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. "He will never give up, and thats why they absolutely cannot stand him.". "I've been doing this for 25 years," DePerno said of his legal background. Matthew DePerno was born in Warren and raised in Troy, 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. DePerno and Courser couldn't pay the amount, they argued in court. 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. 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. The sides eventually settled out of court in 2008. 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. Heres what the laws are now, Michigan State shooting update: 2 more students released from hospital, Michigan has far more power outages this week than other Midwest states, Michigan outraged toxic waste from Ohio derailment shipped to Belleville, MSU shooting: fourth victim identified, discharged from hospital, Michigan lawmakers send Whitmer tax cuts; $180 payments are dead, Michigans lousy infrastructure has many begging: Fix the damn noisy roads, Michigan State shooting: Alerts to students delayed as police rushed to campus, Report: Trump allies sought election data in Antrim, Wayne counties, Michigan GOP endorses Trump favorites DePerno, Karamo at convention, DePerno loses another bid for Antrim County audit as court dismisses appeal, Trump favorite Matt DePerno back in court, seeks another Antrim County audit, Trump fundraises for Karamo, but Michigan Democrats dominate money race, Michigan township braces for Trump rally: we dont have another option, Michigan AG hopeful Tom Leonards fundraising draws fairness concerns, Matt DePerno banks on Trump bump in Republican race for attorney general, Michigan AG candidate Matt DePerno gets his moment at Trumps Mar-A-Lago. 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. After her election Saturday night, Karamo told The Detroit News her first priority as party chair is to grow the party with everyday residents and individuals in areas weve never penetrated, especially in urban America." A judge rejected the litigation, saying her claims were "unsubstantiated" or misinterpreted Michigan election law. Him and I had discussions as to whether I should run, DePerno said. 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. While the case was ultimately settled, what he saw in pre-trial hearings was abhorrent, Buhl told Bridge Michigan. People get into disputes and they say things about each other in litigation, he told Bridge in a phone interview. Two attorneys quit, saying they could not represent DePerno without violating the canons of ethics. So DePerno represented himself, an unorthodox move the liability insurer asked a court to stop before also agreeing to a settlement with DePerno. If you care about Michigan, please support our work. DePerno filed a lawsuit on behalf of Antrim County resident Bill Bailey, and he and his supporters claimed, without evidence, the problems were because of the technology itself. Trump, who has touted DePerno's legal efforts, endorsed him to be Michigan's attorney general on Sept. 16, 2021. Who's in, out of race? 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." He picked the fight and then billed them $130,000. Trump's campaign lawyer, Christina Bobb, worked with DePerno on the convention floor. All rights reserved. But some Republicans were concerned about DePerno's track record. "The sanction award far exceeds the petitioners' ability to pay," Baker wrote in a filing on Jan. 9, 2020. All (DePerno) was interested in was generating fees for himself and protecting his way to collect it, Buhl said. 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 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. from the New York University School of Law. 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. His campaign website says he will "restore law and order" and "uphold the Constitution.". She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement. 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. If Matthew DePerno wins his race to unseat Michigan's Democratic attorney general in November, he'll become the state's top lawyer. DePerno also transferred "his interest in the marital home" to his wife's trust for $1, according to the lawyers for The News. The guys got no ethics at all, William Buhl, a retired Van Buren County Circuit Court judge and former Republican, told Bridge. Dodge has since retired and told Bridge Michigan he did not remember the dispute well. But the litigation created four volumes of records at the Kalamazoo County clerk's office. 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. ", 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. "We tried to plot our strategy that way. ", While DePerno said he was conceding the race, he also said he would "refuse to concede that Michigan is a blue state. 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. She becomes the first Black person to lead the Michigan GOP. Incredibly, the appeals court noted, DePerno made the following analogy: lets assume a Judge was raped. Civil rights issues are a main focus of Nessel's, and she founded the Fair Michigan Foundation. She has repeatedly made unproven and false claims about Michigan's voting system. An incumbent attorney general hasn't lost reelection in Michigan since 1954. Dernis labeled DePerno a person of integrity. 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. Getting Trumps endorsement was huge for DePernos campaign. "I think it's extremely problematic," Truscott told Bridge Michigan. "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. It was a "trick," DePerno told the state Court of Appeals on Feb. 26, 2020. "I'll pass. 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. Matt DePerno, an attorney general candidate endorsed by former President Donald Trump, sued the firm over his firing and denied the allegations in court. . Maddock called DePerno and Secretary of State hopeful Kristina Karamo the strongest candidates to address the stolen 2020 election and push for a forensic audit of the states voting in that contest. Both of the final two candidates, Karamo and DePerno, had denied the results of the 2020 election: Trump's loss. "They are not here. Kallman declined to detail the issues. The Michigan Court of Appeals ultimately upheld the decision to allow Dodge to remain a judge. 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. Matt DePerno has earned the endorsement of the Michigan Republican Party to take on incumbent Democrat Dana Nessel in November. If you care about Michigan, please support our work. "Mr. DePerno has received calls from the sheriff's deputy that's going to come and try to execute writs of execution, I guess, on his office furniture and supplies," Baker said during a Jan. 16, 2020, court hearing. DePerno and the firm eventually reached a settlement the terms of which were not available in court documents. They advanced to a second round before Karamo beat DePerno in the third and final vote. We report because the news impacts all of us. DePerno, speaking with Bridge, called the assault allegation an outrageous attempt by the Moffits to avoid paying their legal bills. 62. 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. In 2005, DePerno launched his own law firm in Kalamazoo County, where he's practiced tax and real estate law. "Someone had to step up and take charge of what was happening. As a tax attorney who worked primarily in Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties, his legal career has been marked by discord. As attorney general, youre the states chief law enforcement officer. 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. Greenlee said Republicans were responding to his message of activating and engaging the delegates. Elissa Slotkin announces bid to succeed Debbie Stabenow. "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. 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. Hes also suggested banning Plan B, an emergency contraceptive that can prevent pregnancy if taken within three days of having unprotected sex. Who's in, out of race? 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. Thank goodness that most of my cases were nothing like this one.. 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. Greenlee, who's worked in politics for more than three decades, appeared to be gaining some level of support on Saturday. Feb 10 Don't miss our Pre-Convention Rally with President Donald Trump THIS MONDAY! "That would be a privileged question.". Matt DePerno, an attorney general candidate endorsed by former President Donald Trump, sued the firm over his firing and denied the allegations in court. Two attorneys quit, saying they could not represent DePerno without violating the canons of ethics. So DePerno represented himself, an unorthodox move the liability insurer asked a court to stop before also agreeing to a settlement with DePerno. Democratic Gov. One of DePerno's Republican convention opponents in the spring, Leonard, called on DePerno to detail what happened with the money in March. DePerno lost the 2022 attorney general election to incumbent Attorney General Dana Nessel by nearly nine points. 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. In a recent letter to Michigan GOP precinct delegates, Trump called DePerno an "incredible attorney" who "led the charge in calling out obvious voter fraud by suing over the election in Antrim County, where an error by the Republican clerk skewed initial results in favor of Democrat Joe Biden but was quickly corrected. 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. 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 had actually won the county by 3,788 votes, 61%-37%, a 7,048-vote swing from the unofficial results. 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. Jimmy Greene, president of Associated Builders and Contractors of Michigan, is among the state Republicans who have warmed to DePerno as the general election neared. Maddock called DePerno and Secretary of State hopeful Kristina Karamo the "strongest candidates" to address "the stolen 2020 election" and push for a "forensic audit" of the states voting in that contest. 469 views. 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. Since then, he's become a favorite among Michigan Republican delegates, and he helped negotiate a deal to delay feuding between party factions at an August convention. If you can't abide by the laws and the rules, how do you have the moral authority to prosecute criminals?". The two have been married for over 26 years and raised three children together. DePerno has never been publicly disciplined by the state, according to records from the Attorney Discipline Board.