Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel (D) on Friday asked a special prosecutor to investigate her opponent’s alleged involvement in a group that gained unauthorized access to voting machines.
Politico published a petition from Nessel’s office calling for the special counsel after her investigation into the alleged scheme found ties to Matthew De Pernod, the alleged Republican nominee for Michigan attorney general who is backed by former President Trump.
“When this investigation began, there was no conflict of interest,” the petition states. “However, during the course of the investigation, facts were revealed that De Pernod was one of the main instigators of the conspiracy.”
The Hill has reached out to Nessel’s office and the Michigan Prosecutors’ Coordinating Council, the group that received the petition, for comment.
Nessel’s investigation began after a request in February by Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, who said she received reports that at least one unnamed third party was able to “gain inappropriate access” to voting machines in Richfield Township and Roscommon.
On Sunday, Reuters first publicly revealed DePerno’s alleged ties to the Nessel investigation, and Politico reported shortly after her office’s request for a special counsel.
Reuters cited court documents alleging that De Perno led a team that gained unauthorized access to voting machines in the city of Richfield.
In its petition, Nessel’s office said the special counsel should review charges such as intentionally damaging a voting machine and fraudulently accessing a computer system.
In September, Trump endorsed De Pernod, who has been an outspoken supporter of the former president’s baseless allegations of election fraud.
Tyson Shepherd, DePerno’s campaign manager, called Nessel’s actions “unethical” in a statement.
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“Dana Nessel has a history of targeting and persecuting her political enemies,” Shepherd said.
“At the same time, she has refused to prosecute any crime involving Democrats, including the deaths resulting from the nursing home COVID scandal,” he added.
Republican state lawmakers criticized the administration of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) for its executive order early in the pandemic that placed elderly people recovering from COVID in special isolation wings at nursing homes, saying the policy led to more deaths cases.
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