MADISON — Attorney General Josh Kaul on Tuesday charged three of former President Donald Trump’s associates with felonies for their roles in Wisconsin’s fake elector scheme in 2020.
Attorneys Kenneth Chesebro and Jim Troupis and former Trump aide Michael Roman are accused of forgery, which carries a maximum penalty of six years in prison and $10,000 in fines.
Troupis and Chesebro did not respond to voicemails left Tuesday seeking comment. An attorney for Roman has not yet been listed in court records.
Chesebro orchestrated the multi-state plot to submit fake elector certificates in 2020 in an attempt to overturn the results of the presidential election. Troupis was Trump’s attorney in Wisconsin and helped organize the state’s fake electors. Roman allegedly helped try to deliver the false paperwork to former Vice President Mike Pence on Jan. 6, 2021.
But Kaul notably has not brought charges against the 10 fake electors who actually signed the false certificate in Wisconsin.
“Our approach has been focused on following the facts where they lead, and then making decisions based on the facts, the law, and the best interest of justice,” Kaul said at a press conference Tuesday. “This investigation will continue, and we will make decisions and where appropriate we’ll work with district attorneys to make decisions again based on those factors.”
Charges have been filed against fake electors in four of the seven states where Republicans participated in the scheme to overturn election results. Kaul has been silent for months on whether that might happen in Wisconsin.
Kaul says the timing of the charges in Wisconsin – brought just five months before the 2024 presidential election – was not political.
“Our decisions are entirely based on the facts and the law. In this case, I will note that the defendants are not themselves people who are candidates for any office. But again, this case is ongoing and the decisions we make are not based on external factors,” he said.
All three of the men charged Tuesday are set to make initial appearances in Dane County Circuit Court on Sept. 19 – less than two months before the presidential election.
