Federal prosecutors have charged two Trump allies over allegations of accessing and tampering with voter machines after the 2020 election, according to Tuesday reports.
Matthew DePerno, a Republican lawyer and former Michigan attorney general candidate, faces charges for undue possession of a voting machine and damaging a voting machine, according to Detroit News. Former Michigan state Rep. Daire Rendon was reportedly charged with conspiracy to commit undue possession of a voting machine and false pretenses.
Both DePerno and Wilson were vocal proponents of the claim the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Donald Trump, per Detroit News. (RELATED: Michigan Voting Software Glitch Reportedly Skewed Results, Triggering Manual Recount In At Least One County)
Special prosector D.J. Hilson issued a statement Tuesday, indicating the investigation is still ongoing.
Breaking News: Matthew DePerno, a key figure in efforts to overturn the 2020 election in Michigan, was arraigned on criminal charges, including possession of a voting machine and a conspiracy to gain unauthorized access to a computer or computer system. https://t.co/qx3mgOjwhb
— The New York Times (@nytimes) August 1, 2023
“The charging decision was the result of a thorough decision-making process by an independent citizens grand jury,” Hilson said. “This citizens grand jury carefully listened to the sworn testimony and analyzed the evidence as required by law and returned a decision to indict each of the defendants.”
DePerno and Rendon were arraigned Remotely Tuesday, according to The Associated Press (AP).
Court records reportedly indicate DePerno as a “prime instigator” in the case. DePerno has previously denied the charges levied at him and has accused the state attorney general of politicizing the case, per The AP.
The former Michigan attorney general candidate was reportedly present when five voting machines from three state counties were transported to a hotel room and had “tests” performed on them, according to 2022 documents released by Attorney General Dana Nessel.
Rendon reportedly requested local clerks for access to their voting machines after the 2020 election. Rendon claimed in June 2021 he had evidence of widespread voter fraud in the state of Michigan, per Detroit News.
A state judge ruled in July removing a voting machine without a court order or direct authorization from the Secretary of State’s office constitutes a felony and potentially 5 years in jail, The AP noted.