Wisconsin Republican Senator Ron Johnson’s attempts to downplay his brief involvement in the fake electors plot surrounding the 2020 presidential election have been met with skepticism, following revelations of his office’s direct communication with then-Vice President Mike Pence’s staff.
The accusations against Johnson gained traction when it was disclosed during a House Select Committee session that Johnson’s chief of staff, Sean Riley, texted Pence’s aide, Chris Hodgson, on January 6, 2021, requesting to hand over “Alternate slate of electors for MI and WI because [national] archivist didn’t receive them.” Hodgson’s immediate and definitive response was, “Do not give that to him.” This exchange suggests that the scheme to replace legitimate electors with fake ones backed by then-President Donald Trump was indeed within the reach of execution, only thwarted by Pence’s office’s refusal to cooperate.
Senator Johnson has maintained a stance of minimal engagement and denied any deep knowledge of the plan. In an interview with WISN-TV, he framed his involvement as momentary, spanning just “a couple seconds” involving three texts and a brief conversation with his chief of staff. “Yeah, I knew nothing about it,” Johnson declared. However, subsequent findings point to a more intricate knowledge about the attempt to hand over these lists of fake electors, considering his office was in the communication loop of the scheme’s final act.
Moreover, the Senator’s response to the charges filed against three of Trump’s allies in the plot—Kenneth Chesebro, former Dane County Judge James Troupis, and Michael Roman—was dismissive, calling them “outrageous” and condemning Democrats for “weaponizing Wisconsin’s judiciary.” In contrast, Democratic Governor Tony Evers succinctly endorsed the legal action with a single word: “Good.”
The gravity of the situation is underscored by the actions of other states that have brought charges against those involved in the use of fake electors, with Wisconsin joining Michigan, Georgia, Arizona, and Nevada in this prosecutorial initiative. AG Josh Kaul of Wisconsin stated that the strategy revealed through the charges mirrored efforts in other swing states, emphasizing the breadth of the counterfeit elector strategy.
Trump lost Wisconsin to Biden, a Democrat, by fewer than 21,000 votes. Trump carried Wisconsin by a similar margin in 2016.
Relevant articles:
– Sen. Ron Johnson’s claim he knew nothing about a fake electors plot isn’t believable, msnbc.com, 06/07/2024
– Wisconsin AG charges 3 in Trump’s 2020 fake elector scheme, WISN Milwaukee, 06/05/2024
– Two of Trump’s 2020 Wisconsin lawyers now face felony charges in the fake electors scheme, UpNorthNews, 06/04/2024
– Wisconsin governor shares one-word reaction after charges filed in 2020 fake elector scheme, NBC Chicago, 06/05/2024
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