Criminal Charges in 2020 False Electors Scheme Proceed

Frederica Freyberg:
Turning to the 2020 election, lawyers at the center of the false elector case from the 2020 election had an initial appearance in Dane County Court this week.

Judge:
I do find there is probable cause to proceed under the amended complaint, as it was filed December 10th.

Frederica Freyberg:
Jim Troupis and two other men were acting as lawyers for the Trump campaign in 2020 when they arranged for ten Republicans to sign papers claiming they were the electors from Wisconsin. The lawyers have each been charged with 11 felony counts of forgery. Troupis is a longtime Republican lawyer from Wisconsin. The electors have not been charged, with each claiming they were duped by Troupis and the Trump campaign into signing, believing the paperwork would only be needed if Trump won his legal cases to overturn the election. Instead, the false electoral documents were sent to Washington, where Trump’s staffers attempted to use Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson to get the false electors to Vice President Mike Pence on January 6th. Troupis is calling the charges “lawfare” and says they are an attack on democracy. The three defendants are free on signature bonds and will be back in court for a preliminary hearing in January.