LANSING, Mich. — The Republican candidate for Michigan attorney general, Matt DePerno, is currently under investigation for his alleged involvement with a group that conspired to tamper with election equipment used in the 2020 election.
They’re allegations DePerno flatly denied and called quote “total garbage.”
“No one provided unauthorized access, and no one tried to convince anyone to do anything," said DePerno.
DePerno is a lawyer from Kalamazoo, whose candidacy has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump.
DePerno has also been a vocal denier of the 2020 election results and says current Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is using her office to damage his political aspirations.
“Dana Nessel doesn't want to talk about what's actually happening in the country right now," he said. "In the state of Michigan, we have the highest crime rate in the state. We're now number ten in sex trafficking. We have illegal Chinese fentanyl flowing into the state of Michigan, destroying families and killing children.”
An investigation into the incident has been underway through the Michigan State Police and the attorney general’s office. Over the weekend, Nessel requested a special prosecutor to take over the investigation as the two are running against one another. According to the Prosecuting Attorneys Coordinating Council, the charges include, but are not limited to, “using a computer system to commit a crime, willfully damaging a voting machine, malicious destruction of property, fraudulent access to a computer or computer system and false pretenses.”
"Now, what she's doing is seeking retribution against me, her political opponent, and that cannot stand," he said.
Nessel, the Department of the Attorney General and the Michigan Secretary of State's Office are unable to comment on this ongoing investigation, but FOX 47 News did reach out.
“There must be consequences for those who break the law to undermine our elections and further political goals," Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson wrote in a tweet on Sunday.
DePerno said that he is feeling some concern over the impact these allegations will have on his candidacy.
“Well, I mean, when anyone accuses people of a felony, there's always a concern about what would happen," he said. "But we have to continue to look at and recognize that Dana Nessel is doing this for political reasons.”
The process to appoint a special prosecutor and get proceedings underway is long, so we’ll keep following this story as it develops.
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