Matt DePerno, whom President Trump has endorsed for Michigan attorney general, has in his private legal practice led a career "marked by discord," including being fired by one firm, fighting over client records at another and being accused of "assaulting a client amid a fee dispute," according to a new report from Bridge Michigan.
Matt DePerno (Photo: Twitter)
Reporter Jonathan Oosting was able to access court documents from Kalamazoo County, which were unsealed because DePerno sued the law firm of Kreis, Enderle, Calendar and Hudgins PC in an effort to cash out his shares.
The partners fired DePerno in 2006, claiming he “committed fraud, deceit and dishonesty with regards to bogus billing, duplicate billing and write offs, in addition to other wrongful acts." DePerno denied the allegations, and the two sides settled out of court two years later.
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. He alleged “oppression of a minority shareholder” and said his termination caused "extreme mental anguish, emotional distress, shock and humiliation."
In a related case, involving a malpractice claim against DePerno, he argued the Kreis Enderle firm “invented a claim of misconduct” to deny him state unemployment benefits. DePerno was able to obtain jobless assistance by presenting paperwork to the state indicating he was fired for failing “to promote a harmonious relationship with the firm,” not fraud.
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.
DePerno had “padded” billings, claimed “excessive” write offs, “manipulated” the firm’s timekeeping system and logged hours with no explanation, according to the interoffice memo prepared by Kreis Enderle administrator Mike Beam.
DePerno has been a leading figure in alleging widespread election fraud in the November 2020 presidential race in Michigan, particularly in Antrim County. His stance has won him favor from President Trump, who endorsed him not long after he declared his intention to run.
He's also endorsed by Michigan Republican Party co-chair Meshawn Maddock, an unusual declaration for a party leader, who typically stays neutral until the nominees are set. At a Grand Rapids endorsement convention April 23, the party faithful are expected to gather behind their preferred candidates for attorney general, secretary of state and the state Supreme Court.
