Trump Campaign Aide and Attorneys Indicted on Forgery Charges in Electoral Scheme

In a recent development, a former 2020 Trump campaign aide and two attorneys who worked for the campaign have been indicted on forgery charges. The charges are related to the so-called fake electors scheme, with the intention to overturn President Joe Biden's electoral victory in that state.

Former campaign aide Mike Roman and attorneys Kenneth Chesebro and Jim Troupis are the latest to face criminal prosecutions connected to former President Donald Trump's attempts to reverse his loss to Biden in the 2020 election.

Charges Against Trump

Trump himself is facing charges in both federal court in Washington, D.C., and state court in Georgia, for his involvement in efforts to reverse the election results. The Georgia case, which involves multiple other defendants, also includes alleged crimes related to a fake electors scheme in that state.

Prosecutors in Arizona, Michigan, and Nevada have also charged individuals with crimes related to assembling a slate of Electoral College electors for Trump in those states, despite Biden winning both.

Specific Charges

Chesebro, a 62-year-old residing in Puerto Rico, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of conspiracy to commit filing false documents in connection with his coordination of a plan to have 16 Republicans falsely claim to be legitimate electors in the Electoral College for Trump. Roman, a former White House aide, is charged in the Georgia case with crimes including conspiracy to impersonate a public officer, commit first-degree forgery, and file false documents. He has pleaded not guilty in that case. Roman, 51, was the director of Election Day operations for Trump's 2020 campaign. Troupis, 70, is a Wisconsin lawyer and a former judge. He remains a member of Wisconsin's Judicial Conduct Advisory Committee.

Significance of Swing States

Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, and Wisconsin were crucial swing states that contributed to Biden's victory in the Electoral College. The Electoral College designates the winner of U.S. presidential elections after the popular vote in November.

According to court records, the initial court appearance for Roman, Chesebro, and Troupis in the Wisconsin case will be on Sept. 19 in Dane County Circuit Court. If convicted, the forgery charge they each face has a maximum possible prison term of six years.

Reaction from Officials

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, in a brief statement on the indictments against the trio, expressed his approval by simply saying, "Good." Trump is expected to be formally confirmed as the Republican Party's presidential nominee in July, several days after his sentencing in his criminal hush money case in New York City. This is an ongoing situation, and further updates are anticipated.