Washington — Three allies of former President Donald Trump were charged Tuesday in Wisconsin in connection with an alleged scheme to send fake electors to Congress after the 2020 presidential election.
Kenneth Chesebro, James Troupis and Michael Roman each face one felony count of forgery, according to court records. The three are scheduled to make their first appearance in Dane County Circuit Court on Sept. 19, court records show. Violators face up to six years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
Chesebro, an attorney, wrote a six-page memo in December 2020 outlining a plan to organize Trump’s supporters to serve as fake voters after that year’s presidential elections in crucial swing states where he lost. The plot called for the so-called alternate electors to meet on December 14, 2020, when legitimate members of the Electoral College would convene to announce the results of the elections in their states. The fake voters would also sign false statements claiming that Trump had won. As part of the plan, then-Vice President Mike Pence would count their state electoral votes as cast for Trump during a joint session of Congress on January 6, 2021, even though President Biden had won their states.
The alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election to keep Trump in power have led to indictments in several battleground states, including Arizona, Michigan, Nevada and Georgia. Trump faces 10 charges in an election-related case brought by prosecutors in Fulton County, Georgia, as well as federal charges in Washington, D.C., stemming from alleged efforts to undermine the transfer of presidential power. He has pleaded not guilty on all counts.
Cheseboro was also charged in the extensive racketeering case in Georgia. He pleaded guilty in October to one count of conspiracy to file false documents. Prosecutors said he masterminded the strategy of appointing alternate electors in several states, which was part of the broader plot to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
Roman, a longtime GOP operative, served as director of Election Day operations for Trump’s 2020 campaign and was also charged in Fulton County. He faces seven charges related to the false election program and has pleaded not guilty. Roman was also indicted in Arizona on charges stemming from the alleged attempt to keep Trump in office for a second term.
Troupis briefly served as a circuit court judge in Wisconsin and represented Trump in the state during the last presidential election.
Lawyers for the three men were not immediately available for comment.
Responding to reports of the allegations, Democrat Tony Evers, the governor of Wisconsin, said, “Good.”
