More than 1,400 pages of emails, text messages and other documents released Monday reveal details of a strategy by Republican operatives tied to then-President Donald Trump to overturn Joe Biden’s 2020 victory in Wisconsin . The documents — which settle a civil lawsuit filed against two lawyers and 10 Wisconsin Republicans who posed as fake voters — also allow a deeper dive into how the strategy played out in other battleground states.
Who is behind the lawsuit?
Two Democratic voters from Wisconsin and a voter filed the lawsuit in 2022, alleging a conspiracy by Trump and his allies to overturn his loss in the state’s presidential race.
It named attorneys Kenneth Chesebro and Jim Troupis, along with 10 Republicans who signed documents falsely declaring they were voters. Voters reached an agreement in December. Chesebro and Troupis reached a settlement by agreeing to turn over the documents.
Chesebro worked closely with the Trump campaign. Troupis, a former judge, served as Trump’s attorney in Wisconsin.
WHAT DOES THE SETTLEMENT MEAN?
The settlement exposes the orchestrated plan to keep Trump in power by creating paperwork and assembling false slates of Republican voters in Wisconsin, Michigan, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Arizona and later New Mexico.
The trove of documents shows the origins of the plot in Wisconsin — which federal prosecutors have also noted — and how it was repeated with coordination between the lawyers and the Trump campaign.
“The goals of the lawsuit were about transparency, accountability and deterrence,” said attorney Jeffrey Mandell, who helped negotiate the settlement for the plaintiffs.
Chesebro and Troupis have not admitted any wrongdoing or liability, but they have vowed never to participate in similar efforts. Troupis must also pay an undisclosed amount.
Text messages between the two in the last months of 2020 show how they, among other things, looked for ways to prepare fake certificates for the fake voters.
There are no direct communications from Trump, but there are glimpses into an Oval Office meeting and White House communications.
When Chesebro shares a memo on strategies, Troupis responds, “I sent that to the White House this afternoon. The real decision makers.”
WHO ARE ELECTORS?
Electors are appointed by the states parties to represent the electors.
The job is often given to current and former party officials, state legislators and party activists. The winner of the state’s popular vote typically determines which party’s electors are sent to the Electoral College, which meets after the election to determine the winner. Voters gather in their respective state capitals in December to announce their winner of the statewide popular vote.
Trump lost Wisconsin by fewer than 21,000 votes, but as part of the plan, voters claimed he won the state.
Monday’s document release includes a 10-minute video shot by Chesebro of the fake Wisconsin voters filling out ballots for Trump, cheering and taking photos.
Troupis said in a statement Monday that the alternative ballots were part of a “reasonable course of action” as the election results were subject to appeal. His lawyer Matthew Fernholz dismissed the case as “a politically driven civil lawsuit.”
WHERE ARE THINGS OUTSIDE WISCONSIN?
Fake voters in Wisconsin have — so far — gotten off easier than their counterparts in some other battleground states, where fake certificates were sent to Congress falsely declaring Trump the winner of the 2020 presidential election.
In Michigan, 16 people were initially charged with forgery and other crimes. Six Nevada Republicans, including the Republican Party chairman and Republican National Committee member, were indicted on felony charges in December.
Meanwhile, 18 people — including Trump and several of his top lawyers — were indicted in Georgia last summer. Three of the defendants are accused of being fake voters. Several attorneys, including Chesebro, agreed to argue deals.
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez, a Democrat, said in January that he would not prosecute. No charges have been filed in Pennsylvania or Arizona either.
WHAT DO THE THINGS HAVE IN COMMON?
The documents provide a glimpse into the origins of the strategy in Wisconsin and the important role Troupis played. But in other cases, Chesebro remains in the spotlight.
The indictment in Georgia alleged that he coordinated and carried out the plan to have Georgia Republicans sign a certificate falsely declaring that Trump had won the state and declared himself “duly elected and qualified” electors.
He pleaded guilty in October to a misdemeanor charge in the Georgia case.
Chesebro also cooperated with authorities in Nevada and testified before a grand jury in November. He could also be called to testify as a defense witness in Michigan.
Documents in Monday’s settlement show how Chesebro was in direct communication with top Trump campaign officials to assess how states handled the plan.
“Wisconsin appears to be the most organized state so far,” concludes a December 11, 2020 email from Trump campaign staffer Joshua Findlay to Chesebro and others. The same email calls Pennsylvania “the most challenging” and says Michigan’s response was “moderate as some voters don’t see the point in having a vote.”