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Wisconsin fake elector tells ‘60 Minutes’ he was afraid of Trump supporters

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Wisconsin fake elector tells ‘60 Minutes’ he was afraid of Trump supporters


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MADISON – The former chairman of the Wisconsin Republican Party in a new interview claims he sent Congress paperwork he signed posing as an elector for Donald Trump following the former president’s 2020 election loss out of fear for his safety from the candidate’s supporters.

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Andrew Hitt, who was chairman of the Republican Party of Wisconsin during the 2020 election, offered the explanation for his participation in a scheme designed by Trump and his allies to stay in power after losing reelection during an episode of CBS’ “60 Minutes” that will air Sunday evening.

In a clip provided to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel by “60 Minutes,” Hitt says he was scared of what Trump supporters would do to him or his family if he did not sign the paperwork and courts later overturned President Joe Biden’s victory in Wisconsin.

“… If I didn’t do that, and the court did throw out those votes, it would have been solely my fault that Trump wouldn’t have won Wisconsin,” Hitt told “60 Minutes” correspondent Anderson Cooper. “Can you imagine the repercussions on myself, my family if it was me, Andrew Hitt, who prevented Donald Trump from winning Wisconsin?”

But by the time Hitt and nine other Republicans met in the state Capitol to sign the paperwork claiming to be electors for Trump, the state Supreme Court had already confirmed Biden’s win.

Biden beat Trump by about 21,000 votes in Wisconsin. Trump sought recounts in Dane and Milwaukee counties, which confirmed Biden’s win. Trump sued and the state Supreme Court upheld the results on a 4-3 vote on Dec. 14, 2020. 

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Less than an hour later, Democrats met in the state Capitol to cast the state’s 10 electoral votes for Biden.

At the same time, the fake Trump electors gathered in another part of the Capitol to fill out the paperwork claiming Trump had won. They submitted their filings to Congress, the National Archives, a federal judge and then-Wisconsin Secretary of State Doug La Follette.

At the time, the fake electors said they held the meeting to ensure the state’s electoral votes were cast for Trump if a court later determined he was the true winner of the state.

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Andrew Hitt tells Anderson Cooper ‘it was not a safe time’

When asked by Cooper if he was scared of Trump supporters in Wisconsin, Hitt said “it was not a safe time.”

“If my lawyer is right, and the whole reason Trump loses Wisconsin is because of me, I would be scared to death,” Hitt said.

During a February 2022 deposition with the U.S. House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, Hitt testified he was concerned about his physical safety while signing the paperwork.

“There was just a general concern about — about safety. And … how we were going to keep everybody safe if somebody wanted to disrupt something or if there was a protest that would occur,” Hitt said, according to the deposition transcript.

“I also, throughout this time, got several phone calls to my office that my secretary relayed to me demanding to know my exact location … I never verified, but I got a lot of threatening emails, quite frankly, from both sides of the political aisle. And so it was a volatile time, and our electors were worried, and so was I.”

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In text messages released as part of the final report from Jan. 6 committee, Hitt relayed concerns about the fake elector plan to the party’s executive director before the paperwork was signed.

“I am def concerned about their inquiry,” Hitt texted the state GOP’s executive director Mark Jefferson when he learned of the plot that followed Trump’s 2020 election loss. “I hope they are not planning on asking us to do anything like try and say we are only the proper electors.”

“These guys are up to no good and its (sic) gonna fail miserably,” he texted a colleague on Dec. 12, 2020, after receiving a message about discussing the fake elector plan with Trump attorney Rudy Guiliani.

In another exchange, Hitt said he would not side with Trump “if he goes after our guys,” referring to Trump’s criticism of Republican governors of Arizona and Georgia in the weeks following the 2020 presidential election.

Hitt also texted Jefferson, “Tomorrow is going to be wild,” after discussing which of three rooms in the Capitol to hide in with Wisconsin Elections Commissioner Bob Spindell to avoid media scrutiny of the papework signning because both Hitt and Spindell were public figures.

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Republicans in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan and Nevada also signed documents purporting to be electors. Republicans in New Mexico and Pennsylvania filled out paperwork saying they should be considered electors if courts found Trump had won their states.

Michigan’s attorney general filed felony charges in July against 16 Republicans in that state who acted as fake electors for Trump, accusing them of submitting false certificates that confirmed they were legitimate electors despite Joe Biden’s victory in the state.

Trump has been indicted over his actions leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection — charges that focus heavily on the fake elector strategy.

In Wisconsin, Attorney General Josh Kaul is reportedly investigating the fake Trump elector scheme but Kaul has not discussed the alleged probe nor confirmed its existence.

CNN reported in December that Kenneth Chesebro, a Wisconsin native and former campaign attorney for Trump, was helping investigators in at least four states, including Wisconsin, who are probing the scheme to overturn the 2020 election.

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Hitt and the other false electors also recently settled a civil lawsuit filed by Biden’s real 2020 electors. As part of the settlement, the 10 Republicans acknowledged their actions were part of an attempt to overturn an election and agreed not to serve as electors for Trump in the future or participate in the transmission of such documents again, among other terms.

In the statement released by the false Trump electors, the Republicans wrote they met in the Wisconsin State Capitol to sign paperwork falsely claiming to be electors to be “in compliance with requests from the Trump campaign and Republican Party of Wisconsin.”

“The Elector Defendants took the foregoing action because they were told that it was necessary to preserve their electoral votes in the event a court challenge may later change the outcome of the election in Wisconsin. That document was then used as part of an attempt to improperly overturn the 2020 presidential election results,” the Republicans wrote.

Hitt also has said he believes the group of Republicans were tricked by the Trump campaign to participate in the scheme and pledged not to vote for Trump in 2024.

Lawrence Andrea of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel contributed to this report.

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Molly Beck can be reached at molly.beck@jrn.com.



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Wisconsin Lottery Pick 3, Pick 4 results for Nov. 23, 2025

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Wisconsin Lottery Pick 3, Pick 4 results for Nov. 23, 2025


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The Wisconsin Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Nov. 23, 2025, results for each game:

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Winning Pick 3 numbers from Nov. 23 drawing

Midday: 0-2-5

Evening: 6-0-8

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from Nov. 23 drawing

Midday: 3-6-6-3

Evening: 8-8-9-7

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Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning All or Nothing numbers from Nov. 23 drawing

Midday: 01-02-04-06-10-14-16-17-18-19-21

Evening: 02-03-05-07-08-10-11-13-20-21-22

Check All or Nothing payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Badger 5 numbers from Nov. 23 drawing

02-05-21-22-28

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Check Badger 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning SuperCash numbers from Nov. 23 drawing

03-07-08-18-31-33, Doubler: N

Check SuperCash payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

  • Prizes up to $599: Can be claimed at any Wisconsin Lottery retailer.
  • Prizes from $600 to $199,999: Can be claimed in person at a Lottery Office. By mail, send the signed ticket and a completed claim form available on the Wisconsin Lottery claim page to: Prizes, PO Box 777 Madison, WI 53774.
  • Prizes of $200,000 or more: Must be claimed in person at the Madison Lottery office. Call the Lottery office prior to your visit: 608-261-4916.

Can Wisconsin lottery winners remain anonymous?

No, according to the Wisconsin Lottery. Due to the state’s open records laws, the lottery must, upon request, release the name and city of the winner. Other information about the winner is released only with the winner’s consent.

When are the Wisconsin Lottery drawings held?

  • Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
  • Mega Millions: 10:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
  • Super Cash: 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
  • Pick 3 (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
  • Pick 3 (Evening): 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
  • Pick 4 (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
  • Pick 4 (Evening): 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
  • All or Nothing (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
  • All or Nothing (Evening): 9 p.m. CT daily.
  • Megabucks: 9:00 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Badger 5: 9:00 p.m. CT daily.

That lucky feeling: Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.

Feeling lucky? WI man wins $768 million Powerball jackpot **

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WI Lottery history: Top 10 Powerball and Mega Million jackpots

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Wisconsin editor. You can send feedback using this form.



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Wisconsin football insider: A closer look at Darrion Dupree’s 84-yard touchdown run

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Wisconsin football insider: A closer look at Darrion Dupree’s 84-yard touchdown run


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  • Wisconsin defeated Illinois 27-10, holding the Illini to a season-low point total.
  • Outside linebacker Darryl Peterson recorded three sacks, the most by a Badgers player in a single game since 2021.
  • Despite the win, Wisconsin’s quarterback was sacked five times and the team incurred a costly personal foul penalty.

MADISON – A look back at Wisconsin’s 27-10 victory over Illinois on Saturday, Nov. 22, at Camp Randall Stadium.

Big picture

Playing the nation’s toughest schedule appears to have made the Badgers a tougher team. Wisconsin entered play assured of a second straight sub .500 season and Illinois was ranked in the College Football Playoff top 25, but pretty much from start to finish the Badgers showed they were the better team.  They never trailed and held Illinois to what tied its season-low point total. The Illini’s 298 total yards were also third-lowest behind Indiana (161) and Ohio State (295).

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Turning point: Darrion Dupree breaks loose, gives UW a cushion

There was still almost two whole quarters left to play when sophomore Darrion Dupree broke loose for an 84-yard touchdown run that, after the extra point, pushed the Badgers advantage to 17-7.

Besides putting a jolt into the crowd the score gave a Wisconsin team that doesn’t have much room for error a two-score lead. The Badgers went 80 yards for a touchdown on their first possession and closed the half with a field goal, but this was the first point in the night they had control of the game.

Thumbs up: Dupree gets a lot of help on TD run

  • It took a lot of blocks to pave the way for Dupree’s 84-yard TD run. Tight end Tucker Ashcraft started things with a block out of the backfield and center Davis Heinzen and guards Joe Brunner and Kerry Kodanko created space up the middle.
  • Another gem from Dupree’s run: Receiver Eugene Hilton fooled Illinois cornerback Torrie Cox Jr. into thinking a pass was thrown his way and ran his defender off the play. It’s the main reason there was no one downfield to challenge Dupree at the end of the run.
  • Wisconsin fumbled three times but didn’t lose any of them. The biggest recovery was made by Ashcraft, who covered the ball after a 6-yard gain by freshman quarterback Carter Smith on the Badgers’ first drive. That possession ended up going 80 yards for a touchdown.
  • Graduate outside linebacker Darryl Peterson finished with three sacks, raising his career-best in that statistic for the second straight week. The last Badgers with three sacks in a game was Nick Herbig in 2021.

Box score | UW schedule | Standings

Thumbs down: UW gets hit with personal fouls, takes unnecessary sacks

  • Tyrese Fearbry was hit with a personal foul penalty in the fourth quarter that allowed Illinois to start possession at its 40-yard line.
  • Smith was sacked five times, but two of those came when he ran out of bounds on a scramble rather than throwing ball away.

Wisconsin football schedule: The Badgers travel to Minnesota in battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe on Nov. 29

The trophy cases are bare for the Badgers, but they can fix that next Saturday in Minneapolis. Wisconsin has lost three of the last four meetings to the Gophers, including a 24-7 loss last season that guaranteed UW a losing season. Minnesota (6-5, 4-4) has lost two straight and three of its last four.  

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Wisconsin’s ‘snowiest’ ski resort files for bankruptcy in a bid for survival

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Wisconsin’s ‘snowiest’ ski resort files for bankruptcy in a bid for survival


A popular Wisconsin ski resort that has been around since the 1960s has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as it fights to survive another winter on the slopes.

Midwest Skiing Company LLC, which owns and operates the Whitecap Mountains Resort in Upson, Wisconsin, said in court papers that it filed for bankruptcy on Wednesday after back-to-back winters with “extremely low” snowfall gutted its revenue and left it buried in debt.

The resort, with 43 ski runs across 400 acres, has been touted as the “snowiest ski resort in Wisconsin,” a court filing in its bankruptcy case said, adding that Whitecap Mountain annually gets “some of the highest snowfall in the state making for excellent conditions and regular powder days.”

However, the past two winters have brought little of the snow that built the resort’s reputation.

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Snowfall at the resort plummeted from 260 inches in the 2022-2023 season to less than 30 inches the next winter, slashing revenue from roughly $1.4 million to about $197,000, the court papers said. The most recent season brought less than 60 inches of snow and only about $532,000 in total revenue.

“The low revenue in 2023 put the Debtor in a position where it needed additional funding to cover its revenue shortage,” said the filing. “While the Debtor survived the 2023-24 season, it required short-term financing to bridge the gap until the next ski season and payoff several expenses.”

Lender declared resort ‘in default’

The resort — which is all-season, but known for its skiing — turned to private lender Brighton Asset Management for a short-term loan to help it get by. Another “slow” 2024-2025 season prevented the resort’s owner from extending or refinancing the loan, the court papers say.

Brighton said Midwest Skiing Company was “in default” on about $1.86 million in debt and, through a lawsuit, moved to foreclose on the resort’s property, according to the court motion seeking approval to use cash collateral.

A court ruled in favor of Brighton in August.

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Midwest Skiing Company filed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy “to put a stop to the collection efforts and speculation within its community and among customers over the upcoming snow season,” the filings said.

“The automatic stay under the bankruptcy code stops Brighton from moving forward with collection through foreclosure or replevin,” attorneys for Midwest Skiing Company wrote in the filing.

Customers and employees “can be confident,” the filing said, that Midwest Skiing Company “will retain control and continue operations through the upcoming snow season.”

In its bankruptcy petition, Midwest Skiing Company estimated its assets as between $1 million and $10 million, with the same range for its estimated liabilities.

Attorneys for the company wrote in court papers that the Chapter 11 filing “provides a path forward” for the resort “to continue its operations for years to come under a plan of reorganization.”

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The court papers say that Midwest Skiing Company — which has been owned by ski and hospitality industry veteran David Dziuban since 2008 — merged this week with Glebe Mountains, Inc., allowing for a “more efficient and less costly reorganization.”

Attorneys for Midwest Skiing Company and Brighton did not immediately respond to requests for comment by Business Insider on Friday.





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