"Were going to win.. The two have been married for over 26 years and raised three children together. The situation also became a focus of attacks this year against DePerno. Trump, who's campaigning for the GOP presidential nomination in 2024, endorsed DePerno for party chair in January. Were looking forward to a party thats successful," Karamo said. Not authorized by any candidate. Greenlee advanced to the second round of voting ahead of other contenders Tuscola County GOP Chairman Billy Putman, J.D. 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. "We look forward to having a Republican Party that shows Michiganders that were here to serve. 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. State Rep. Ryan Berman is also running. He will have a staff of more than 500 people, and his . 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.". (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. 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. 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. 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. Nessel's office began its investigation in February, before DePerno was her opponent. 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. New York University School of Law Master of Laws (LL.M.) "That would be a privileged question.". 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. Because of the conflict of interest of investigating him, Nessel sought the appointment of a special prosecutor to decide if charges are warranted. He argued Michigan needed "the guidance of a fighter. 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. 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. You can also contact us by using this form: First Name. from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, and an LL.M. 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 had represented an older couple Ronald and Cathleen Moffit whose home burned down in 2011. DePerno, speaking with Bridge, called the assault allegation an "outrageous" attempt by the Moffits to avoid paying their legal bills. 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. Some of DePerno's arguments became the basis for election deniers across the country, LaBrant said. "As attorney general, you're the state's chief law enforcement officer. The News eventually sued Laura DePerno in Kalamazoo County court, and Matt DePerno challenged the Washtenaw County court's ruling in the state Court of Appeals. In at least one instance, DePerno admitted that he falsified billing to a clients account, the law firms attorney said in a court filing. The warrant was in place until the sanction was resolved in May 2021 because of a $20,000 settlement with The News. Were going to be a political machine that strikes fear in the heart of Democrats," Karamo told delegates. 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. Dodge has since retired and told Bridge Michigan he did not remember the dispute well. From beginning to end, the problem is you.. "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. Nessel defeated Republican former House Speaker Tom Leonard that year by 3 points. DePerno has never been publicly disciplined by the state, according to records from the Attorney Discipline Board. 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. 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. Anthony DePerno, 21, is majoring in Supply Chain Management at MSU and is expected to graduate this Spring, 2022. They've suggested fraud and hacking. I honestly believe on the first vote shes going to have the most votes," Forton said in an interview on the convention floor of Karamo. 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. State Rep. Steve Carra, R-Three Rivers, has been an outspoken DePerno supporter. DePerno had represented an older couple Ronald and Cathleen Moffit whose home burned down in 2011. Civil rights issues are a main focus of Nessel's, and she founded the Fair Michigan Foundation. 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. 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.. 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. 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. When Courser and DePerno sued The Detroit News over its original reporting on the sex scandal, Washtenaw County Circuit Judge Timothy Connors dismissed the case and ordered Courser and DePerno to jointly pay $79,701.63 in sanctions. DePerno has begun to pivot to other issues during the general election campaign, but a special prosecutor is investigating him and others on allegations they illegally accessed voting machine equipment in their efforts to investigate the election. "They are not here. 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. The Moffits never filed a criminal complaint. 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 ofmaking false claimsfor personal profit, echoing allegations that marred DePernos legal career nearly two decades earlier. But he told Bridge he cannot discuss details because of a confidential settlement. Kristina Karamo, who refused to concede her 14-point loss for secretary of state in 2022, beat former attorney general candidate Matt DePerno, who had Trump's endorsement, in three rounds of . He went on to earn a graduate qualification at theNew York University School of Law. to willful neglect of duty by a public officer. Matt attended the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree. 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. 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. She previously worked as an assistant prosecutor in the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office. LaBrant labeled DePerno a "fool" with a "checkered past.". 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. 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. Connors previously ordered DePerno and Courser to pay a sanction of $79,701. 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. The secret to a good campaign is to peak at the right time," Greenlee said. The Michigan Court of Appeals ultimately upheld the decision to allow Dodge to remain a judge. In 2016, Buhlfiled a requestasking 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. Courser and DePerno unsuccessfully argued audio recordings that prompted Livengood's reporting in 2015 had been improperly edited. 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.". LANSING Former President Donald Trump endorsed Kalamazoo attorney Matt DePerno on Friday in the race for chairman of the Michigan Republican Party. 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'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. His experience and record of success has benefited individuals, small business, and multi-national corporations. 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. Nessel campaign spokeswoman Sarah Stevenson said the incumbent would provide hers if DePerno provided his. John Engler. "Matthew DePerno showed up the day after the election, using our president's name, taking nearly $400,000 from every one of you," Leonard said during a debate in Oakland County. Taxation 1994-95 University of Detroit Mercy School of Law They dont make guys like him anymore. On. Matts reports can be found at DePernoLaw.com. The numbers became jumbled during the communication of the unofficial results to the county's election management system. It's unclear why DePerno was never arrested. It just screams out: This is why people hate lawyers. We dont need this in our profession.. As recently as last month, he criticized the GOP-led Legislature for failing to. Election Integrity Based. Login. ", More:Matt DePerno's rapid rise in GOP politics mired in controversy, lawsuits. Leave us a message. 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.. 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. 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. 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. 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. We are honored to have Kari's support in this race, check out the full endorsement! 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. DePerno and Courser couldn't pay the amount, they argued in court. 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. Matthew DePerno was born in Warren and raised in Troy, Michigan. 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. Those allegations, contained in never-before-reported documents out of Kalamazoo County Circuit Court, were only made public because DePerno sued the firm in an attempt to cash out his shares and transfer the lease on a company vehicle that was repossessed after his firing. The warrant was recalled when DePerno and The News reached a $20,000 settlement in May 2021. 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. More:Before Matt DePerno launched a bid for attorney general, he cleared up an arrest warrant. 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. Could that Judge then rule on rape cases, or would that create a bias for the Judge? ", "If it wasn't for Matt, we'd be out on the streets," Dernis told Bridge. If you cant abide by the laws and the rules, how do you have the moral authority to prosecute criminals?. Karamo had 58% of the vote on the . 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. DePerno and the firm eventually reached a settlement the terms of which were not available in court documents. Him and I had discussions as to whether I should run, DePerno said. 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 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. Matthew DePerno for Attorney General Home About Platform Volunteer State Convention Delegate DONATE 517-618-9655 Team@Depernoformi.com 3105 S Martin Luther King Blvd #104 Lansing, MI 48910 Matt's Plan To Fix the Michigan GOP FILL EVERY PRECINCT DELEGATE SLOT In April, we the people pulled off a HUGE win. Some Michigan Republicans say they are . during the general election campaign, but a special prosecutor is investigating him and others on allegations they illegally accessed voting machine equipment in their efforts to investigate the election. Sponsor 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. The sides eventually settled out of court in 2008. from New York University School of Law. 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. DePerno denied many of the accusations but eventually negotiated a settlement with the Moffits, whose attorney declined to discuss terms of the deal. And I think were peaking.". But the changing tallies led to a wave of concerns and conspiracy theories about what had happened. "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.". If a person does not appear and the bench warrant is issued, that means should that person be stopped while driving or anything like that, it will show up on the polices system," Dallo said of what would lead to an arrest. Nessel joked about a "drag queen for every school" during an event in June. As DePerno worked on the 2020 election, his law office's website linked to a fundraising page that brought in nearly $400,000. But his supporters see him as a tenacious champion who's willing to take up causes others have declined. 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.. Hes also suggested banning Plan B, an emergency contraceptive that can prevent pregnancy if taken within three days of having unprotected sex. He has a wife and three children. 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. The probe is completely ridiculous and part of the reason DePerno decided to run for attorney general, he told Bridge, likening it "totalitarianism" since Nessel's office battled him as opposing counsel in the Antrim County case. 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. All rights reserved. In 2016, Buhl filed a request asking the Michigan Attorney Grievance Commission to investigate DePerno after he was accused of legal malpractice. Matthew has been attacked many times from elected officials, including current Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, but he has not backed down. @mdeperno. Hilson, hasn't yet announced a decision. 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.
