Trump allies in Michigan charged in 2020 voting machine tampering case

• 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.