Wisconsin
Wisconsin is the last state that may prosecute Trump’s fake electors, but AG Josh Kaul is mum
Video shows fake electors meeting in the Wisconsin Capitol
A newly released video shows the gathering of Wisconsin’s fake electors on Dec. 14, 2020, in the state Capitol.
Dane County Circuit Court records
After Arizona became the fourth state to bring charges against fake electors involved in the Trump campaign’s alleged scheme to overturn the 2020 presidential election Wednesday night, eyes turned to the three remaining states where the effort took place: New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
Officials in New Mexico and Pennsylvania have said they are unlikely to prosecute Trump allies who sent documents to then-Vice President Mike Pence purporting to certify Trump won the election in their state, because those fake electors placed certain limits on their claims. That leaves Wisconsin as the state most likely still to pursue charges.
Prosecutors had already filed charges in Michigan, Nevada, and Georgia. In Georgia, defendants include Trump himself, former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. And Trump is facing federal charges in Washington, D.C. for conspiracy and obstruction related to the nationwide fake elector scheme. Trump has asked the Supreme Court to declare him immune from those charges.
The top law enforcement official in Wisconsin hasn’t tipped his hand on whether his office is investigating the issue at all, but he also hasn’t ruled out prosecution.
Gillian Drummond, a spokesperson for Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, a Democrat, said the department “does not confirm or deny the existence of an investigation, except in unique public safety circumstances” but that Kaul “believes that those who committed crimes in an effort to unlawfully subvert the outcome of an election should be held accountable.”
Wisconsin was key in the Trump campaign’s fake elector scheme
Ten Wisconsin Republicans signed a document falsely saying they were “the duly elected and qualified electors” for the state, that they had met in Madison, and all had voted for Trump. But they weren’t duly elected or qualified because voters in Wisconsin chose Biden by a margin of just under 21,000 votes.
The fake elector scheme was largely rooted in on a memo that came out of Wisconsin, where a recount in the close race was underway, according to the U.S. Department of Justice indictment of Trump. The memo advocated that a slate of Trump electors should meet and vote for him in case Trump won the recount.
The indictment said Trump’s campaign and others “took the Wisconsin memo and expanded it” to states that Trump said he was contesting, “even New Mexico, where the defendant had lost by more than ten percent of the popular vote.”
Biden won the recount, and Wisconsin’s governor, Democrat Tom Evers, declared Biden’s electors the legitimate ones from the state.
The fake electors wrote in their certificate that they met and voted for Trump on Dec. 14, 2020, the same day that the state supreme court rejected the Trump campaign’s legal challenge. State officials continued rejecting the false claim that Trump won Wisconsin.
While the 10 Wisconsin fake electors have not faced criminal charges, two of the legitimate electors from 2020 sued them along with two lawyers, Jim Troupis and Kenneth Chesebro, involved in the scheme. The Republicans settled the case.
“This is a scheme to overturn the election that was launched here in Wisconsin and then metastisized to those other six states,” said Jeff Mandel, a lawyer with the left-leaning group Law Forward, which represented the legitimate electors. He called Troupis and Chesebro “the linchpins of the scheme for the whole nation.”
Electors in Pennsylvania and New Mexico unlikely to face charges
In Pennsylvania and New Mexico, the fake electors didn’t claim to be the real electors, only the electors whose votes should be counted if Trump succeeded in getting their states to reverse his loss − an important legal caveat.
Pennsylvania’s Trump electors wrote that their votes for Trump should only be counted “if, as the result of final non-appealable court order or other proceeding prescribed by law, we are ultimately recognized as being the duly elected and qualified electors.”
That language represented a watering-down of the original fake electors scheme that Trump’s campaign sought, and was something the campaign didn’t want catching on with other states, according to the Department of Justice’s indictment of Trump for his efforts to overturn the election.
“Though their rhetoric and policy were intentionally misleading and purposefully damaging to our democracy, based on our initial review, our office does not believe this meets the legal standards for forgery,” the office of then-Attorney General Josh Shapiro wrote in a statement to Lancaster Online. Shapiro, a Democrat, is now the governor.
Likewise, New Mexico’s Trump electors wrote that their filing was prepared “on the understanding that it might later be determined that we are the duly and elected qualified electors.”
The office New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez performed an investigation but said the conditional language “prevents the filing of criminal charges.” Instead, Torrez, a Democrat, asked the state legislature to pass new laws safeguarding the state’s elections.
Charges in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan and Nevada range from forgery to racketeering
The grand jury in Georgia handed down the most sweeping and serious case involving the fake elector scheme. The case charged 19 people — including Trump, Meadows and Giuliani — in a racketeering case under a law usually reserved for Mafia bosses.
The Arizona grand jury charged 18 people — including 11 fake electors, Meadows and Giuliani — with crimes including conspiracy and forgery. The indictment lists Trump as an unindicted co-conspirator.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, a Democrat, charged 16 people with counts that included conspiracy to commit forgery and publishing a false record. The indictment named Trump as an unindicted co-conspirator.
In Nevada, a grand jury indicted six fake Trump electors, several of whom were state Republican officials.
Wisconsin
Much of Wisconsin gets winter storm warning Saturday; latest forecast
Weekend snow could impact thanksgiving week in southern Wisconsin
Weekend snow could impact thanksgiving week in southern Wisconsin
Days after more than a foot of snow fell in northern Wisconsin, another winter storm could bring anywhere from six to 11 inches of snow to the southern half of the state.
All of southern Wisconsin is under a winter storm warning beginning Saturday, Nov. 29, according to the Milwaukee/Sullivan National Weather Service office.
The warning goes into effect beginning at 3 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 29 until 6 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 30 for the following counties: Marquette, Green Lake, Sauk, Columbia, Iowa, Dane, Jefferson, Lafayette, Green, Rock, Walworth, Racine and Kenosha.
The winter storm warning extends into southeastern Wisconsin beginning at 6 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 29 for Fond du Lac, Sheboygan, Dodge, Washington, Ozaukee, Waukesha and Milwaukee counties. The warning will expire at 6 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 30.
In northeast and central Wisconsin, the National Weather Service in Green Bay has issued a winter storm warning from 9 a.m. Nov. 29 to 6 a.m. Nov. 30 for Wood, Portage, Door, Waupaca, Outagamie, Brown, Kewaunee, Waushara, Winnebago, Calumet and Manitowoc counties. Snow is expected to be six to nine inches.
Lesser amounts of snow — between two and eight inches — are expected to the north, up to the Michigan border. Marathon, Menominee, Oconto, Shawano and southern Marinette counties are under a winter storm watch from morning through late night Saturday, Nov. 29.
In the western and southwest parts of the state, the National Weather Service in La Crosse has issued a winter storm warning between 3 a.m. Nov. 29 to 6 a.m. Nov. 30 for Adams, Juneau, La Crosse, Monroe, Buffalo, Jackson and Trempealeau counties, with five to nine inches of snow expected.
There’s also a winter storm warning between midnight Nov. 28 and 6 a.m. Nov. 30 for Crawford, Grant and Richland counties, with eight to 11 inches of snow expected.
The storm is expected to be a “long duration snow event,” NWS meteorologist Kevin Wagner told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Wagner said those traveling for Thanksgiving should keep an eye on the forecast.
“If you can alter plans to avoid the worst conditions, that would probably be the best idea,” he said.
Wisconsin weather radar
What to do in a winter storm
During winter storms, NWS advises staying inside, stocking up on food and water, and charging essential devices in case of power outages. If your heat goes out, NWS says you should:
- Close off unneeded rooms.
- Place towels or rags in cracks under doors.
- Close blinds or curtains.
- Eat and drink to provide your body with energy.
- Wear layers of loose-fitting, lightweight and warm clothing.
If you are without shelter, you can visit the 211 Wisconsin website or call 211 to locate nearby warming services.
NWS also advises against driving during a storm, as conditions can create dangerous driving conditions. For live updates on road conditions and accidents in Wisconsin, you can check out the 511 Wisconsin map.
Wisconsin
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Wisconsin
Four-star receiver Jayden Petit decommits from Wisconsin football’s 2026 class
MADISON – Jayden Petit, one of the top-rated prospects in the Wisconsin football program’s 2026 class, changed his mind.
Wednesday, Nov. 26 the receiver from Naples, Florida, announced his decommitment from the Badgers.
He had been committed to UW since June. 26. His departure leaves the Badgers’ recruiting class at 13 players that include one receiver.
Petit, who lists himself as 6-foot-4 and 216 pounds on his X profile, attends St. John Neumann High School where he helped the football team reach the second round of the playoffs.
Petit is considered a consensus four-star prospect. He will play in he Navy All-American Bowl on Jan. 10 in San Antonio.
He announced his decommitment on X. It came hours after the Badgers received a commitment from former Boston College recruit Brady Bekkenhuis and one week before the beginning of the early signing period.
“This was not an easy choice,” he wrote. “I want to personally thank Coach Fickell, Coach Reid, Coach Grimes, Zach Zilm, Ethan Russo and Pat Lambert for believing in me, investing in me and taking the time to build a genuine relationship throughout the process. Every conversation, every visit, and every moment spent learning about Wisconsin meant a great deal to me and my family.”
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