Michigan’s attorney general’s office has asked a special counsel to investigate whether Republican candidates should be charged as state attorney general and others for trying to use voting machines after the 2020 election, according to published reports.
The Detroit News reported Sunday that Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office has asked the Michigan Attorney General’s Coordination Committee to appoint a special counsel to consider charges against nine people, including Republican attorney general candidate Matt Detroit. Pernau, State Rep. Dale Rendon Lake City and Barry County Sheriff Dar Leaf.
The newspaper reported that Nessel’s chief deputy attorney general, Christina Grossi, sent a letter Friday to Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson detailing the allegations.
According to the letter, they involved persuading local clerks to hand over voting sheets, breaking into them and conducting “tests.”
Nessel could face DePerno in November’s election due to a potential conflict of interest, calling for the appointment of a special prosecutor.
DePerno is a lawyer who has the backing of former President Donald Trump. The political freshman has backed Trump’s false claims about his 2020 loss to President Joe Biden in a swing state. DePerno was supported by Michigan Republicans at the state convention in April. He will be formally nominated at the second convention later this month, but that is considered a formality.
“Dana Nessel knows she’s losing the game,” DePerno’s campaign manager Tyson Sheppard said in a statement Sunday night, “The Press.” Her actions were immoral and would further demonstrate to voters that she is unfit for public office. “
Five tabulators were taken from Roscommon and Missokee counties in northern Michigan and Barrie County in western Michigan, according to the petition, which further states that Ben Cotton, Jeff Lumber Greg, Douglas Logan and James Penrose “break into the tabulating machine and ‘test’ on the device.”
Cotton, Lemberg, Logan and Penrose have all participated in the effort to question the 2020 election. Cotton, Lemberg and Penrose are listed as experts by DePeno in the lawsuit involving Antrim County, The News reported.
Logan is the founder of Cyber Ninja. He was involved in an audit of results in Maricopa County, Arizona.
News said Leaf did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday, and Rendon could not be reached.
Improper possession of a voting machine used in an election is a felony punishable by five years in prison, according to the newspaper.
