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When Republican Attorney General candidate Matt DePerno filed his campaign finance reports earlier this week, they contained a $17,213 expenditure for catering and rental, payable to Mar-a-Lago, former President Trump's Florida resort. Now we know what it was for: A March fundraiser there, hosted by Trump himself.
Matt DePerno (Photo: Twitter)
The scheduled event would be another sign of Trump's direct involvement in down-ballot races in the battleground state. It's expected to take place on March 8, the month before state GOP convention delegates meet to endorse a nominee to challenge Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel, Michigan's top law enforcement official.
“It’s clear that President Trump is fully invested in Matt’s campaign," DePerno's spokesman Tyson Shepard said. "On top of publicly supporting Matt multiple times, the president has agreed to host and attend a private fundraiser for us at Mar-a-Lago."
Trump is going to do everything he can to help DePerno win in both April and November, Shepard said.
Trump endorsed DePerno months ago, potentially complicating the GOP race to unseat incumbent AG Dana Nessel in November. Tom Leonard, a former House speaker, came close to beating Nessel in 2018, and wants a rematch.
DePerno has no government experience and spent most of his career as a tax lawyer, before opening a solo practice. Trump's affection for DePerno is based on the lawyer's insistence on a so-called full forensic audit of the 2020 election, which DePerno insists was marked by voter fraud.
The Mar-a-Lago fundraiser offers levels of access: A $25,000 donation will get the donor a photo with DePerno and Trump. For $10,000, the photo is with DePerno and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, The News reports.
On Wednesday at Mar-a-Lago this week, Trump appeared with Michigan gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon. "We have somebody very special in Tudor," he said, a tweeted video shows. "She's in there working very hard."
