MADISON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s attorney for the 2020 campaign in Wisconsin and two former aides all pleaded not guilty Tuesday to felony forgery charges for their roles in a fake elector scheme designed to overturn Trump’s loss in the swing state.

Jim Troupis, a former judge who was Trump’s Wisconsin campaign attorney, Mike Roman, Trump’s director of Election Day operations in 2020, and Ken Chesebro, a former Trump legal adviser, all entered the pleas in Dane County Circuit Court.

Troupis, who lives in the Madison area, appeared in person. Roman and Chesebro appeared via Zoom.

The Wisconsin fake electors case is moving forward even as others in the battleground states of Michigan and Georgia have faltered. A special prosecutor last year dropped a federal case alleging Trump conspired to overturn the 2020 election. Another case in Nevada is still alive.

The fake elector scheme, under which Republican electors in battleground states submitted documentation to Congress attesting that Trump had won their states even though he lost to Joe Biden, originated in Wisconsin.

Troupis, Chesebro and Roman argue that they committed no crime and were just trying to keep their options alive in case a court ruled that Trump had actually won the state.

But prosecutors allege that the three defendants defrauded the 10 Wisconsin Republican electors who cast their ballots for Trump in 2020.

Prosecutors contend that Troupis, Chesebro and Roman lied to the electors about how the certificate they signed would be used as part of a plan to submit paperwork to then-Vice President Mike Pence, falsely claiming that Trump had won the battleground state that year.

A majority of the electors told investigators that they did not believe their signatures on the elector certificate would be submitted to Congress without a court ruling, the complaint said. Also, a majority said they did not consent to having their signatures presented as if Trump had won without such a court ruling, the complaint said.

The arraignment on Tuesday came two years and two weeks after the first charges were brought against the three by Wisconsin Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul. Troupis, Chesebro and Roman face 11 felony forgery charges which are each punishable by up to six years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Troupis and Roman both filed motions seeking to relocate the trial from Dane County, which includes Madison, to neighboring Jefferson County, saying negative publicity had tainted the potential jury pool.

Trump carried Jefferson County by 15 percentage points in 2020. He lost Dane County by nearly 53 points.

“This case is headed to trial,” Troupis attorney Joe Bugni wrote in Troupis’ motion. “No question. Neither side is going to blink. And when we get to trial, Troupis has the right to a fair and impartial jury.”

Troupis and Roman also argued that one of the 11 felony counts against them should be dropped because Trump issued a pardon for any federal crimes related to their work on the fake elector scheme. They argued that the state can’t prosecute them over the casting of electoral votes, which is a federal process, and therefore Trump’s pardon applies.

Trump also pardoned Chesebro.

The judge said Tuesday he would set a schedule to hear arguments on those motions.

The state charges against the Trump attorneys and aide are the only ones in Wisconsin. None of the electors have been charged. The 10 Wisconsin electors, Chesebro and Troupis all settled a lawsuit that was brought against them by Democrats seeking damages.

Activities are planned throughout metro Detroit this week to celebrate the federal holiday known as Juneteenth, which marks Black Americans’ freedom from slavery.

On June 19, 1865, institutionalized slavery ended in Texas, the last state where it remained two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. The date officially became a federal holiday on June 17, 2021, credited largely to the activist Opal Lee, known as the grandmother of Juneteenth. 

Here is a sampling of events planned to mark the event this week:

∎ Wednesday, June 17

Juneteenth jazz & blues concert: An evening of jazz and blues in honor of the celebration of Juneteenth. Hosted by the Friends of the Southfield Public Library, in the library meeting room, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at 26300 Evergreen Road, Southfield. More information here.

∎ Thursday, June 18

Juneteenth Family Paint Party: Children ages 5+ and their caregivers can join artist Candace Dove in the family-friendly activity of creating Juneteenth paintings at the Detroit Public Library Bowen branch. All supplies will be provided, and registration is required. Runs from 6-7 p.m. Event is at 3648 Vernor Highway, Detroit. More information here.

∎ Friday, June 19

“Juneteenth at Wilson: The stories of us,” sponsored by the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, will celebrate “the complexity of the American story” with music, dance, art and interactive activities on June 19 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The free, family-friendly event takes place at Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Centennial Park at 1801 W. Jefferson in Detroit. The event, presented by Huron-Clinton Metroparks, has a storytelling theme that encourages attendees to share stories that celebrate the freedom Juneteenth represents. More info here.

SOUTH MILWUAKEE — South Milwaukee artist Briana Hibbs is celebrating the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a pari of earrings she made herself — and she will be selling them in person at the city’s second World Cup block party Friday afternoon outside Moran’s on Milwaukee St. in South Milwaukee.

“This has got me pumped and excited and to learn more about the World Cup. So we have some official 2026 balls that I made for earrings so you can celebrate and honor this year’s World Cup,” Briana said.

Briana gave up the corporate world a few years ago to focus on her passion for making jewelry. Her business grew out of a Friendsgiving gathering where she wore her first handmade pair to test the reaction.

Watch: South Milwaukee artist makes soccer-inspired earrings:

Celebrating the World Cup with jewelry

“I wore my first pair of earrings that I made to see if my friends liked them. And I was like, well, I’ll just wear these, see if anybody says anything or wants a pair. And then my friends were like, ‘Wait, you made those? Can I have a pair?’ So it kind of started out like that, and then people kept seeing them and then asking where to get their own pair, and it kind of just blew up from there,” Briana said.

Briana Hibbs

Made by the Lake has since grown into more than a business — it has become a community. Briana runs a Facebook group by the same name where customers share photos of themselves wearing her earrings, which fans have nicknamed “ear-fees.”

“People share their selfies, which people call them their ear-fees, you know, so you share your ears, what earrings you’re wearing, and then people also recognize each other that way too, which is really fun that they share the stories with me that they go to like the doctor’s office for instance, and their nurse is wearing my earrings and they’re like Made by the Lake, and they’re like, yeah, Made by the Lake. So it’s like we’re like a little community too, which is fun,” Briana said.

Briana Hibbs

Briana, who was born and raised in South Milwaukee and still lives there with her husband — her middle school sweetheart — said she is looking forward to setting up as a vendor at the block party.

“The block party is awesome. Any excuse to get out and be outside and celebrating with the community, which is really fun.” Briana said.

Her jewelry is available through her Facebook group and Instagram. She will also be on-site as a vendor Friday afternoon during Moran’s Pub second World Cup Block Party, you can learn more by clicking here

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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