A state judge from Wisconsin made a significant ruling on Monday, allowing a criminal forgery case to move ahead against a couple of former aides of President Trump. This follows their involvement in the controversial 2020 plot to put forth fake electors and essentially overturn the presidential election results.
This situation is one of the last ongoing legal matters tied to the 2020 election, particularly as many other cases against Trump and his allies across the U.S. have already been resolved—either dismissed or settled in various ways. Another similar case is still in the pipeline over in Nevada.
According to a report by Scott Bauer from The Associated Press, the Dane County Circuit Judge John Hyland concluded that there was enough probable cause to allow the 11 felony forgery charges against Jim Troupis, Trump’s campaign attorney in Wisconsin, and Mike Roman, who led Trump’s Election Day operations in 2020. Based on the judge’s remarks, communications from the duo suggested they aimed to represent a certificate that awarded Wisconsin’s 10 electoral votes to Trump as legitimate, rather than just a document to be considered if a court ruled in his favor.
Both Troupis and Roman assert that they did nothing illegal and were merely exploring their legal options amid the concerns surrounding the election results.
In the meantime, the initial hearing for another individual charged, former Trump attorney Ken Chesebro, has been delayed. Questions arose about what statements he made to prosecutors might actually be used in court. The judge deemed it necessary to hold a separate session to decide whether remarks made by Chesebro during an agreement with Wisconsin investigators can be presented at trial.
Notably, Chesebro is known for providing legal counsel on strategies to overturn the duly certified electors and has already pleaded guilty to charges in Georgia. Additionally, he was disbarred in New York as of June this year.
