Matt DePerno, an attorney general candidate endorsed by former President Donald Trump, sued the firm over his firing and denied the allegations in court. ", Matt DePerno's rapid rise in GOP politics mired in controversy, lawsuits, an Ann Arbor firefighter who challenged the city's COVID-19 vaccine policy, The numbers became jumbled during the communication of the unofficial results to the county's election management system, push for an "independent and nonpartisan forensic audit" in Antrim County, "misleading information and illogical conclusions. Ironically, DePerno, who was a fierce opponent of the 2020 election results and consistently denied their outcome, conceded the race for attorney general prior to it being called by media outlets. Nessel's office began its investigation in February, before DePerno was her opponent. DePerno, 53, is a Portage-based attorney who primarily works on tax cases and worked primarily in Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties. (Bridge photo by Jonathan Oosting). KALAMAZOOA Republican running to be Michigans top law enforcement official was fired from a law firm in 2005 after colleagues alleged he padded client billings for personal and professional benefit, according to court records reviewed by Bridge Michigan. In 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. 0:57. 2023 The Detroit News, a Digital First Media Newspaper, endorsed by former President Donald Trump, DePerno rose to political prominence challenging the 2020 presidential election results, sought a special prosecutor to consider charges against DePerno. But court records show judges have repeatedly sanctioned or complained about his courtroom conduct. If you cant abide by the laws and the rules, how do you have the moral authority to prosecute criminals?. DePerno, who had worked with the Moffits on tax issues in the past, allegedly convinced the couple he could negotiate with the IRS. "We tried to plot our strategy that way. He's challenging Democrat Attorney General Dana Nessel, a lawyer from Plymouth, who has under-performed Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer also won another term with Democrats taking control of the Legislature for the first time in 40 years. Gretchen Whitmer in public polling and in the last election. I will issue bench warrants.". He has a wife and three children. It just screams out: This is why people hate lawyers. We dont need this in our profession.. 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. Him and I had discussions as to whether I should run, DePerno said. DePerno has clashed frequently with Republicans who have stressed the need to move on from the 2020 election. That happens all the time, and then things are resolved.. 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 . Matts reports can be found at DePernoLaw.com. DePerno wasnt paying attention in first grade when he was told how to behave himself, Magistrate Joseph Scoville said in announcing the sanctions at a May 2012 hearing, according to a transcript reviewed by Bridge. Another factor in his decision to run: Trump, who in July encouraged him to enter the race. 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. 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. They dont make guys like him anymore. 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 comparison DePerno had made in a 2015 court hearing. DePerno took on "several cases regarding the unconstitutional nature of these lockdowns and mandates.". People get into disputes and they say things about each other in litigation, he told Bridge in a phone interview. She previously worked as an assistant prosecutor in the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office. And I continuously showed that throughout my career. But he told Bridge he cannot discuss details because of a confidential settlement. Maddock and Weiser had formed a tenuous alliance leading Michigan Republicans for the last two 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. A vote for Matt is a vote for your civil liberties! It's unclear why DePerno was never arrested. Longtime GOP mega-donor Ron Weiser, a wealthy Ann Arbor businessman, opted against seeking another term as party chairman. 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. Hilson, a Democrat who was named the special prosecutor in September, continues to review the case. The grievance commission can also privately admonish an attorney or place them on contractual probation, but those lighter punishments are not made public. The Moffits never filed a criminal complaint. Forton endorsed Karamo before the first round of voting. 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. DePerno and state Rep. Daire Rendon, R-Lake City, were part of a group accused of "gain(ing) unauthorized access and compromised tabulators" in Roscommon County, Richfield Township, Lake Township and Irving Township between March and June of 2021, state attorneys allege. It takes working together to restore this great state. Some of DePerno's arguments became the basis for election deniers across the country, LaBrant said. If Matthew DePerno wins his race to unseat Michigan's Democratic attorney general in November, he'll become the state's top lawyer. The newspaper donated the attorney fees it recovered from DePerno to the Rosa Parks Scholarship Foundation. 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. 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. The sides eventually settled out of court in 2008. The secret to a good campaign is to peak at the right time," Greenlee said. And DePerno later sued their attorney unsuccessfully for defamation. 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. 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. 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. The sheriff's office this week didn't provide a response to questions about the warrant. Who's in, out of race? Nessel's race was seen as one of the closer statewide campaigns during the tight midterm race. "The Republican Party is now pretty well cemented as the party of election denying, conspiracy theories, tin hats and supporting Capitol riots," Miller said. Karamo, DePerno and Lansing political consultant Scott Greenlee were initially the top three vote-getters in what was a nine-person race at the start of the convention Saturday morning in downtown Lansing. The Michigan Court of Appeals ultimately upheld the decision to allow Dodge to remain a judge. Matt and Laura have three wonderful children who are all current or former students at Michigan State University (MSU). Feb 10 Don't miss our Pre-Convention Rally with President Donald Trump THIS MONDAY! 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. 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. DePerno has also represented George Dernis, an Illinois businessman who's been in a years-long legal battle involving property in Michigan. The warrant was in place until the sanction was resolved in May 2021 because of a $20,000 settlement with The News. "We look forward to having a Republican Party that shows Michiganders that were here to serve. But his supporters see him as a tenacious champion who's willing to take up causes others have declined. Greenlee advanced to the second round of voting ahead of other contenders Tuscola County GOP Chairman Billy Putman, J.D. 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. See also: Michigan Attorney General election, 2022 Gretchen Whitmer imposed to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Nessel defeated Republican former House Speaker Tom Leonard that year by 3 points. 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. 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. 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. While the case was ultimately settled, what he saw in pre-trial hearings was abhorrent, Buhl told Bridge Michigan. As DePerno worked on the 2020 election, his law office's website linked to a fundraising page that brought in nearly $400,000. And he's not afraid of what has turned into, unfortunately, a convoluted judicial system., Bill Bailey, a real estate broker who DePerno is representing in the ongoing Antrim County election appeal, called him "one of the most honest, hardworking souls I truthfully have ever met.". DePerno is one of nine people who were investigated by Nessel's office for an alleged Michigan vote tabulator tampering scheme. He cut his teeth as a tax attorney in southwest Michigan but eventually expanded his Portage-based practice. Matt DePerno, an attorney general candidate endorsed by former President Donald Trump, sued the firm over his firing and denied the allegations in court. 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. Nov 2. Miller called it a sad day for the GOP. Matt attended the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree. The convention lasted about 11 hours with delegates battling over how the votes at the event would be counted and last-minute jockeying among the 10 candidates for party chair. The ProAssurance Casualty Company alleged DePerno made unreasonable demands of attorneys they had hired to represent him in the Moffits malpractice suit. State Rep. Ryan Berman is also running. DePerno worked as a partner in a law firm before opening DePerno Law Office in 2005. Were going to be a political machine that strikes fear in the heart of Democrats," Karamo told delegates. 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 had represented an older couple Ronald and Cathleen Moffit whose home burned down in 2011. 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. The March 12, 2020, hearing was eventually canceled, according to court records. DePerno's campaign didn't respond. The guys got no ethics at all, William Buhl, a retired Van Buren County Circuit Court judge and former Republican, told Bridge. Thank goodness that most of my cases were nothing like this one.. 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 . 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.