Wisconsin prosecutors have escalated their legal action against three individuals who were involved in a scheme to submit false documents claiming that former President Donald Trump had won the state in the 2020 election. Jim Troupis, Kenneth Chesebro, and Mike Roman, all connected to Trump’s campaign, now face a total of 11 felony charges each, with a maximum penalty of six years in prison and a $10,000 fine for each charge.
The initial forgery charge filed in June has been supplemented by 10 additional charges related to using forgery to defraud the 10 Republican electors who cast their ballots for Trump in Wisconsin. The trio is set to appear in court for their initial hearing, with their attorneys yet to respond to the new charges.
While the electors themselves have not been charged, the legal proceedings in Wisconsin shed light on a broader investigation into fake elector schemes in other battleground states like Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, and Georgia. Federal prosecutors have indicated that the origin of this scheme can be traced back to Wisconsin.
The amended complaint filed on Tuesday outlines how Troupis, Chesebro, and Roman created a document falsely stating that Trump had won Wisconsin’s Electoral College votes and attempted to present it to Vice President Mike Pence. The majority of the electors involved in the scheme indicated that they were misled into signing the document to safeguard legal options in case of a court ruling altering the election outcome.
Troupis has filed multiple motions to dismiss the charges against him, arguing that the actions taken by Republican electors were within the bounds of the law to preserve legal avenues for Trump. He also contends that federal law should supersede state charges in this case and that the state attorney general lacks the authority to prosecute election crimes.
The legal battles in Wisconsin are part of a larger narrative surrounding Trump’s efforts to challenge the 2020 election results. A federal racketeering indictment against Trump was abandoned, and he faces separate legal challenges in Georgia related to election fraud allegations. Despite the legal turmoil, Trump continues to contest the charges and assert his innocence as he prepares for a potential return to the White House.
