Less than two months later, in late January, Deaton moved to Swansea, Mass., where he now lists his address on Mohill Avenue, and registered to vote as a Republican, according to the town clerk. And now, according to two GOP insiders with direct knowledge of his plans, he is seriously weighing a run against Warren, with a formal decision expected in the next few days.
To represent a state in the US Senate, a person must have residency in that state at the time of the election, a standard he appears to meet.
Jim Conroy, a key architect of former governor Charlie Baker’s political operation who is consulting with Deaton, said Deaton is taking a “serious look” at the contest and will make his decision in the next few days. Deaton, 56, is prepared to seed his campaign with $500,000 of his own money, Conroy said.
Deaton did not return requests for comment this week.
A Michigan native and relative political unknown, Deaton worked for decades as an attorney on asbestos and mesothelioma cases before turning his attention to crypto litigation and commentary in the last few years. He posts frequently about the cryptocurrency industry on X, in YouTube videos, and on his website, CryptoLaw.
While his current address is in Swansea, just miles from the Rhode Island border, local property records indicate Deaton owns a home in Barrington, R.I., valued at $1.8 million. He is an active voter in Rhode Island, where he is not registered with either major political party, according to state records.
In the past few months, Deaton has posted online more than once about his interest in moving across state lines to challenge the outspoken progressive Warren. His entrance into the race could set up a sharp contrast with Massachusetts’ senior senator, who is one of Washington’s loudest critics of crypto and fiercest advocates for increased regulation.
“My biggest regret right now is not buying the house I looked at in Rehoboth ,Massachusetts, but instead bought the house I currently live in, in Barrington Rhode Island,” Deaton posted on X in October.
Referring to Warren, he added: “Had I bought the Massachusetts house, I would [100 percent] run against this [gas] lighting, self-serving hypocrite.”
Warren has hardly been Deaton’s only target online. He also has attacked Republicans, including former president Donald Trump, who he said “defines embarrassment.” In September 2023, Deaton called Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell “corrupt.”
Though he has not officially entered the race, Deaton has faced scrutiny since the Globe reported Wednesday that he was taking a serious look at the contest. No major Republican candidate has stepped up to challenge Warren since she announced last year she would seek reelection, and she remains a heavy favorite to win a third term.
Republicans, hopeful that the right candidate could topple Warren, argue she is not popular or present enough in the state. A survey last year from the MassINC Polling Group found that just 41 percent of Massachusetts residents view Warren favorably, a statistic that Republicans here have eagerly embraced. When she ran for president in 2020, Warren finished third in the Democratic primary in Massachusetts behind Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders.
For Republicans, perhaps more significant than the prospect of defeating Warren in November is the potential to entangle her in a competitive race in Massachusetts and prevent her from raising money around the country for other candidates and causes. Warren is a powerful fund-raiser who has helped bring in checks for several of her Democratic US Senate colleagues, as well as Biden’s reelection campaign and abortion rights groups. She raised more than $850,000 for her reelection campaign in the fourth quarter of 2023.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the senator told the Globe that Warren “is taking nothing for granted.”
“She has a strong record of delivering for working families and continues to fight hard for the people of Massachusetts,” the spokesperson added, but declined to comment on specific questions about Deaton, including his residency.
In 2017, Deaton was arrested for assault, according to police and court records, as well as his own 2023 memoir, “Food Stamp Warrior.” The arrest came after he and his girlfriend attended her 8-year-old son’s football game at Barrington High School, where the woman’s former husband was also present. In his book, Deaton alleges that the other man, Ron Warner, initiated the altercation, and that Deaton shoved back only after being provoked and grabbed.
According to a police report about the incident, Deaton threatened to sue the police department and told the officer, “I pay more in taxes than your entire salary.” Later, the report said, Deaton asked the officer if he could hold up his middle finger in his mugshot. In his memoir, Deaton writes that “I talked back to [the officers] and gave them lip.”
The charges were ultimately dismissed, and Deaton was issued 30 hours community service. He later sued the department, arguing that the arrest “caused irreparable harm to his reputation” and caused him to lose “significant business” in his legal practice — $3 million in wages, according to his 2019 complaint.
“John protected himself against an individual with an outstanding warrant for domestic violence,” Conroy said, referring to an active arrest warrant for Warner involving a domestic incident earlier in 2017.
Sean Cotter of the Globe staff contributed to this report.
Emma Platoff can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her @emmaplatoff.