hitt, andrew E S Q

180 on trump, disbarred?

AN 12 24

Two of President-elect Donald Trump's former attorneys and one of his former aides have been criminally charged in Wisconsin as part of the "fake electors" plot from 2020.

According to the Guardian, attorneys Kenneth Chesebro and James Troupis, along with Republican operative Michael Roman, have all been charged by Wisconsin's Justice Department with conspiracy to commit a crime and several additional counts of fraud. While Wisconsin has previously pursued civil action as part of the fake electors scheme, this marks the first time the Badger State has filed criminal charges in response to the plot to overturn the 2020 election in the critical battleground state.

The criminal complaint mentioned Chesebro as the brains of the operation, having authored a memo entitled: "The Real Deadline for Settling a State’s Electoral Votes." That memo laid out the plan for Republicans to falsely submit their names to seven different swing states as the duly appointed presidential electors, even though President Joe Biden actually won the election in those states.

Chesebro's new charges are particularly noteworthy, as CNN reported in 2023 that Chesebro was cooperating with the fake elector investigations in both Michigan and Wisconsin. He also cooperated with law enforcement in both Arizona and Nevada, and pleaded guilty after Fulton County, Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis indicted him and more than a dozen others in her RICO case. His plea of conspiracy to commit to filing false documents guaranteed no prison time provided he cooperated with Willis' office and testified against his co-defendants.

Andrew Hitt, who was the chair of the Wisconsin Republican Party in 2020, told 60 Minutes earlier this year that he felt pressured to go along with the fake elector plot out of fear of Trump's supporters. And in a 2022 deposition, Hitt said he regularly got threatening calls and emails from both sides of the political aisle, with some demanding to know his exact location.

"If my lawyer is right, and the whole reason Trump loses Wisconsin is because of me, I would be scared to death," Hitt told journalist Anderson Cooper. "It was not a safe time."

Attorney Scott Grubmann, who represents Chesebro, insistes that his client "never believed" that Trump won the 2020 election despite his role in hatching the fake elector plot.

READ MORE:[Former Trump lawyer and Ga co-defendant now cooperating in 2 new 'fake elector' investigations

Click here to read the Guardian's report in fulL.

---

AN 12 23

Many voters who served as fake electors in support of ex-President Donald Trump during the 2020 election are adamantly rejecting the idea of helping the MAGA hopeful again next year.

"How do you convey laughter in a newspaper article?" former Wisconsin Republican Party chairman and GOP elector Andrew Hitt said to The Washington Post. "No, I will not be serving as an elector again."

Hitt's comments come as ten Wisconsin GOPers earlier this week, according to ABC News, "settled a civil lawsuit and admitted their actions were part of an effort to overturn President Joe Biden's victory."

Additionally this week, former Trump attorney and Georgia election case co-defendant Kenneth Chesebro — "who was one of the architects of the 'fake elector' scheme that attempted to overturn the 2020 election in multiple swing states — "is now assisting state attorneys general in both Michigan and Wisconsin's fake elector investigation," CNN reports.

"Knowing what I know now? No," Republican Party activist and Ken Carroll told the Post in response to whether he'd serve as a fake elector again. "But hindsight provides a wealth of knowledge we don't have at the time of an event."

Noting that "Carroll was one of 84 Republican presidential electors who convened to cast votes for Trump in 2020 across seven states where Joe Biden had been declared the certified winner," the Post reports, "In the past few months, 25 of those 84 electors have been charged with felonies, such as forgery, false statements and filing false documents."

The Post notes:

*Another force will make it harder for electors to do what Trump’s slates did in 2020: The Electoral Count Reform Act of 2022, bipartisan legislation intended to prevent the chaos surrounding the events of the last presidential election.

*Among other provisions, the new law empowers a state executive, typically the governor, to determine which slate of electors — Republican or Democratic — will be counted during the joint session of Congress. No other entity or individual is given the power to do so, and Congress is required to accept that determination, absent a court ruling.

"I think the message being sent on a state-by-state basis, without necessarily any coordination and without the overarching reach of a federal prosecution is: don't mess around with the integrity of state election proceedings," ex-US attorney Carol Lam told the Post.

Still, Atlanta, Georgia GOP consultant Brian Robinson said, "The party will find no shortage of volunteers for the job," but some might hesitate. He added, "With the precedent now set by the district attorney, electors of both parties might get a little nervous if it's once again a razor-thin margin, which is quite possible."

Hitt, who no longer supports Trump, the Post notes "has been cooperating with federal special counsel Jack Smith's investigation since May 2022, said Trump won't have any problem finding people who will serve as electors next year if he wins the party's nomination."

He said, "There will be activists who will do it, no doubt about it. They're not going to have a hard time because they still have people who will do anything for the guy.

*The Washington Post's full report is here (subscription required).

---

12 23

CNN

The 10 fake electors from Wisconsin disavowed their attempt to overturn Donald Trump’s defeat in 2020, recognized the legitimacy of President Joe Biden’s victory, and pledged not to serve as real electors in 2024 or any election when Trump is on the ballot, or to act as sham electors in any future election, as part of a civil lawsuit settlement announced on Wednesday.

This is the latest measure of accountability for the Trump campaign’s seven-state plot to undermine the Electoral College and block the transfer of power. Federal prosecutors indicted Trump in connection with the scheme; the entire faux delegation from Michigan was hit with state charges; and so have three of the 16 fake electors from Georgia.

As part of the Wisconsin settlement, the 10 fake electors issued a statement acknowledging that the phony certificates they signed in December 2020 were “used as part of an attempt to improperly overturn” the lawful election results.

“We hereby reaffirm that Joseph R. Biden, Jr. won the 2020 presidential election and that we were not the duly elected presidential electors for the State of Wisconsin for the 2020 presidential election,” says a portion of their statement. “We oppose any attempt to undermine the public’s faith in the ultimate results of the 2020 presidential election.”

The agreement also requires the 10 GOP activists to provide “full cooperation” with any “ongoing or future” Justice Department probes related to the 2020 presidential election. Special counsel Jack Smith, who has investigated the 2020 election subversion, indicted Trump and interviewed some fake electors, but hasn’t charged any of them.

Wisconsin’s delegation of sham electors was led by Andrew Hitt, the state GOP chair at the time, and included Robert Spindell, now a member of the Wisconsin Election Commission. They both were part of Wednesday’s settlement.

The civil case is unrelated to any potential state criminal inquiry into the electors plot.

Two liberal-leaning groups filed the case: Wisconsin-based Law Forward and the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection, at Georgetown University. The groups said the deal penalized people who “ignore our nation’s democratic ideals” and “helps ensure that a similar effort to subvert our democracy will never happen again.”

---

green bay sweep! fake electors

WISCONSIN (10)

Andrew Hitt*: The chairman of the Republican Party of Wisconsin from 2019 until 2021, Hitt is a partner at consulting and lobbying firm Michael Best Strategies.

Kelly Ruh*: Ruh was an alderperson for De Pere but :{lost her bid for reelection:(style="box-sizing:border-box"):}: in April. She has also been chairwoman of the 8th Congressional District Republican Party and a controller for Bay Industries in Green Bay.

Carol Brunner: Brunner is the vice chairwoman of Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District Republican Party.

Edward Scott Grabins: Chairman of the Dane County Republican Party, Grabins is a technology professional, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Bill Feehan: A business manager based in La Crosse, Feehan was a 2012 candidate for District 32 of the Wisconsin state Senate.

Robert F. Spindell Jr.: Spindell has been a :{commissioner:(style="box-sizing:border-box"):}: on the Wisconsin Election Commission since 2019 and recently ran to chair the commission and lost. After Biden won the election, Spindell :{appeared at a “stop the steal” rally:(style="box-sizing:border-box"):}: at the state Capitol.

Kathy Kiernan: Kiernan is the 5th Congressional District chairman for the Republican Party of Wisconsin.

Darryl Carlson: Currently executive director of conservative organization No Better Friend Corp., Carlson ran an unsuccessful campaign in 2014 for the Wisconsin State Assembly. He is a veteran and has also represented the 3rd aldermanic district in Sheboygan.

Pam Travis: Travis has served as treasurer of the Wisconsin Federation of Republican Women and is currently the 7th Congressional District vice chairman for the Republican Party of Wisconsin.

Mary Buestrin: A former national committeewoman of the Republican Party of Wisconsin, Buestrin :{says she has done:(style="box-sizing:border-box"):}: volunteer work supporting Republican candidates for more than 50 years.

Slated to appear but replaced:

Tom Schreibel: Schreibel is a partner at consulting and lobbying firm Michael Best Strategies and a national committeeman of the Republican Party of Wisconsin.

The Epoch Times

- Mar 16

New Cancel-Culture Group Aims to Disbar Pro-Trump Lawyers

The Epoch Times: "In an interview with The Epoch Times, Curt Levey, president of the Committee for Justice, said, 'The election is over.'

:{:{

}:}:

Brock is 'doing this just to destroy the lives of the attorneys who defended Trump,' but 'everyone, even people that David Brock hates, deserves vigorous legal representation.'

:{:{

}:}:

'It is certainly at odds with both the First Amendment and the right of all Americans to have legal representation. It’s just bully tactics' and 'a particularly vicious streak of cancel culture,' Levey said.

:{:{

}:}:

The nonprofit describes itself as 'devoted to restoring the Founders’ vision of a federal judiciary governed by the rule of law and anchored by the Constitution.'"...

a longtime Hillary Clinton ally’s new cancel-culture group announced it plans to spend millions of dollars to disbar 111 lawyers in 26 states who defended the Trump campaign in post-election litigation, or were involved in efforts to challenge the 2020 presidential election results.

According to an Axios report, The 65 Project, founded by longtime Democratic Party operative David Brock (pictured above), has begun filing bar complaints against attorneys and plans to run ads in battleground states, including Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. The group also intends to lobby the American Bar Association and state bar associations to create rules forbidding some election challenges, and to adopt model language stipulating “fraudulent and malicious lawsuits to overturn legitimate election results violate the ethical duties lawyers must abide by.”

Brock, an erstwhile conservative journalist who switched sides and became a fundraiser for Democrats, founded Media Matters for America and the American Bridge 21st Century super PAC. The “65” refers to the number of lawsuits the group claims were filed that were aimed at invalidating the 2020 election results.

Brock told Axios the purpose of The 65 Project is to “not only bring the grievances in the bar complaints, but shame them and make them toxic in their communities and in their firms.”

“I think the littler fish are probably more vulnerable to what we’re doing,” he said. “You’re threatening their livelihood. And, you know, they’ve got reputations in their local communities.”

The article states that the project “hopes to deter right-wing legal talent from signing on to any future GOP efforts to overturn elections—including the midterms, or 2024.” The group is the brainchild of Melissa Moss, a Democrat consultant and former senior Clinton administration official.

Although the media outlet reports the group intends to spend around $2.5 million in its first year, and will operate through an existing nonprofit called Law Works, The 65 Project’s website is asking for donations to be made to it through another nonprofit, Franklin Education Forum, which provides debate and media training for left-wing activists.

Texas lawyer Paul M. Davis, who is being targeted by The 65 Project, told Axios the group’s effort “is nothing more than a desperate attempt by leftist hacks and mercenaries.”

Davis said the project’s goal is “to neutralize anyone on the right with the ability to stand in the way of the left’s efforts to hide malfeasance in the 2020 elections and to clear the path for a repeat of similar malfeasance in the 2022 mid-terms.”

Three attorneys contacted by The Epoch Times were critical of The 65 Project to varying degrees.

High-profile attorney Sidney Powell, who is appealing sanctions imposed on her by a federal judge for filing a supposedly frivolous election-related lawsuit, said The 65 Project is “unconstitutional, un-American, abusive, and hateful.”

Referring to Brock, she said by email: “I can’t even imagine how soulless and sick he and his comrades have to be to dedicate themselves and millions of dollars to try to destroy the lives and livelihoods of others. Those dollars could be spent instead to build Habitat homes or shelters for the homeless. Brock and his ilk don’t solve problems; they create them. Pathetic.”

In an interview with The Epoch Times, Curt Levey, president of the Committee for Justice, said “the election is over.”

Brock is “doing this just to destroy the lives of the attorneys who defended Trump,” but “everyone, even people that David Brock hates, deserve vigorous legal representation.”

“It is certainly at odds with both the First Amendment and the right of all Americans to have legal representation. It’s just bully tactics,” and “a particularly vicious streak of cancel culture,” Levey said.

The nonprofit describes itself as “devoted to restoring the Founders’ vision of a federal judiciary governed by the rule of law and anchored by the Constitution.”

Former Department of Justice civil rights attorney J. Christian Adams told The Epoch Times by email that, on the one hand, The 65 Project is “another reason not to get involved with flimsy legal theories, and only bring cases with merit.”

On the other hand, “it shows the Left is swimming in so much cash that they can implement any thuggish program they choose to,” said Adams, who is president of the Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF).

The foundation describes itself as “the nation’s only public interest law firm dedicated wholly to election integrity.” The nonprofit organization “exists to assist states and others to aid the cause of election integrity, and fight against lawlessness in American elections.”

The 65 Project website highlights the bar complaints it has filed so far against pro-Trump lawyers for their involvement in post-election lawsuits or activities.

The attorneys targeted so far are: Davis (pdf); Cleta Mitchell (pdf); Jenna Ellis (pdf); Joseph diGenova (pdf); Boris Epshteyn (pdf); William McCall Calhoun (pdf); William Bradley Carver (pdf); Daryl Moody (pdf); and James Troupis and Andrew Hitt(pdf). Carver, Moody, and Hitt are accused of falsely claiming to be presidential electors. Troupis is accused of coordinating false elector slates.

Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton campaign lawyer Marc Elias is leading a related effort to disqualify Republican candidates for allegedly supporting an insurrection against the United States by backing then-President Donald Trump in congressional votes at the end of the 2020 election cycle. Those challenging the candidates cite an obscure post-Civil War constitutional provision intended to keep Confederacy supporters from public office.

So far, allies of Elias have tried to have two pro-Trump Republican congressmen kicked off the ballot for voting not to certify the electoral votes of Arizona and Pennsylvania during a joint session of Congress Jan. 6 and Jan. 7, 2021. During the session, U.S. Capitol security was breached and the disturbance delayed certification of then-candidate Joe Biden’s election victory by several hours. Some of those activists who entered the Capitol are being prosecuted for attempting to obstruct an official proceeding. Some of those held in pretrial detention in the D.C. jail have complained of beatings and torture by guards.

The effort to remove Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) by invoking the Disqualification Clause of the 14th Amendment was unanimously rejected Feb. 18 by the bipartisan Indiana Election Commission, as The Epoch Times reported. The challenge to the candidacy of Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) is still pending. More candidate challenges are expected.

Elias is a central figure in the “Russiagate” conspiracy.He represented the Democratic National Committee and Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, hiring Fusion GPS to conduct opposition research against then-presidential candidate Donald Trump. That research effort culminated in the now-discredited 35-page dossier written by former British spy Christopher Steele that purported to tie Trump to the Russian government.

Brock, through his Media Matters for America website, which purports to combat “conservative misinformation,” has promoted the Trump-Russia conspiracy theory and Clinton for years. Funded by left-wing financier George Soros, Media Matters has, in turn, funded the Franklin Education Forum.

This article by Matthew Vadum appeared March 8, 2022, in The Epoch Times.