In 2016, Buhlfiled a requestasking the Michigan Attorney Grievance Commission to investigate DePerno after he was accused of legal malpractice. More:As Michigan AG race narrows, Nessel's comments, cases take center stage. 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. 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. The guys got no ethics at all, William Buhl, a retired Van Buren County Circuit Court judge and former Republican, told Bridge. 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. They dont make guys like him anymore. His experience and record of success has benefited individuals, small business, and multi-national corporations. 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. 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. Submit. 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.". But he told Bridge he cannot discuss details because of a confidential settlement. Matt DePerno: Liar, Liar Pants on Fire - Michigan Democratic Party On. 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. 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. Because of the conflict of interest of investigating him, Nessel sought the appointment of a special prosecutor to decide if charges are warranted. Karamo had 58% of the vote on the . 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. In October 2019, Connors dismissed the case against The News "with prejudice" and ordered DePerno and Courser to pay The News $79,701 as a sanction, according to Washtenaw County court records. The grievance commission, the investigative arm of the Michigan Supreme Court, only makes its findings public if it authorizes formal charges against a lawyer with the state Attorney Discipline Board, which it did not do for DePerno. DePerno refused. Consumers Energy, Manchester Market partner for free community breakfast, Career partnerships expand within Manchester school district, Dance Masters of Michigan attend solo title event competition, Village establishes change of use ordinance, Environmental incentives to conservation easements: Residents learn about land management & preservation, reflecting the community of Manchester since 2013. 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. 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. 2023 FOX Television Stations, The heaviest snow is behind us heading into the weekend, Snow storm shuts down Detroit Metro Airport, Power outages hit Metro Detroit hard as winter storm pounds area, WATCH - Jennifer Hammond talks with Detroit Titans guard Antoine Davis after coming up just short of the NCAA all-time scoring record, Southeast Michigan weather: The latest totals and what to expect tonight, Dead woman found tied up, wrapped in tarp in abandoned Monroe County building, sources say, Disneyland banned Rebel Wilson over selfie, actress says, Winter storm leaves 205k DTE customers without power, dry and mild weekend ahead, MSP: Driver of crashed car fatally struck on I-96, at-fault driver without license. DePerno lost to Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel by 9 percentage points in November. Matt DePerno announces bid for Michigan Republican Party chair DePerno has never been publicly disciplined by the state, according to records from the Attorney Discipline Board. Gretchen Whitmer imposed to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The Moffits never filed a criminal complaint. He's challenging Democrat Attorney General Dana Nessel, a lawyer from Plymouth, who has under-performed Democratic Gov. Nessel joked about a "drag queen for every school" during an event in June. 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. I have always supported Matt DePerno, said state Rep. Angela Rigas, R-Caledonia, as she entered the convention on Saturday. He has a wife and three children. The bench warrant for DePerno's arrest was not resolved, according to available court records, and remained in effect for more than 14 months. Some Republicans,including political strategist John Yob, now view DePerno as their best hope to win one of Michigan's top three offices on Election Day. While the case was ultimately settled, what he saw in pre-trial hearings was abhorrent, Buhl told Bridge Michigan. 62. from 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. 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. Samantha DePerno, 19, began her sophomore year at MSU this past Fall, 2021. 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. Both of the final two candidates, Karamo and DePerno, had denied the results of the 2020 election: Trump's loss. We report because the news impacts all of us. ", While DePerno said he was conceding the race, he also said he would "refuse to concede that Michigan is a blue state. He alleged oppression of a minority shareholder and said his termination caused extreme mental anguish, emotional distress, shock and humiliation.. . 2 min read. Democratic President Joe Biden beat Trump by 154,188 votes in Michigan. However, Democrats overperformed in many of their races, polls have consistently shown. 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. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has been declared the winner in the race for the state's top job. Kallman declined to detail the issues. 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. CONTACT. All rights reserved. "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. 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 months, Matthew has tried to take his findings to the Michigan Legislature, asking for their support in demanding a Statewide full forensic audit, to no avail. As DePerno worked on the 2020 election, his law office's website linked to a fundraising page that brought in nearly $400,000. Matthew DePerno, the Republican nominee for attorney general in Michigan who has made a name for himself by pushing lies about the 2020 election and by becoming the target of an investigation into whether he illegally tampered with voting machines is spending the final stretch of his campaign spouting new falsehoods about supposed election crimes. "Someone had to step up and take charge of what was happening. John Engler. Firm: Michigan AG hopeful Matt DePerno fired over 'padded,' false I have fought to try to vindicate President Trump when no one else would., Doing the right thing doesnt always make you popular," DePerno added moments later. On Saturday morning, Macomb County Republican Chairman Mark Forton dropped out of the state chair race, leaving nine remaining candidates. "They are not here. On Feb. 6, 2020, Connors signed a bench warrant for DePerno's arrest and for him to be brought before the court "immediately" for failure to appear, according to a document. Forton said his decision was meant to ensure that a "grassroots-type" hopeful had a chance to win. from the New York University School of Law. 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. but he had a falling out with the firm, which accused him of "acts of fraud and dishonesty" and alleged he "padded" his billable hours. 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. The people of MIchigan are tired of the rising crime, threats to parental rights and an ongoing lack of trust in government. from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, and an LL.M. Anthony DePerno, 21, is majoring in Supply Chain Management at MSU and is expected to graduate this Spring, 2022. Matthew DePerno - Ballotpedia People get into disputes and they say things about each other in litigation, he told Bridge in a phone interview. Were going to be a political machine that strikes fear in the heart of Democrats," Karamo told delegates. The March 12, 2020, hearing was eventually canceled, according to court records. Matt DePerno, an attorney general candidate endorsed by former President Donald Trump, sued the firm over his firing and denied the allegations in court. It just screams out: This is why people hate lawyers. We dont need this in our profession.. A Republican-led state Senate panel that spent months investigating the contest found no evidence of widespread fraud. Elections 2022. He picked the fight and then billed them $130,000. She was speaking out against "fake issues" that she said were dividing people. 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." 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. 2023 The Detroit News, a Digital First Media Newspaper, DePerno said of the last presidential election. 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. Matt DePerno has earned the endorsement of the Michigan Republican Party to take on incumbent Democrat Dana Nessel in November. I've taken on cases that people even in the media have disagreed with.. DePerno is well-known and well-liked by many clients, but his legal career has been marked by some discord. The Michigan Court of Appeals ultimately upheld the decision to allow Dodge to remain a judge. Muskegon County Prosecutor D.J. 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 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. 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. GOP's AG Nominee In Michigan Pushes Election Fraud Lies While Facing Matthew DePerno was born in Warren and raised in Troy, Michigan. 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. "And I have had people approach me across the state, and they've asked me, 'Where did that money go?'". 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. Matthew DePerno: What to know about Michigan GOP attorney general candidate. 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. The ProAssurance Casualty Company alleged DePerno made unreasonable demands of attorneys they had hired to represent him in the Moffits malpractice suit. They need to see a well-organized party. His wife, Laura, is a registered nurse and has experience in medical/surgical, transplant, cardiology, outpatient oncology, and trauma critical care. Dodge has since retired and told Bridge Michigan he did not remember the dispute well. Matthew DePerno for Attorney General Democratic Gov. Matt attended the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree. I've always proven that I don't back down from anyone, he said. Matt DePerno concedes Michigan AG race to Dana Nessel Published November 9, 2022 2022 Midterm Elections FOX 2 Detroit Whitmer's victory speech: Michigan is about to 'step on the. 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. It takes working together to restore this great state. Forton endorsed Karamo before the first round of voting. 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. (Bridge photo by Jonathan Oosting). 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. 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. And DePerno later sued their attorney unsuccessfully for defamation. 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. Were looking forward to a party thats successful," Karamo said. And in early 2022, state Rep. Ryan Berman of Commerce Township, who previously ran for attorney general as a Republican against DePerno, said DePerno's "skeletons have skeletons. Email. If you care about Michigan, please support our work. ", "If it wasn't for Matt, we'd be out on the streets," Dernis told Bridge. DePerno also has fiercely loyal supporters who defend his legal work, including clients, who contend hed make a strong attorney general. Conservative lawyer David Kallman, whose office is based in Lansing, said DePerno has done things he doesn't agree with. DePerno is a leading advocate for a forensic audit of the 2020 election. Michigan Republican convention to decide next party leader She has repeatedly made unproven and false claims about Michigan's voting system. As a tax attorney who worked primarily in Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties, his legal career has been marked by discord. DePerno had been endorsed by former President Donald Trump. "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.". A fighter or a threat? Matt DePerno could be Michigan's next attorney He also represented former state Rep. Todd Courser in a sex scandal cover-up case, which ended with Courser. 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. 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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. 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. The top fundraisers among Michigan statewide elected offices 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. Where Michigan attorney general foes Dana Nessel and Matthew DePerno stand. At the end of 2020, DePerno began gaining national attention for challenging the election results in northern Michigan's Antrim County. Matthew DePerno (Attorney General) - $771,799. 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.