Wisconsin judge rejects bid to dismiss case against fake Trump electors, attorneys

A Wisconsin judge on Thursday rejected an effort to dismiss a civil case against 10 fake electors for former President Trump and two of Trump’s attorneys, court records show.

The case centers on an effort to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election by submitting false slates of electors for Trump in seven targeted battleground states, including Wisconsin, where President Biden won.

The fake elector scheme was part of Trump’s team’s efforts to keep the former president in power, and it was a key focus of the latest indictment against him. Federal prosecutors claimed in the indictment the fake elector scheme originated in Wisconsin. 

The suit in Wisconsin was filed by two Democratic electors and a voter, and it alleged the defendants were part of Trump’s conspiracy to stay in power. They are seeking $2.4 million and are asking the judge to bar the GOP electors from serving as electors again. One of the defendants, attorney Kenneth Chesebro, is understood to be one of the unnamed coconspirators mentioned in the federal indictment against Trump. 

Many GOP electors who submitted false certifications for Trump claim they thought they were signing the certificate in case the legal challenges were successful.

The case is scheduled to go to trial just two months before the 2024 election, beginning Sept. 3, 2024, and lasting one month.

The charges come after Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced felony charges against 16 Republicans in July related to the fake elector scheme in her state. All 16 pleaded not guilty.