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. The guys got no ethics at all, William Buhl, a retired Van Buren County Circuit Court judge and former Republican, told Bridge. 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. Asked about that, Castiglia countered that people "are getting sick of the doomsday Dem approach. We report because the news impacts all of us. 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. 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. 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. 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.. 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. The grievance commission can also privately admonish an attorney or place them on contractual probation, but those lighter punishments are not made public. We're not just a news organization, we're also your neighbors. 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. 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. from New York University School of Law. The numbers became jumbled during the communication of the unofficial results to the county's election management system. One of DePerno's Republican convention opponents in the spring, Leonard, called on DePerno to detail what happened with the money in March. Matt DePerno, an attorney general candidate endorsed by former President Donald Trump, sued the firm over his firing and denied the allegations in court. Democratic Gov. 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.". Thanks for submitting! DePerno had represented an older couple Ronald and Cathleen Moffit whose home burned down in 2011. But court records show judges have repeatedly sanctioned or complained about his courtroom conduct. 62. 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. Matt and Laura have three wonderful children who are all current or former students at Michigan State University (MSU). 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 . 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. GOP's AG Nominee In Michigan Pushes Election Fraud Lies While Facing 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. Because of the conflict of interest of investigating him, Nessel sought the appointment of a special prosecutor to decide if charges are warranted. DePerno is a leading advocate for a forensic audit of the 2020 election. 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. 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. Trump's backing helped DePerno win a three-way race at an April convention for the party's attorney general nomination. 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. 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. Conservative lawyer David Kallman, whose office is based in Lansing, said DePerno has done things he doesn't agree with. "We need somebody who will go in there and stand up for the little guy," Carra said. Karamo, considered a favorite among the party's grassroots but viewed as divisive among the establishment, beat out former attorney general candidate Matt DePerno, 58% to 42%, in the third round of voting. 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. Both of the final two candidates, Karamo and DePerno, had denied the results of the 2020 election: Trump's loss. 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. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement. He will have a staff of more than 500 people, and his . 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. Sponsor Kristina Karamo (Secretary of State) - $796,022. It's unclear why DePerno was never arrested. Matt DePerno, a Republican candidate for Michigan attorney general, has appeared at Capitol rallies calling for a forensic audit of the 2020 presidential election. The guys got no ethics at all, William Buhl, a retired Van Buren County Circuit Court judge and former Republican, told Bridge. More:Before Matt DePerno launched a bid for attorney general, he cleared up an arrest warrant. John Engler. 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 . Civil rights issues are a main focus of Nessel's, and she founded the Fair Michigan Foundation. 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. ", 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.". Natalie DePerno, 23, graduated with an accounting degree from MSU. He has claimed he wants to prosecute Nessel as well as fellow Democratic incumbents Gov. 2023 The Detroit News, a Digital First Media Newspaper, who resigned from the state House after he attempted to cover up an extramarital affair with a fellow lawmaker, told the Lansing publication Gongwer News Service that he had spoken with a sheriff. 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. 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.. He went on to earn a graduate qualification at theNew York University School of Law. Lawyers for The News attempted to collect the money from DePerno but said in court documents that DePerno transferred his interest in a 2015 Ford Flex and 2012 Ford Focus to his wife, Laura, "with actual intent to hinder, delay and/or defraud The News from collecting the amount awarded." Lansing Matt DePerno, who lost his bid for attorney general but has been a favorite of former President Donald Trump, announced Monday that he wants to be the Michigan Republican Party's . All rights reserved. I think were going to do local infrastructure and getting back to basics, the blocking and tackling of winning elections.". Former state Rep. Aaron Miller, a Republican from Sturgis, said Karamo's victory indicated some Michigan Republicans want to keep losing elections. The two have been married for over 26 years and raised three children together. 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. "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. 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. 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. DePerno has also represented George Dernis, an Illinois businessman who's been in a years-long legal battle involving property in Michigan. 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.". People have to see something worth investing in," she said, "and the party hasnt proven itself to be such.. The secret to a good campaign is to peak at the right time," Greenlee said. 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. DePerno is well-known and well-liked by many clients, but his legal career has been marked by some discord. 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 Michigan Advance was one of the outlets denied media credentials to cover . 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. 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 said the party would focus on local issues over national politics. 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. DePernos biggest claim to fame has been his efforts to find evidence that fraud cost Trump the election. He has a wife and three children. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. "Were going to win.. Baker didn't respond to a request for comment. Industrious Republican. 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. DePerno has never been publicly disciplined by the state, according to records from the Attorney Discipline Board. "Thank goodness that most of my cases were nothing like this one. A Republican-led state Senate panel that spent months investigating the contest found no evidence of widespread fraud. to willful neglect of duty by a public officer. 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. Michigan AG nominee DePerno is investigated by AG's office : NPR DePerno has clashed frequently with Republicans who have stressed the need to move on from the 2020 election. Michigan GOP delegates chose ex-President Donald Trump's candidates for attorney general, Matthew DePerno, and secretary of state, Kristina Karamo. Were good neighbors and were going to be winning elections again.. They need to see a party actually advocating for the values we espouse. But his supporters see him as a tenacious champion who's willing to take up causes others have declined. All (DePerno) was interested in was generating fees for himself and protecting his way to collect it, Buhl said. Not too many people would have stuck by my family and myself like Matt has.". 2023 Bridge Michigan. 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. I try not to get emotional when I talk about the guy," Dernis said. Last Name. DePerno has also said he supports and would enforce the states 1931 ban on abortion. Gretchen Whitmer imposed to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. 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. From beginning to end, the problem is you.. 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. "I think it's extremely problematic," Truscott told Bridge Michigan. DePerno, 53, is a Portage-based attorney who primarily works on tax cases and worked primarily in Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties. DePerno received a bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan, a J.D. "The Washtenaw County Sheriff Department said they thought the bench warrant was so outrageous that they did not consider it enforceable," Shepard said. She said in her victory speech she plans to move the state forward over the next four years. 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. Greenlee advanced to the second round of voting ahead of other contenders Tuscola County GOP Chairman Billy Putman, J.D. 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. At the end of 2020, DePerno began gaining national attention for challenging the election results in northern Michigan's Antrim County. She has repeatedly made unproven and false claims about Michigan's voting system. "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.". Kallman declined to detail the issues. But he told Bridge he cannot discuss details because of a confidential settlement. We are honored to have Kari's support in this race, check out the full endorsement! Nessel's office began its investigation in February, before DePerno was her opponent. Rigas described DePerno as the person who can unite the party. The parties later settled for $20,000, which Detroit News publisher and editor Gary Miles called a message that frivolous lawsuits against news organizations for performing their duties under the First Amendment will not be taken lightly.. The newspaper donated the attorney fees it recovered from DePerno to the Rosa Parks Scholarship Foundation. The Protect the People political action committee called him a "corrupt lawyer" in one of its ads in recent days. 2022 Michigan Attorney General election - Wikipedia

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