In a recent interview, former Wisconsin Republican Party chair and “fake elector” Andrew Hitt admitted that he was deceived into signing documents asserting that then-President Donald Trump had won the 2020 election.
What Happened: Hitt, in a “60 Minutes” interview, revealed that the state GOP’s legal counsel had advised him to sign the documents as a precaution, in case the Trump campaign’s legal challenge against the integrity of Wisconsin’s election was successful, reported The Hill on Sunday.
He expressed discomfort with the Trump campaign’s efforts to invalidate votes in Wisconsin and his disbelief in the legal allegations of widespread fraud. He said that the legal team had assured him that the documents were meaningless unless a court deemed them otherwise.
"Whenever anybody sees our text messages, our emails, our documents, they understand, they know — their conclusion is we were tricked," Hitt said.
Despite his reservations, Hitt felt pressured to sign the document, fearing the consequences if Trump won the suit and the electors were unprepared. The document was signed by the 10 Wisconsin GOP electors under the supervision of Kenneth Chesebro, the Trump campaign lawyer, who was described by federal special counsel Jack Smith as the “architect” of the fake elector scheme.
Chesebro, along with other members of the Trump campaign, was charged in a separate Georgia state racketeering case over the fake elector scheme. He pleaded guilty to lesser charges after reaching an agreement with Georgia prosecutors in October.
In August 2021, Hitt resigned from his position leading the state GOP. He believes that prosecutors understand the electors were deceived and has cooperated with federal prosecutors.
Why It Matters: The fake elector scheme has been a contentious issue, with several individuals, including Hitt, claiming they were misled into participating. This case is part of a broader legal battle surrounding the 2020 election, which has seen high-profile figures like Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, and his campaign lawyer, John Eastman, indicted for their roles in the effort to overturn the election results.
Other individuals involved in the fake elector scheme have also claimed that their actions were under the guidance of Trump, arguing that this association should shield them from state legal consequences.
Read Next: Crowdfunding For Donald Trump: Supporters Rally To Pay Trump’s Legal Bills Through GoFundMe Campaign
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