Michigan's attorney general is requesting a special prosecutor to investigate alleged election breaches concerning her Trump-endorsed challenger, Matthew DePerno, Reuters first reported Sunday.
Why it matters: DePerno was previously accused of profiting off 2020 election conspiracies by Republican state senators, per Axios Detroit's Samuel Robinson.
Driving the news: The request is part of a joint investigation by Attorney General Dana Nessel and Michigan State Police into "a conspiracy to unlawfully obtain access to voting machines used in the 2020 General Election," according to a petition for the appointment of a special prosecutor, obtained by Politico.
- "When this investigation began there was not a conflict of interest. However, during the course of the investigation, facts were developed that DePerno was one of the prime instigators of the conspiracy," the petition states.
- The request was made to the Michigan Prosecuting Attorneys Coordinating Council, an autonomous entity within the state Department of Attorney General.
What they're saying: DePerno's campaign tweeted late Sunday that the investigation was a "Political Witch Hunt."
- His campaign manager, Tyson Shepard, said in a statement on Sunday night that Nessel has a "history of targeting and persecuting her political enemies."
Read the petition, via DocumentCloud:
Editor's note: This article has been updated with comment from DePerno's campaign and further context.
