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
Wisconsin basketball signs Miami transfer Eian Elmer, who gives ‘scoring punch’
Wisconsin guard Andrew Rohde reflects on early March Madness exit
Wisconsin guard Andrew Rohde said the Badgers ‘thought we could do so many things’ in the NCAA Tournament before it ended abrupty with an upset loss.
Wisconsin men’s basketball has added a sharpshooting wing via the transfer portal.
Miami (Ohio) transfer Eian Elmer has signed with the Badgers, the team announced April 18. The 6-foot-7 wing will join UW with one year of eligibility remaining.
Elmer averaged a career-high 12.7 points and 5.9 rebounds while shooting 49.8% from the field and 42.9% from 3-point range in 2025-26. His production helped the RedHawks go 32-2 and earn an at-large NCAA Tournament bid.
“We are really excited to add another excellent addition to our spring signees,” UW coach Greg Gard said in a release. “Eian brings a wealth of experience and scoring punch as a 6-7 wing. … A terrific shooter, his skillset and production fit excellently into our plan as we build out next year’s team. Throughout our evaluation process, our staff loved his size, power and skill and truly believe he will thrive in our system.”
Elmer is Wisconsin’s third transfer portal addition since the end of the 2025-26 season, joining former George Washington guard Trey Autry and former Hofstra forward Victory Onuetu. UW also added Australian guard Owen Foxwell.
The additions of Autry, Onuetu and now Elmer leave Gard’s staff with three more roster spots to fill ahead of the 2026-27 season.
The Badgers are looking to replace much of their production from a 2025-26 team that went 24-11. Nolan Winter is expected to be the team’s only returning starter after John Blackwell and Aleksas Bieliauskas entered the transfer portal and Nick Boyd and Andrew Rohde exhausted their eligibility.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin storms aftermath: Widespread damage, river flood warnings in effect
MILWAUKEE – Friday’s severe storms have passed. And with that, the threat of any severe weather has also passed for the immediate future as no storms or rain are expected for several days.
However, plenty of damage remains across southeastern Wisconsin as of Saturday morning, in addition to the ongoing flooding threat.
Several area rivers are at flood stage, and there are multiple river flood warnings in effect.
FOX6 Weekend WakeUp on Saturday begins at 6 a.m.
On the scene in the morning
What we know:
Farmstead damage in Franklin
FOX6’s Hayley Spitler is in Franklin on Saturday morning, April 18, getting a daylight look at the damage from last night’s storms.
Storm damage in Caledonia
Friday’s storms left quite the mark across southern and southeastern Wisconsin, including at L and L Farms and Greenhouse in Caledonia.
FOX6 Weather Extras
Local perspective:
Meanwhile, FOX6Now.com offers a variety of extremely useful weather tools to help you navigate the stormy season. They include the following:
FOX6 Storm Center app
FOX LOCAL Mobile app
FOX Weather app
Maps and radar
We have a host of maps and radars on the FOX6 Weather page that are updating regularly — to provide you the most accurate assessment of the weather. From a county-by-county view to the Midwest regional radar and a national view — it’s all there.
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School and business closings
When the weather gets a little dicey, schools and businesses may shut down. Monitor the latest list of closings, cancellations, and delays reported in southeast Wisconsin.
FOX6 Weather Experts in social media
The Source: Information in this post was compiled by the FOX6 Weather Experts.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin transfer Aleksas Bieliauskas joins SEC team with ties to Badgers
How Aleksas Bieliauskas has grown in first season with Wisconsin Badgers
Wisconsin coach Greg Gard has high praise for Aleksas Bieliauskas about a month into the Lithuania native’s freshman season.
MADISON – One of Wisconsin men’s basketball’s departing transfers is headed to an SEC program with some connections to the Badgers.
Ex-UW forward Aleksas Bieliauskas has committed to South Carolina, he announced on April 17.
Bieliauskas left the Badgers after appearing in all 35 games as a freshman and making 28 starts. He averaged 4.9 points and 4.4 points in 20.2 minutes, and highlights of his freshman year included his five 3-pointers in UW’s upset over eventual national champion Michigan.
He’ll join a program with plenty of Wisconsin ties. South Carolina head coach Lamont Paris was an assistant coach at Wisconsin from 2010-17 on Bo Ryan and Greg Gard’s staffs. South Carolina assistant coach Tanner Bronson and director of video services Roman DiPasquale also are UW alumni.
Bieliauskas is the second of UW’s four departing transfers to commit to a new school. Reserve forward Jack Robison committed to North Dakota State on April 15. Starting guard John Blackwell and reserve forward Riccardo Greppi have not announced their next schools yet.
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