TOLD YOU SO

Trump Campaign Was Warned of ‘Fake Elector’ Scheme’s Legal Risks: Report

“F**k these guys,” one Trump campaign official allegedly said when presented with legal concerns about false election certificates.

New documents show that Donald Trump’s trusted advisers were warned that criminal charges could result from the “fake elector” schemes carried out in several states—part of an attempt by the Trump campaign and its allies to overturn the 2020 election that has since led to indictments in a number of states. According to communications given to investigators by Kenneth Chesebro, a lawyer who worked with the Trump campaign on the effort, and obtained by The Detroit News, Pennsylvania Republicans raised concerns with the language of the Trump team’s certificates declaring him to be the winner of their state’s election. Chesebro, who in October pleaded guilty to one felony charge in connection with his involvement in the scheme, raised similar concerns in his communications with the Trump campaign. In one text message to the Trump campaign’s director of election day operations, Mike Roman, Chesebro writes: “Mike, I think the language at the start of the certificate should be changed in all the states.” Roman replies, “I dont [sic],” later adding, “fuck these guys”—an apparent reference to the Pennsylvania electors. Chesebro ultimately did soften the language of the Pennsylvania certificates—as well as those in New Mexico—but not those in other states.