Trump fake elector in Wisconsin describes how he says he was tricked | 60 Minutes

Summary

The transcript explores the actions of Republican electors in states like Wisconsin who, despite Joe Biden's victory, cast fake votes for Donald Trump. Andrew Hitt, the former Wisconsin GOP chairman, reveals how he and his colleagues were misled into believing their votes might be needed if a court overturned the election results. Hitt expresses regret over his involvement, highlighting the pressure from Trump supporters and the ongoing legal repercussions of their actions. He stresses the importance of restoring faith in democratic institutions and calls for leadership focused on addressing serious national issues rather than perpetuating false claims about election integrity.

Takeaways

• 😀 In December 2020, Republican electors in seven states cast phony votes for Trump despite Biden winning the popular vote.
• 😀 Andrew Hitt, a former Wisconsin Republican Party chairman, claims he and other GOP electors were misled by the Trump campaign.
• 😀 Hitt worked diligently for Trump but expressed discomfort with efforts to contest legitimate votes in Democratic counties.
• 😀 After the Wisconsin Supreme Court rejected Trump's attempts to throw out votes, Hitt and other electors still met to cast fake votes.
• 😀 Hitt feared repercussions from Trump supporters if he did not participate in the fake elector scheme.
• 😀 The plan involved signing documents that claimed Trump won, based on the hope of a court ruling overturning the election results.
• 😀 Ken Chesbro, a Trump attorney, allegedly orchestrated the fake elector scheme and provided legal advice to the electors.
• 😀 In January 2021, a 23-year-old law student was tasked with delivering the fake elector documents to Washington amid concerns over their legitimacy.
• 😀 Despite the ongoing claims of election fraud by Trump, Hitt states that the 2020 election in Wisconsin was not stolen.
• 😀 Hitt and the other electors settled a civil lawsuit, admitting they were part of an attempt to improperly overturn election results.

Q & A

What was the role of the Republican electors in Wisconsin after the 2020 election?

The Republican electors in Wisconsin gathered to cast votes for Donald Trump despite Joe Biden winning the popular vote, leading to their designation as 'fake electors'.

Why did Andrew Hitt feel compelled to participate in the elector process?

Andrew Hitt felt pressured by the Trump campaign and feared repercussions from Trump supporters if he did not sign the documents, believing it was necessary to preserve Trump's chances.

What was the main legal argument the Trump campaign used regarding absentee ballots in Wisconsin?

The Trump campaign challenged more than 200,000 absentee ballots on technical grounds, claiming that these votes should be tossed out.

What was Andrew Hitt's personal belief about the absentee ballots?

Andrew Hitt did not personally believe that the absentee ballots should be thrown out, despite being involved in signing documents that supported that idea.

How did the Wisconsin Supreme Court rule on the Trump campaign's attempt to throw out votes?

The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled 4-3 against the Trump campaign's attempt to throw out more than 200,000 votes.

What was the reasoning behind the meeting of Republican electors on December 14?

The electors met to sign a document claiming Trump won the state as a contingency plan in case a court overturned the election results.

What did Andrew Hitt think of the legitimacy of the court challenges?

Hitt acknowledged that he did not personally agree with the legitimacy of the challenges but felt obligated to sign the documents to avoid personal blame if Trump lost.

What did Ken Chesbro's involvement signify in the fake elector scheme?

Ken Chesbro was viewed as a key architect of the fake elector plan, advising the Republican electors on how to proceed with their actions.

What was the outcome for Andrew Hitt and the other Republican electors in Wisconsin?

They settled a civil lawsuit admitting they signed documents used in an attempt to improperly overturn the 2020 election results.

What is Andrew Hitt's perspective on the ongoing claims about the 2020 election being stolen?

Hitt believes that the election was not stolen and that the country needs to move forward with leadership that restores faith in democratic institutions.