," DePerno said. In 2005, DePerno launched his own law firm in Kalamazoo County, where he's practiced tax and real estate law. Jimmy Greene, president of Associated Builders and Contractors of Michigan, is among the state Republicans who have warmed to DePerno as the general election neared. 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.) While the case was ultimately settled, what he saw in pre-trial hearings was abhorrent, Buhl told Bridge Michigan. 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. Greenlee, who's worked in politics for more than three decades, appeared to be gaining some level of support on Saturday. New York University School of Law Master of Laws (LL.M.) DePerno worked as a partner in a law firm before opening DePerno Law Office in 2005. After leaving that role, she opened her own law firm. Whitmer won her first term by 9 points over Republican Bill Schuette in 2018. DePerno took on "several cases regarding the unconstitutional nature of these lockdowns and mandates.". The grievance commission can also privately admonish an attorney or place them on contractual probation, but those lighter punishments are not made public. 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. He fights the fight for the little guy, and for the good guy. The guys got no ethics at all, William Buhl, a retired Van Buren County Circuit Court judge and former Republican, told Bridge. 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. Courser and DePerno unsuccessfully argued audio recordings that prompted Livengood's reporting in 2015 had been improperly edited. "Petitioners have also have been in direct contact with the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Department to resolve the bench warrants.". In his suit, DePerno said he had explained "the background of every issue identified" and "rebutted any reasonable notion of improper conduct.". The bench warrant for DePerno's arrest was not resolved, according to available court records, and remained in effect for more than 14 months. Matt DePerno, an attorney general candidate endorsed by former President Donald Trump, sued the firm over his firing and denied the allegations in court. Forton endorsed Karamo before the first round of voting. 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. 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. He is currently representing an Ann Arbor firefighter who he said was fired for refusing to get vaccinated against COVID-19. "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. 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. Because of the conflict of interest of investigating him, Nessel sought the appointment of a special prosecutor to decide if charges are warranted. In November 2020, Antrim County resident, William Bailey, hired Matthew to represent him in his lawsuit against Antrim County and the Michigan Secretary of States office, to conduct his own audit of the November general election irregularities in Antrim County. 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 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. She said in her victory speech she plans to move the state forward over the next four years. We're not just a news organization, we're also your neighbors. "The tremendous GOP grassroots enthusiasm for DePerno combined with Nessel trying to shut down Line 5 and talking about a drag queen in every classroom gives DePerno the best chance to win of any Republican on the statewide ticket," said Yob, who previously advised the lawyer's campaign. 0:57. 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. Another factor in his decision to run: Trump, who in July encouraged him to enter the race. That happens all the time, and then things are resolved.. DePerno has never been publicly disciplined by the state, according to records from the Attorney Discipline Board. I think the party recreates itself locally. State Rep. Ryan Berman is also running. But he never did, the Moffits attorney alleged in the malpractice suit. 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. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has been declared the winner in the race for the state's top job. Nessel defeated Republican former House Speaker Tom Leonard that year by 3 points. Election Integrity Based. Last weekend, Democrats reelected Lavora Barnes to a third term as chairwoman of the Michigan Democratic Party. Elissa Slotkin announces bid to succeed Debbie Stabenow. DePerno is well-known and well-liked by many clients, but his legal career has been marked by some discord. 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. Before the 2020 campaign, DePerno was most known for representing Courser, a Lapeer area Republican who resigned from the state House after he attempted to cover up an extramarital affair with a fellow lawmaker, and for challenging election results in northern Michigan's Antrim County. ", "If it wasn't for Matt, we'd be out on the streets," Dernis told Bridge. Former state Rep. Aaron Miller, a Republican from Sturgis, said Karamo's victory indicated some Michigan Republicans want to keep losing elections. He alleged oppression of a minority shareholder and said his termination caused extreme mental anguish, emotional distress, shock and humiliation.. The parties later settled for $20,000, which Detroit News publisher and editor Gary Miles called a message thatfrivolous lawsuitsagainst news organizations for performing their duties under the First Amendment will not be taken lightly.. 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. Nessel's office began its investigation in February, before DePerno was her opponent. DePerno later sued the law firm, claiming breach of contract and oppression of a minority shareholder. 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. 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. Whitmer" for her nursing home policies. DePerno also has fiercely loyal supporters who defend his legal work, including clients, who contend hed make a strong attorney general. More:As Michigan AG race narrows, Nessel's comments, cases take center stage. 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. Ultimately, I collected the fees that were due to me, DePerno told Bridge. "They don't make guys like him anymore. I'll continue to write good people in on my election ballots. But the changing tallies led to a wave of concerns and conspiracy theories about what had happened. Who's in, out of race? 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. In order to win the chair position, a candidate had to receive more than 50% support. She becomes the first Black person to lead the Michigan GOP. On. 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. Campaign donors love a winner, dump Michigan GOP for Democrats after election, Turns out, young voters didnt sway 22 election in Michigan, records show, Basically broke, Michigan GOP to charge delegates to attend convention, Share the article you just read on Twitter, Share the article you just read on Facebook, Share the article you just read via email, Michigan stopped Ohio toxic waste last week, but we import waste every day, Democrats push Michigan gun reforms. 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. Matt DePerno, an attorney general candidate endorsed by former President Donald Trump, sued the firm over his firing and denied the allegations in court. Trump had also endorsed DePerno in that . to willful neglect of duty by a public officer. Kallman declined to detail the issues. "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.". In the Republican Party, the top fundraisers in the most recent semiannual reporting period were: Tudor Dixon (Governor) - $7,362,895. 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. "And yet, here I am running for attorney general to restore integrity, justice and morality in Michigan.. Conservative lawyer David Kallman, whose office is based in Lansing, said DePerno has done things he doesn't agree with. ", 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 beginning to end, the problem is you.. The March 12, 2020, hearing was eventually canceled, according to court records. John Engler. Gretchen Whitmer in public polling and in the last election. Trump's backing helped DePerno win a three-way race at an April convention for the party's attorney general nomination. 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. 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. 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. 469 views. DePerno, who never held elected office, rode Trumps endorsement to win the Republican Party nomination over two candidates who have served in the Legislature. 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. Other issues her campaign highlights includes consumer protection, protection for seniors, environmental protection, health care access, and robocall reductions. "I think it's extremely problematic," Truscott told Bridge Michigan. I will continue to fight like hell to restore Michigan to all it can be and I look forward to continuing this journey with you all.". DePerno is willing to take on "the status quo of corruption," Carra said. A judge rejected the litigation, saying her claims were "unsubstantiated" or misinterpreted Michigan election law. 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.. Guy's office sent the official numbers to the Bureau of Elections at 6:35 a.m. on Nov. 7, 2020.