What to know about the new fake elector charges in Wisconsin against Trump associates

After months of not confirming whether the state Department of Justice was investigating the fake elector scheme in Wisconsin, Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul filed charges Tuesday against three associates of former President Donald Trump for their part in coordinating the plan.

Charges were not filed against the 10 Republicans from Wisconsin who made up the slate of false electors. They faced a lawsuit from Democratic electors.

The 10 Republicans reached a settlement in that case, in which they acknowledged their actions were part of an attempt to overturn an election. Kaul could still file charges against them, but it looks unlikely.

Here's what to know about the three people facing charges and their alleged roles in the scheme:

Who is Kenneth Chesebro?

Chesebro is a Wisconsin Rapids native and a former campaign attorney for Trump. CNN reported in December that Chesebro was cooperating with investigators in four states, including Wisconsin. At that point, Kaul had not confirmed whether he was investigating the scheme.

Chesebro was the lead architect of the 2020 fake elector plan. Chesebro spelled out the plan in a memo dated Nov. 18, 2020 — the same day Trump asked for recounts in Dane and Milwaukee counties.

It's unclear whether Chesebro worked for Trump or someone else. Chesebro sent a second memo on the matter on Dec. 9, 2020, after state officials certified President Joe Biden as the victor in Wisconsin.

Chesebro has entered into agreements in several states to give him some protection from prosecution. He has pleaded guilty in Georgia to conspiracy to commit filing false documents.

Chesebro was also revealed as the anonymous "BadgerPundit" account on X, formerly Twitter. He used the account to urge Republicans to use Trump electors or Republican-led state legislatures to overturn Trump's loss.

Who is Jim Troupis?

Jim Troupis is a former Dane County Circuit Court judge from Cross Plains who was hired by Trump's campaign to oversee recounts. He received those memos from Chesebro.

In a settlement in the case filed by Democratic electors, Chesebro and Troupis did not admit wrongdoing but agreed to not prepare "alternate electoral votes" in future campaigns. Troupis paid an undisclosed amount as part of that agreement.

Emails released by Troupis and Cheesebro in that settlement showed they coordinated legal strategies during recounts of ballots in Dane and Milwaukee counties, during which Troupis sought to throw out thousands of absentee ballots that were cast in person through early voting.

Who is Mike Roman?

Mike Roman is a former Trump aide who allegedly delivered the fake elector paperwork to congressional staffers in order to get them to Vice President Mike Pence, who ultimately rejected them.

Records released as part of the settlement show Roman was in contact with Troupis on Jan. 6, 2021, and U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson's chief of staff in order to pass along the slates of Wisconsin's false electors to Pence.

Johnson has maintained he did not know he was trying to deliver fake elector packets to Pence despite texts released in the settlement showing he was explicitly told the documents were about the electors.

What are they charged with, and what happens next?

Kaul has filed the felony forgery charges in Dane County Circuit Court. Court records show Chesebro, Troupis and Roman are due in court on Sept. 19.

Who are Wisconsin's fake electors?

While the three Trump associates above are now charged in Wisconsin, the 10 people who signed documents agreeing to be electors for Trump were not. Those include:

• Robert Spindell, a Republican appointee to the Wisconsin Elections Commission

• Andrew Hitt, former chairman of the state Republican Party who recently appeared on "60 Minutes" describing the elector scheme

• Kelly Ruh, current chairwoman of the 8th Congressional District GOP

• Carol Brunner, former vice chairwoman of the 1st Congressional District GOP

• Scott Grabins, former chairman of the Dane County Republican Party GOP

• Darryl Carlson, former chairman of the 6th Congressional District GOP

• Pam Travis, former vice chairwoman of the 7th Congressional District GOP and a former staffer for Sen. Ron Johnson's 2022 reelection campaign

• Mary Buestrin, former national committeewoman for the state Republican Party

• Bill Feehan, current chairman of the 3rd Congressional District GOP

• Kathy Kiernan, current second vice chairwoman of the state Republican Party

More: Here are the 10 people who participated in Wisconsin's fake elector scheme in 2020

Journal Sentinel reporter Molly Beck contributed to this story.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Who is facing charges in Wisconsin's fake elector scheme?