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. 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. Election Integrity Based. 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. Thank goodness that most of my cases were nothing like this one.. "The Republican Party is now pretty well cemented as the party of election denying, conspiracy theories, tin hats and supporting Capitol riots," Miller said. Matt and Laura have three wonderful children who are all current or former students at Michigan State University (MSU). Whitmer" for her nursing home policies during the COVID-19 pandemic, called for increased transparency standards for state government and voiced opposition to abortion. Matthew DePerno for Attorney General Trump, who's campaigning for the GOP presidential nomination in 2024, endorsed DePerno for party chair in January. 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. The two have been married for over 26 years and raised three children together. Submit. The COVID-19 pandemic hit Michigan weeks after the DePerno bench warrant was signed. ", More:Matt DePerno's rapid rise in GOP politics mired in controversy, lawsuits. As a tax attorney who worked primarily in Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties, his legal career has been marked by discord. Matthew DePerno is an attorney who serves clients worldwide from his office in Kalamazoo Michigan, USA. Ive always proven that I dont back down from anyone, he said. 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.. His work on an unsuccessful lawsuit challenging 2020 results in Antrim County put him on the front lines of Trumps attempt to overturn the election, and litigation involving that effort continues. DePerno also has fiercely loyal supporters who defend his legal work, including clients, who contend hed make a strong attorney general. Matthew DePerno for Attorney General New York University School of Law Master of Laws (LL.M.) I've taken on tough cases. The office of Dana Nessel, the Michigan attorney general, said that Matthew DePerno and other people had persuaded local clerks in three counties to hand over election equipment. Ultimately, I collected the fees that were due to me, DePerno told Bridge. The sides eventually settled out of court in 2008. But he never did, the Moffits attorney alleged in the malpractice suit. 38th State Senate Candidate for Michigan. His experience and record of success has benefited individuals, small business, and multi-national corporations. Matthew DePerno: What to know about Michigan GOP attorney general On Saturday morning, Macomb County Republican Chairman Mark Forton dropped out of the state chair race, leaving nine remaining candidates. Dernis labeled DePerno a person of integrity. The people of MIchigan are tired of the rising crime, threats to parental rights and an ongoing lack of trust in government. The secret to a good campaign is to peak at the right time," Greenlee said. The situation also became a focus of attacks this year against DePerno. A year ago this month, DePerno stood on the steps of the state Capitol in front of a banner that told people to "demand a forensic audit" of the November 2020 election. The grievance commission can also privately admonish an attorney or place them on contractual probation, but those lighter punishments are not made public. People need to see a competent party, Karamo said. 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. ", In an Oct. 1 interview, DePerno said if he's elected, he'll work to lower Michigan's crime rate and combat sex trafficking. 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. Matthew DePerno: What to know about Michigan GOP attorney general candidate. 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. 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.. The guys got no ethics at all, William Buhl, a retired Van Buren County Circuit Court judge and former Republican, told Bridge. I'll continue to write good people in on my election ballots. ", 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. 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. Sponsor 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. Samantha DePerno, 19, began her sophomore year at MSU this past Fall, 2021. "I can't answer that question," the lawyer said. 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. DePerno, who never held elected office, rode Trumps endorsement to win the Republican Party nomination over two candidates who have served in the Legislature. A vote for Matt is a vote for your civil liberties! 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. More:As Michigan AG race narrows, Nessel's comments, cases take center stage. 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 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. DePerno, speaking with Bridge, called the assault allegation an outrageous attempt by the Moffits to avoid paying their legal bills. Karamo lost to Benson by 14 percentage points. More:The DePerno 9: Outspoken election critics tied to Michigan tabulator 'conspiracy'. "The creditor's exam was scheduled for today," Connors said in court on Feb. 7, 2020, according to a transcript. Primary Election is August 2nd, 2022. Email. 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. I have always supported Matt DePerno, said state Rep. Angela Rigas, R-Caledonia, as she entered the convention on Saturday. 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. ", "If it wasn't for Matt, we'd be out on the streets," Dernis told Bridge. Some of DePerno's arguments became the basis for election deniers across the country, LaBrant said. "Although we didn't emerge victorious tonight, I believe we sent a strong message to Lansing. He is currently representing an Ann Arbor firefighter who he said was fired for refusing to get vaccinated against COVID-19. 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. DePerno refused. DePerno took on "several cases regarding the unconstitutional nature of these lockdowns and mandates.". Home | Matt DePerno New York University School of Law Master of Laws (LL.M.) 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. Jason Roe, a former executive director of the Michigan Republican Party, said "crazy" had trumped Trump at Saturday's convention. Matt DePerno, a Republican candidate for Michigan attorney general, has appeared at Capitol rallies calling for a "forensic audit" of the 2020 presidential election. People get into disputes and they say things about each other in litigation, he told Bridge in a phone interview. Fill in the form below and we'll be in touch. ", Eric Castiglia, chairman of the Republican Party of Macomb County, said DePerno is gaining steam politically because of his focus on the "rule of law.". Will you please support our nonprofit newsroom? We report because the news impacts all of us. Conservative lawyer David Kallman, whose office is based in Lansing, said DePerno has done things he doesn't agree with. In 2016, Buhl filed a request asking the Michigan Attorney Grievance Commission to investigate DePerno after he was accused of legal malpractice. Karamo had 58% of the vote on the . "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.". from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, and an LL.M. If you cant abide by the laws and the rules, how do you have the moral authority to prosecute criminals?. Kristina Karamo elected chair of Michigan Republican Party She said the party would focus on local issues over national politics. Matt DePerno, an attorney general candidate endorsed by former President Donald Trump, sued the firm over his firing and denied the allegations in court. And hes 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.. But it leaves him running to. The initial tallies in the Republican stronghold had Democrat Joe Biden winning by 3,260 votes with 62% of the overall total to Trump's 36%. 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. 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. 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. If you care about Michigan, please support our work. DePerno received a bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan, a J.D. You must be logged in to post a comment Matt DePerno, an attorney general candidate endorsed by former President Donald Trump, sued the firm over his firing and denied the allegations in court. About. DePerno has also said he supports and would enforce the states 1931 ban on abortion. Taxation 1994-95 University of Detroit Mercy School of Law We're not just a news organization, we're also your neighbors. But he told Bridge he cannot discuss details because of a confidential settlement. Could that Judge then rule on rape cases, or would that create a bias for the Judge? Industrious Republican. Trump's choice for the post, Matthew DePerno, had all the . 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. 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 . "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. Vote Karamo. 2 min read. Karamo to lead Michigan Republican Party, beating Trump-endorsed DePerno The two have been married for over 26 years and raised three children together. Why Michigan Republicans are fretting about 2024 | The Hill 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. In May 2021, a local judge blocked DePerno's push for an "independent and nonpartisan forensic audit" in Antrim County. 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. Trump had also endorsed DePerno in that . 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. People get into disputes and they say things about each other in litigation, he told Bridge in a phone interview. We are honored to have Kari's support in this race, check out the full endorsement! Gretchen Whitmer and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson for "for all the damage they have done" in office. 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. "The sanction award far exceeds the petitioners' ability to pay," Baker wrote in a filing on Jan. 9, 2020. The sheriff's office this week didn't provide a response to questions about the warrant. Who's in, out of race? 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. But his supporters see him as a tenacious champion who's willing to take up causes others have declined. They dont make guys like him anymore. Muskegon County Prosecutor D.J. Asked about that, Castiglia countered that people "are getting sick of the doomsday Dem approach. 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. Chaos And Conspiracies: 12 Hours At A GOP Convention That Handed Trump The newspaper donated the attorney fees it recovered from DePerno to the Rosa Parks Scholarship Foundation. Trump endorses Matt DePerno in race for Michigan Republican Party chair 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. 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. State Rep. Ryan Berman is also running. The bench warrant for DePerno's arrest was not resolved, according to available court records, and remained in effect for more than 14 months. DePerno wasn't 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. He alleged oppression of a minority shareholder and said his termination caused "extreme mental anguish, emotional distress, shock and humiliation.". 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. After practicing law for a decade as a law firm partner, Matt opened the doors of his own practice, DePerno Law, PLLC, in 2005, where he has since been ardently defending Americans constitutional rights. He alleged oppression of a minority shareholder and said his termination caused extreme mental anguish, emotional distress, shock and humiliation.. Develop A Candidate Recruitment Program through the Delegates, Play Offense Not Defense with the Democrats. The Protect the People political action committee called him a "corrupt lawyer" in one of its ads in recent days. 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. It just screams out: This is why people hate lawyers. We dont need this in our profession.. Matt is a native of Michigan and has been a Kalamazoo resident with his wife, Laura, since 1994 after receiving his law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy. 469 views. 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. 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. ", We're not just a news organization, we're also your neighbors. Karamo beats DePerno in Michigan GOP chair race, moving the party @mdeperno. Matthew DePerno (Attorney General) - $771,799. DePerno has never been publicly disciplined by the state, according to records from the Attorney Discipline Board. DePerno later sued the law firm, claiming breach of contract and oppression of a minority shareholder. Some Michigan Republicans say they are . From beginning to end, the problem is you.. And I continuously showed that throughout my career. Nessel's office began its investigation in February, before DePerno was her opponent. Experts say there isno credible evidenceof 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. 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. Matt DePerno - Trump's pick - wins Republican endorsement for Michigan In an August interview, DePerno declined to say whether the money helped fund a group of "expert witnesses" who pushed to obtain and analyze voting tabulators in Michigan. He will have a staff of more than 500 people, and his . DePerno is a leading advocate for a forensic audit of the 2020 election. Guy's office sent the official numbers to the Bureau of Elections at 6:35 a.m. on Nov. 7, 2020. DePerno is one of nine people who were investigated by Nessel's office for an alleged Michigan vote tabulator tampering scheme. 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 was born in Warren and raised in Troy, Michigan. 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, Buhlfiled a requestasking the Michigan Attorney Grievance Commission to investigate DePerno after he was accused of legal malpractice. But he never did, the Moffits attorney alleged in the malpractice suit. Matt DePerno concedes Michigan AG race to Dana Nessel DePerno, 53, is a Portage-based attorney who primarily works on tax cases and worked primarily in Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties. 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. Democratic Gov. 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.. 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. 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. Matt DePerno: Liar, Liar Pants on Fire - Michigan Democratic Party Last weekend, Democrats reelected Lavora Barnes to a third term as chairwoman of the Michigan Democratic Party. Matthew has published 21 legal reports based on his findings from the forensic audit. 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. 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." "They are not here. While the case was ultimately settled, what he saw in pre-trial hearings was abhorrent, Buhl told Bridge Michigan. After realizing there were problems with the numbers, Antrim County Clerk Sheryl Guy's office canvassed the election results and reported official numbers. DePerno who has pushed former President Donald Trump's false claims of widespread election fraud has slammed the probe, which is now led by a special prosecutor. 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.. 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. Paid for with regulated funds by End Citizens United Non-Federal MI. The ProAssurance Casualty Company alleged DePerno made unreasonable demands of attorneys they had hired to represent him in the Moffits malpractice suit. "Him and I had discussions as to whether I should run," DePerno said. DePerno formed his campaign committee to run for attorney general 12 days later, on July 14, 2021. DePerno had represented an older couple Ronald and Cathleen Moffit whose home burned down in 2011. Where Michigan attorney general foes Dana Nessel and Matthew DePerno stand. 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 has a wife and three children. "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. Hilson, a Democrat who was named the special prosecutor in September, continues to review the case. 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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At the end of 2020, DePerno began gaining national attention for challenging the election results in northern Michigan's Antrim County. 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. 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. Matt and Laura have three wonderful children who are all current or former students at Michigan State University (MSU). As a tax attorney who worked primarily in Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties, his legal career has been marked by discord. DePerno had represented an older couple Ronald and Cathleen Moffit whose home burned down in 2011.