KALAMAZOO—A Republican running to be Michigan’s 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 to court records reviewed by Bridge Michigan.

Matt DePerno, an attorney general candidate endorsed by former President Donald Trump, sued the firm over his firing and denied the allegations in court. But he told Bridge he cannot discuss details because of a confidential settlement.

DePerno is best known for defending former state Rep. Todd Courser after a 2015 sex scandal cover up and challenging Antrim County election results in a failed lawsuit that spawned ongoing conspiracy theories about the 2020 election.

The Antrim County case made DePerno a national figure in Trump’s campaign to overturn the election but prompted criticism from a Republican-led Michigan Senate panel that accused him of making false claims for personal profit, echoing allegations that marred DePerno’s legal career nearly two decades earlier.

https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/firm-michigan-ag-hopeful-matt-deperno-fired-over-padded-false-billings