Trump allies in Michigan charged in 2020 voting machine tampering case

Two allies of former President Donald Trump were charged in Michigan in relation to tampering with voting machines after the 2020 election, per court records.

Driving the news: Matthew DePerno, a former attorney general candidate endorsed by Trump, is facing four counts including undue possession of a voting machine and conspiracy.

• Former state representative Daire Rendon was charged with false pretenses and conspiracy to commit undue possession of a voting machine.
• They were both arraigned Tuesday, court records show.

What they're saying: Lawyers for DePerno told Axios in an emailed statement that their client "categorically denies any wrongdoing" and maintains that the charges are "unfounded and lack merit."

• "He maintains his innocence and firmly believes that these charges are not based upon any actual truth and are motivated primarily by politics rather than evidence," the statement reads.

Context: The charges come after an investigation into unauthorized access to vote tabulators.

• At least nine people were accused of accessing and compromising tabulators from clerk's offices in northern and west Michigan counties, Attorney General Dana Nessel's office wrote in a petition last August.

What's next: DePerno and Rendon are due back in court on September 5, according to Richard Lynch, the court administrator for Oakland County's 6th Circuit.