The preliminary hearing will decide whether three former Trump campaign figures — Jim Troupis, Kenneth Chesebro and Mike Roman — face trial on felony forgery charges tied to a 2020 fake-elector scheme. Each defendant faces 11 felony counts after prosecutors alleged they misled 10 Republican electors about how signed certificates would be used. Judge John Hyland denied a recusal request and will determine whether there is enough evidence to proceed. The charges were filed by the Wisconsin DOJ in 2024; none of the electors have been criminally charged.
Wisconsin Preliminary Hearing For Three Former Trump Campaign Figures Over 2020 Fake-Elector Forgery Charges
FILE - Jim Troupis reads a statement after his court appearance outside a Dane County courtroom Dec. 12, 2024, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, File)
Two former attorneys and an aide who worked on President Donald Trump’s 2020 campaign were scheduled to appear Monday at a preliminary hearing in Wisconsin on felony forgery charges tied to a scheme that produced a set of fake electors.
The case in Wisconsin is moving forward even as related efforts in other battleground states have faltered. A previously filed federal case alleging a broader conspiracy was dropped last year, while a separate matter in Nevada remains active. The state prosecution was filed in 2024 and has been delayed as the defendants have mounted legal challenges seeking dismissal.
Who Is Charged
Each defendant faces 11 felony counts in connection with the 2020 fake-elector scheme. The three charged are:
- Jim Troupis — a Trump attorney who also previously served one year as a judge in the county where he is charged;
- Kenneth Chesebro — an attorney who advised the campaign; and
- Mike Roman — Trump’s director of Election Day operations in 2020.
Allegations
The Wisconsin Department of Justice, led by Attorney General Josh Kaul, alleges the three defrauded 10 Republican electors who signed certificates asserting Trump had won Wisconsin in 2020. Prosecutors say the defendants misled those electors about how the certificates would be used and that the paperwork was part of a plan to submit documents to then–Vice President Mike Pence falsely claiming Trump had prevailed in the state.
According to the criminal complaint, a majority of the 10 electors told investigators they believed they were signing certificates only to preserve legal options in case a court later changed the election outcome. Most said they did not expect their signatures to be submitted to Congress absent a court ruling and had not consented to presenting their signatures as if Trump had won without such a ruling.
Court Proceedings And Disputes
The preliminary hearing will determine whether prosecutors have presented enough evidence to proceed to trial. Last week, Troupis unsuccessfully asked the presiding judge to recuse himself and to transfer the case to another county. He and the other defendants alleged the judge did not author an August order denying a motion to dismiss and accused the father of the judge’s law clerk — a retired judge — of drafting that opinion.
Dane County Circuit Judge John Hyland rejected those claims, saying he and a staff attorney wrote the order and that the defendants produced no evidence of bias. Hyland refused to step aside or to delay the hearing. Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson has asked the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the allegations about the authorship of the judicial opinion.
Additional Context
Federal prosecutors who investigated the events surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol attack have said the fake-elector scheme originated in Wisconsin. The defendants maintain their conduct was lawful and have denied wrongdoing. None of the 10 electors have been criminally charged; the electors, Chesebro and Troupis previously settled a civil lawsuit seeking damages related to the matter.
