"Were going to win.. Ive taken on cases that people even in the media have disagreed with.. 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. His experience and record of success has benefited individuals, small business, and multi-national corporations. Matthew DePerno is an attorney who serves clients worldwide from his office in Kalamazoo Michigan, USA. Karamo lost to Benson by 14 percentage points. Nessel's office began its investigation in February, before DePerno was her opponent. But it leaves him running to. 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. 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. 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. They dont make guys like him anymore. The ProAssurance Casualty Company alleged DePerno made unreasonable demands of attorneys they had hired to represent him in the Moffits malpractice suit. 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. 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. 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. The Michigan Court of Appeals ultimately upheld the decision to allow Dodge to remain a judge. DePerno had been endorsed by former President Donald Trump. 38th State Senate Candidate for Michigan. 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. Matt DePerno, a Republican candidate for Michigan attorney general, has appeared at Capitol rallies calling for a forensic audit of the 2020 presidential election. 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 . People get into disputes and they say things about each other in litigation, he told Bridge in a phone interview. That happens all the time, and then things are resolved.. 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On Nov. 8, voters will decide whether to put him in the attorney general's office. UP First. ", called on DePerno to detail what happened with the money, sought a special prosecutor to consider potential charges against DePerno and eight others because of an alleged "conspiracy" to gain improper access, The DePerno 9: Outspoken election critics tied to Michigan tabulator 'conspiracy', a Democrat who was named the special prosecutor in September, endorsed him to be Michigan's attorney general on Sept. 16, 2021, vowed to "investigate and prosecute Gov. He alleged oppression of a minority shareholder and said his termination caused "extreme mental anguish, emotional distress, shock and humiliation.". He has claimed he wants to prosecute Nessel as well as fellow Democratic incumbents Gov. New York University School of Law Master of Laws (LL.M.) 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 has never been publicly disciplined by the state, according to records from the Attorney Discipline Board. Another factor in his decision to run: Trump, who in July encouraged him to enter the race. Lansing Republican Matt DePerno's embrace of former President Donald Trump's unproven election fraud claims moved the Kalamazoo trial lawyer from political obscurity to the front lines. 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. He is currently representing anAnn Arbor firefighterwho he said was fired for refusing to get vaccinated against COVID-19. During her speech before the first vote, Karamo touted her decision last year not to concede the secretary of state race to Benson in November and said the party's current leadership operated like a "political mafia." 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.. "They don't make guys like him anymore. 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.. DePerno and the firm eventually reached a settlement the terms of which were not available in court documents. "I've been doing this for 25 years," DePerno said of his legal background. DePerno, speaking with Bridge, called the assault allegation an "outrageous" attempt by the Moffits to avoid paying their legal bills. As he's campaigned for attorney general, DePerno vowed to "investigate and prosecute Gov. Greenlee, who's worked in politics for more than three decades, appeared to be gaining some level of support on Saturday. In 2005, DePerno launched his own law firm in Kalamazoo County, where he's practiced tax and real estate law. People get into disputes and they say things about each other in litigation, he told Bridge in a phone interview. Could that Judge then rule on rape cases, or would that create a bias for the Judge? Were going to be a political machine that strikes fear in the heart of Democrats," Karamo told delegates. Login. 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. CONTACT. Matthew DePerno was born in Warren and raised in Troy, Michigan. Election Integrity Based. Vote Karamo. DePerno is well-known and well-liked by many clients, but his legal career has been marked by some discord. Hes also suggested banning Plan B, an emergency contraceptive that can prevent pregnancy if taken within three days of having unprotected sex. She previously worked as an assistant prosecutor in the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office. Trump, who's campaigning for the GOP presidential nomination in 2024, endorsed DePerno for party chair in January. His clients included former state Rep. Todd Courser, a Lapeer area Republican who was accused of misusing taxpayer dollars to cover up an affair, and Tim Rugg, an Ann Arbor firefighter who challenged the city's COVID-19 vaccine policy. Nessel's office began its investigation in February, before DePerno was her opponent. And the GOP-controlled Michigan Senate Oversight Committee accused DePerno of spreading "misleading information and illogical conclusions.". While the Kries Enderle law firm and DePerno both declined to discuss his contentious departure given their confidential settlement agreement, DePerno downplayed the acrimonious split in general terms. 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. 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. 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 . 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 of making false claims for personal profit, echoing allegations that marred DePernos legal career nearly two decades earlier. 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. 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. 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. However, Shepard said DePerno wants to fix "the outdated and confusing" law, which dates to the 1840s. Taxation 1994-95 University of Detroit Mercy School of Law DePerno, 53, is a Portage-based attorney who primarily works on tax cases and worked primarily in Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties. 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. DePerno also has fiercely loyal supporters who defend his legal work, including clients, who contend hed make a strong attorney general. DePerno worked as a partner in a law firm before opening DePerno Law Office in 2005. Now calling himself a constitutional attorney, DePerno told Bridge his favorite cases are those that involve constitutional rights people who have arguments that theyve lost their rights because of government overreach.. The special prosecutor, D.J. Vote Furyk. 2023 Bridge Michigan. DePerno formed his campaign committee to run for attorney general 12 days later, on July 14, 2021. 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. 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. 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. Trump had actually won the county by 3,788 votes, 61%-37%, a 7,048-vote swing from the unofficial results. All (DePerno) was interested in was generating fees for himself and protecting his way to collect it, Buhl said. Democratic President Joe Biden beat Trump by 154,188 votes in 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. DePerno denied many of the accusations but eventually negotiated a settlement with the Moffits, whose attorney declined to discuss terms of the deal. All rights reserved. Matthew DePerno is an attorney who serves clients worldwide from his office in Kalamazoo Michigan, USA. DePerno received a bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan, a J.D. (Bridge photo by Jonathan Oosting). Email. Matthew Wilk of Northville said Republicans cant rely on the state party to do things the state GOP used to do. Dernis labeled DePerno a person of integrity. Because of the conflict of interest of investigating him, Nessel sought the appointment of a special prosecutor to decide if charges are warranted. 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. 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. But his supporters see him as a tenacious champion who's willing to take up causes others have declined. "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. 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."