The Michigan Attorney General’s office is asking a special counsel to investigate whether the Republican nominee for state attorney general and others should be charged in connection with attempting to access voting machines after the 2020 election, according to published reports.
The Detroit News reported Sunday that Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office has requested that the Michigan Prosecuting Attorneys Coordinating Council, a state agency, appoint a special counsel to consider charges against nine people, including Republican Attorney General nominee Matt. DePerno, Lake City State Representative Daire Rendon and Barry County Sheriff Dar Leaf.
The newspaper reported that details of the allegations were made in a letter sent Friday by Nessel’s Deputy Attorney General Christina Grossi to Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.
It involved persuading local clerks to hand over voting tables, break in and run “tests,” the letter said.
The request for a special counsel was made because of the potential conflict of interest, as Nessel is likely to face DePerno in the November election.
DePerno, a lawyer, has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump. The political newcomer backs Trump’s false claims about his 2020 swing state loss to President Joe Biden. DePerno was approved by Michigan Republicans at their state convention in April. He will be officially nominated at a second congress later this month, but that was considered a formality.
“Dana Nessel knows she is losing this race,” DePerno campaign manager Tyson Shepard said in a statement Sunday night, The News reported. “Desperate to win this election at all costs, she is now targeting DePerno, her political opponent. Her actions are unethical and will further demonstrate to voters that she is unfit for office.”
According to the petition, five tabulators have been taken from Roscommon and Missaukee counties in northern Michigan and Barry County in western Michigan, further stating that Ben Cotton, Jeff Lenberg, Douglas Logan and James Penrose “break into the tabulators and” tests’ on the equipment.”
Cotton, Lenberg, Logan and Penrose have all been involved in attempts to question the 2020 election. Cotton, Lenberg and Penrose were cited by DePerno as experts in a 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.
Leaf did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday, according to The News, and Rendon could not be reached.
Obtaining unlawful possession of a voting machine used in an election is a crime punishable by five years in prison, the newspaper reported.