Wisconsin Supreme Court Suspends Trump Lawyer Over Fake Elector Scheme

The Wisconsin Supreme Court has temporarily suspended an attorney from a state judicial advisory panel following felony charges related to a controversial scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. The attorney, who previously represented a former president in the state, is accused of participating in a plan that involved submitting false electoral votes in an effort to claim victory despite losing the election.

The suspension of the attorney, who had been reappointed to the panel in March 2023, comes just a week after the state’s Attorney General filed charges against him and two others for their roles in what has been described as a coordinated effort to undermine the democratic process. The charges mark a significant moment in the ongoing fallout from the 2020 election, which saw a contentious battle between the former president and his opponent, who won by a narrow margin of approximately 21,000 votes in Wisconsin.

The attorney, along with two co-defendants, is accused of conspiracy to commit forgery, a felony that carries a potential prison sentence of up to six years. The allegations stem from a meeting held in December 2020, where a group of Republican officials gathered to sign documents falsely claiming they were the legitimate electors for the former president. This meeting took place in the state Capitol on the same day that Democratic officials were casting electoral votes for the actual winner.

The charges filed by the Attorney General are the first of their kind in Wisconsin, targeting individuals directly involved in the fake elector scheme. The attorney's involvement included advising on the creation of fraudulent documents and attempting to deliver these documents to key political figures, including the then-Vice President. The legal actions taken against him and his co-defendants reflect a broader investigation into efforts across multiple states to challenge the election results.

Critics of the attorney have long called for his removal from the judicial advisory panel, arguing that his actions during the election undermine the integrity of the judicial system. The panel, which provides guidance on ethical conduct for judges, is seen as an inappropriate platform for someone involved in such a controversial scheme. The court's decision to suspend him comes amid a shift in its composition, with a recent liberal majority now holding sway.

The implications of these charges extend beyond the individuals involved. They highlight the ongoing tensions within American democracy regarding election integrity and the lengths to which some individuals may go to contest electoral outcomes. The Attorney General emphasized the importance of thorough investigations over the speed of prosecutions, stating, “Our focus in any investigation and any prosecution is not on the speed with which something’s done, but on doing high-quality investigations.”

As the legal proceedings unfold, the attorney and his co-defendants are scheduled to appear in court later this year. The case is part of a larger narrative that has seen similar charges filed in other states, where individuals involved in the fake elector schemes are facing legal consequences for their actions. This situation raises critical questions about accountability and the safeguarding of democratic processes in the United States.

The fallout from the 2020 election continues to resonate, with calls for accountability echoing from various corners of the political landscape. Advocates for electoral integrity view the charges as a necessary step toward ensuring that such attempts to subvert democracy do not happen again. As the nation prepares for future elections, the actions taken in Wisconsin may serve as a cautionary tale about the fragility of democratic institutions and the importance of upholding the rule of law.