MADISON, Wis. — Jim Troupis, a former attorney for Donald Trump in Wisconsin, asked a judge on Monday to step aside, alleging judicial misconduct in the felony forgery case tied to the 2020 "fake electors" scheme. Troupis and two co-defendants also asked that a Dec. 15 preliminary hearing be postponed and that an evidentiary hearing be held by a judge in another county to review sealed allegations.
Who Is Involved: The motion was filed by Troupis and joined by Kenneth Chesebro, an attorney who advised the campaign, and Mike Roman, Trump’s director of Election Day operations in 2020. All three face a total of 11 felony counts alleging they used forgery in an effort to defraud by producing documents claiming Trump had won Wisconsin’s 10 Electoral College votes in 2020.
Allegations and Sealed Details: The court has sealed the specifics of the alleged judicial misconduct, so public details are limited. According to court filings, the Wisconsin Department of Justice — which is prosecuting the matter — opposes postponing the preliminary hearing.
Legal Stakes: Each felony count carries a maximum penalty of six years in prison and a $10,000 fine. The case has moved slowly through state court after the defendants’ earlier motion to dismiss was denied by Dane County Circuit Judge John Hyland in August. Troupis said that denial was "the byproduct of misconduct." His lawyer, Joe Bugni, declined to provide further comment; Judge Hyland did not respond to a voicemail seeking comment.
Context: The charges were brought last year by Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul. Federal prosecutors who investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, events determined the fake-elector scheme originated in Wisconsin. None of the 10 Republican electors who signed alternate paperwork have been criminally charged; those electors, along with Chesebro and Troupis, settled a related civil lawsuit in 2023.
Related developments: A comparable state case in Michigan was dismissed in September, and a federal case alleging a conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election was dropped last year by a special prosecutor. Other state-level fake-elector matters remain pending in Nevada and Georgia.
Requests in the Motion: Beyond seeking to vacate the order denying dismissal, the defendants asked that the Dec. 15 preliminary hearing be canceled, that all Dane County judges recuse themselves, and that the entire matter be transferred to another county for further proceedings.
The allegations and the defendants’ requests mark the latest procedural developments in a case central to continuing legal and political debates over the aftermath of the 2020 election.
