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.

• Wisconsin public schools have seen a 9% drop in student enrollment since 2011 but a 7% increase in staffing.
• The decline in student population is largely attributed to the state’s falling birth rate since 2007.
• Despite fewer students, districts have hired more staff to address growing needs, like mental health and academic gaps.
• Financial strain from this trend may force districts to close schools, reduce staff or cut educational programs.

Wisconsin public schools are employing more staff despite serving about 80,000 fewer students than they did 16 years ago, according to a new report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum.

Since the 2010-11 school year, the number of students enrolled in the state’s public schools has fallen more than 9% to about 792,000 students this school year. Meanwhile, the number of staff in schools increased 7%, and the number of public schools decreased about 3%, the Policy Forum reported.

With state funding tied to student counts, enrollment declines put additional strain on district budgets. The Policy Forum warned “the cost pressures of increased staffing will grow” as districts seek to maintain their workforces with shrinking revenues.

Combined with other financial constraints, including growing student needs and revenue limits that haven’t kept up with inflation, “districts will likely face tough financial decisions around closing schools, reducing their workforce, or cutting educational programming,” the Policy Forum said.

Here are five takeaways from the report:

Elementary schools see biggest enrollment drop

Enrollment trends varied across Wisconsin. Students, schools and staff declined in urban school districts. In suburban districts, enrollment remained stable and staffing increased nearly 19% since 2011. Both town and rural districts lost students but expanded staff.

The Policy Forum attributed the enrollment loss to the state’s declining birth rate, which has continuously fallen since 2007.

Over the past 16 years, elementary school enrollment dropped about 16%, compared with nearly 9% in middle schools and about 8% in high schools, the organization reported.

Fewer schools but closures haven’t kept pace with enrollment decline

In response, some districts have closed or consolidated schools to reduce costs. The number of public schools in Wisconsin decreased from 2,202 schools in 2011 to 2,132 in 2026.

The number of elementary schools decreased 9%, and the number of high schools decreased nearly 6%, according to the Policy Forum. However, the number of standalone middle schools increased by about 7%, and schools serving both elementary and high school students – many of them charter schools – grew more than 150%.

Private schools in Wisconsin also declined more than 8% over the past 16 years.

Even so, the decline in the number of schools hasn’t kept pace with the loss of students. The Policy Forum said it’s hard for districts to close schools or cut staff because student losses are typically spread across grade levels and buildings.

“Staffing cuts and school closures are also unpopular and painful for districts and communities, leaving leaders with difficult decisions and tradeoffs,” the report said.

MPS is cutting some staff, but adding jobs, too

For Milwaukee Public Schools, where enrollment has long been on the decline, outside consultants have suggested permanently closing five schools on the city’s north side. Superintendent Brenda Cassellius has said she isn’t yet ready to recommend closing those schools but does eventually expect to call for closures over multiple years.

The district’s budget for the upcoming school year also includes more than 260 cuts to non-classroom staff positions, though it also adds more than 150 new paraprofessionals and 150 teachers.

Paraprofessionals and other aides added across Wisconsin

Across Wisconsin, the number of classroom teachers has grown by less than 1% since 2011, or about 470 additional full-time equivalent positions. Schools have also added the full-time equivalent of more than 3,360 paraprofessionals and program aides, a nearly 31% increase, according to the Policy Forum.

Overall, teachers and paraprofessionals in classrooms increased by more than 5%. The number of all other licensed staff members – including district administrators, principals, counselors, therapists and other school support staff – increased by the full-time equivalent of 1,849 positions, or nearly 16%.

No effective alternative, district leaders say

District leaders told the Wisconsin Policy Forum they have expanded staffing to address growing student needs, including mental health challenges, widening academic gaps and increased numbers of students who have disabilities or are English learners.

Still, “district leaders expressed frustration with employing more staff for fewer students, but said they have not found an effective alternative,” the report said.

With enrollment projected to continue falling, the Policy Forum said districts will likely keep relying on property tax referendums to maintain services and staffing levels. The organization said district leaders may also seek additional support from the state, and lawmakers have an opportunity to “consider how to best protect student learning during this demographic shift.”

Kayla Huynh covers K-12 education, teachers and solutions for the Journal Sentinel. Contact: khuynh@gannett.com. Follow her on X: @_kaylahuynh.

Kayla Huynh‘s reporting is supported by Herb Kohl Philanthropies and reader contributions to the Journal Sentinel Community-Funded Journalism Project. Journal Sentinel editors maintain full editorial control over all content. To support this work, visit jsonline.com/support. Checks can be addressed to Local Media Foundation (memo: “JS Community Journalism”) and mailed to P.O. Box 85015, Chicago, IL 60689.

The JS Community-Funded Journalism Project is administered by Local Media Foundation, tax ID #36-4427750, a Section 501(c)(3) charitable trust affiliated with Local Media Association.

MILWAUKEE – The Wisconsin primary is less than two months away, and Democrats still have a large field of seven candidates running for governor.

Rodriguez leads straw poll

By the numbers:

A new straw poll is giving some early insight into the race.

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The WisPolitics straw poll was held at the Wisconsin Democratic Convention in Madison, which was attended by Democratic Party insiders and activists. Just shy of 600 delegates and guests voted.

The poll found Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez in first place with 27%. State Rep. Francesca Hong of Madison finished second with 23%, followed by state Sen. Kelda Roys of Madison with 19%.

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley received 13%. All other candidates received single digits, and former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes finished sixth.

Strategists urge caution

What they’re saying:

In 2018, the WisPolitics straw poll did not pick now-Gov. Tony Evers. Evers went on to win the Democratic primary.

“Smart candidates are always reassessing and assessing the world. I have been on gubernatorial campaigns, and they always view state conventions as a really key marker in time,” Democratic strategist Joe Zepecki said.

Zepecki said the convention crowd is not necessarily representative of the broader electorate.

“I think when you look at the insider opinions about this race. The 1,000 people or so who make up the backbone of the Democratic Party, who knock on the doors, who staff those county party offices, they’re not representative of the broader public, and one of the ways they’re least representative is how much news and information and time they spend thinking about good campaigns, bad campaigns, what campaign is up, what campaign is down, and so I think there are quite a few people out of the 1,000 who voted in the straw poll, who would have done things differently in 2022,” he said. “I don’t think that means that the half a million people who vote in the primary in August are really thinking about 2022. Voters in this primary are thinking about why can’t I afford to vote, why are my utility bills and my gas bills so high, Washington isn’t doing anything for us. Can we look to a state leadership to do something that’s ultimately what this election is going to be about.”

Political strategists said the straw poll numbers should not be overinterpreted.

“The folks who go to your Democratic or Republican State convention are your most engaged, most informed, most active voters out there,” Republican strategist Mark Graul said. “They don’t represent how most people view politics. Most Wisconsinites weren’t at either Republican or Democratic state conventions.”

Candidates face August primary

Dig deeper:

The convention is seen as an important testing ground and a chance for candidates to break through with party insiders.

MADISON, WISCONSIN – JUNE 14: Governor candidate Sara Rodriguez speaks on stage during Wisconsin Democrats 2026 Convention on June 14, 2026 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images for WisDems)

“Straw polls are really interesting for insiders, and we have to take them with a grain of salt. Sarah Rodriguez, a Waukesha Democrat, going into Madison, home of two of her other candidates, Kelda Roys and Fran Hong, and winning. That’s a nice feather for her cap,” Zepecki said. “She clearly is building a statewide coalition.”

As for whether it is time for the other candidates to drop out, Zepecki said not yet.

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“I don’t think so,” he said. “I think that day is fast approaching, where some of these candidates need to take a long hard look in the mirror and determine whether there’s actually a path or if the role they have to play is to help make one of those leading three candidates the nominee.

Mordecai Lee, a University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee professor emeritus, said candidates can be reluctant to accept difficult realities in a campaign.

“As you could imagine, political candidates have big egos. They don’t like reality checks,” Lee said. “They always in their minds see some fantasy result of how they pull it out of nowhere, and they win.”

Could the field shrink?

Big picture view:

Lee said some candidates may eventually decide dropping out is better than risking a poor showing.

“Sooner or later, somebody’s going to say: I want to protect my standing, I don’t want to go all the way into the primary and get wiped out with 2% of the vote and then I’ll never have a political future,” he said. “Maybe it’s better that instead of staying in, I drop out.”

The state party does not endorse a candidate. Still, the straw poll could give some momentum to Rodriguez as the race continues.