Madison, Wis. – Wisconsin's attorney general charged a former aide and two attorneys Tuesday with advising President Donald Trump on Republican caucuses even as Trump lost the state.
Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul (D) filed one felony charge each against Trump campaign aide Michael Roman and attorneys Kenneth Chesbro and James Trubis, according to online court records. A copy of the criminal complaint was not immediately available.
If convicted, each faces a maximum sentence of six years in prison and a $10,000 fine. They are scheduled to make an initial court appearance in September, and their cases will last past this fall's election unless they reach plea deals.
An attorney for Trubis, Chesbro and Roman did not immediately respond to messages. Roman's attorney, Kurt Altman, said he and Roman are just learning about the allegations and are reviewing them.
After losing the 2020 election in Wisconsin, Trump sought to redistrict in two Democratic areas of the state and used that process to expel hundreds of thousands of absentee ballots. The state Supreme Court rejected his efforts on December 14, 2020, the day presidential elections across the country were due.
An hour after that ruling, 10 Republicans gathered at the state Capitol and signed documents declaring themselves the true voters of the state. Trump associates held similar meetings in six states and then sent official-looking documents to Congress, the National Archives and others claiming to be real voters in their states.
Trump's supporters used the filings to try to prevent Congress from certifying the results, falsely claiming the outcome of the 2020 election was in doubt. Their efforts culminated in an attack on the US capital on January 6, 2021.
Trubis, Chesbro and Roman helped develop the voter strategy, according to public records. Drubis served briefly as a judge and has long been an advocate for Wisconsin Republicans; He was Trump's lead attorney for the recount and legal challenge in Wisconsin.
Chesebro helped devise the overall plan and documented the Wisconsin meeting on his cell phone with photos and recordings.
Chesebro was charged in Georgia and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to file false documents as part of a deal. Roman has been charged in Georgia and Arizona.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Yvonne Winget Sanchez in Phoenix contributed to this report.
