Trump Allies Face Expanded Charges in Wisconsin Fake Elector Scheme
MADISON, Wis. – The legal battles surrounding the 2020 election continue to intensify, with Wisconsin prosecutors significantly escalating charges against three key figures in former President Donald Trump’s inner circle. Jim Troupis, Trump’s Wisconsin attorney; Kenneth Chesebro, a campaign legal advisor; and Mike Roman, Trump’s 2020 Election Day operations director, are now facing a total of 11 felony counts each, up from a single forgery charge filed in June. The new charges allege that the trio used forged documents to defraud the 10 Republican electors who cast their votes for Trump in Wisconsin despite his loss to Joe Biden. This development marks a significant expansion of the state’s investigation into the alleged fake elector scheme, focusing on the deception of individual electors and the attempt to unlawfully influence the outcome of the presidential election.
The original forgery charge stemmed from the creation and attempted delivery of a fraudulent document to then-Vice President Mike Pence, falsely claiming Trump had won Wisconsin’s 10 Electoral College votes. The additional charges, filed just two days before the defendants’ initial court appearances, directly connect the alleged forgery to each of the 10 Republican electors. Each felony charge carries a potential penalty of six years in prison and a $10,000 fine, significantly raising the stakes for Troupis, Chesebro, and Roman. The timing of these new charges suggests a strategic move by prosecutors, potentially strengthening their case and applying increased pressure on the defendants.
The amended complaint reveals that a majority of the Republican electors informed investigators they signed the elector certificate believing it was merely a procedural measure to preserve Trump’s legal options pending a potential court ruling overturning the election results. These electors reportedly asserted that they never consented to have their signatures submitted to Congress without such a ruling, effectively accusing Troupis, Chesebro, and Roman of misrepresenting their intentions and using their signatures to advance a fraudulent claim. This testimony provides crucial evidence for the prosecution, highlighting the alleged deceptive practices used to orchestrate the fake elector scheme.
In anticipation of his initial court appearance and prior to the amended complaint, Troupis filed four motions to dismiss the initial charge. His defense argues that the Republican electors’ meeting and ballot casting were legitimate actions taken to maintain legal options in case the U.S. Supreme Court favored Trump’s election challenge. Troupis contends that no crime was committed and that federal law should supersede state jurisdiction in this matter. He further claims that the initial complaint omitted exculpatory facts and that the state attorney general lacks the authority to prosecute election crimes, which he argues falls under the purview of county district attorneys.
This case unfolds against a backdrop of broader legal challenges related to the 2020 election and the fake elector scheme, with ongoing investigations and charges in other states, including Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, and Georgia. Federal prosecutors also investigated Trump’s role in the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot, identifying Wisconsin as the origin of the fake elector plan. However, special counsel Jack Smith dropped the federal case, acknowledging that Trump’s return to the White House would complicate federal prosecution efforts. The Wisconsin case, therefore, takes on added significance as one of the few remaining avenues for potential legal accountability for the alleged fake elector scheme.
The Wisconsin charges, brought by Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul, arrive just months after Trump secured a victory in the state’s November election, underscoring the ongoing political tensions surrounding the 2020 election aftermath. While these charges represent the only ones filed in Wisconsin related to the fake elector scheme, none of the electors themselves have been charged. Notably, the electors, Chesebro, and Troupis settled a related lawsuit in 2023. Chesebro and Roman are also facing charges in Georgia related to election interference, with Roman pleading not guilty. Chesebro had initially pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge but is now attempting to invalidate the plea after the charge was dismissed by a judge. These interconnected cases across multiple jurisdictions highlight the complex legal landscape surrounding the 2020 election and the ongoing efforts to determine accountability for alleged attempts to overturn the results.