Kenneth Chesebro
editKenneth Chesebro, pro-Trump lawyer, 7 felonies. Charges mainly related to allegedly writing memos and emails describing how Georgia and other states could "convene and cast false Electoral College votes". He graduated from Harvard law in 1986, and started his own practice in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His liberal politics, known throughout his schooling, manifest itself in his work, such as representing clients suing large corporations, and participating in the Iran-Contra investigation as a deputy special counsel. In 2000, he served as a research assistant for Laurence Tribe, the noted constitutional scholar and attorney who had been his professor at Harvard and mentor ever since;[1] the case was Bush v. Gore. By 2016, his politics had reversed in the extreme opposite direction, highlighted by his work with Eastman on a case challenging birthright citizenship—a cause Trump has championed since his 2015 campaign, and has promised to abolish by executive order "on day one" if elected president in 2023.[2] The reasons for Chesebro's ideological flip are uncertain. Tribe recalled that in 2014 Chesebro told him of making millions on Bitcoin investments, but ultimately plead ignorance, saying, "I have no earthly idea. It genuinely baffles me."[3]
Chesebro has been described as the "architect of the election subversion scandal",[3] in large part for writing three memos in 2020—dated November 18,[4] December 6,[5] and December 9,[6] originating the idea of creating "alternate slates of electors" in states Biden had won. These illegitimate electors were to submit their own votes for Trump on December 14—the same day the legitimate electors pledged to Biden cast their votes as specified in the Constitution.[7][8][9][10]
Fake electors
editAs it became clear that multiple lawsuits and ballot recounts challenging election results in several states would probably not be resolved in Trump's favor by the Electoral College votes on December 14, Chesebro, with assistance from Eastman, wrote three memos originating the idea of creating "alternate slates of electors" in states Biden had won: they are dated November 18,[4] December 6,[5] and December 9[6]. These illegitimate electors were to submit their own votes for Trump on December 14—the same day the legitimate electors pledged to Biden cast their votes as specified in the Constitution.[7][8][9][10]
The first memo was specific to Wisconsin. The second broadened the scope to the five other states being contested at the time—Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, and Pennsylvania—with arguments based on federal election laws. The third memo proposed a unique strategy for each of the six states based on their own particular election laws.
The first memo argued that the language of Article II of the Constitution, which specifies that all electoral votes be cast on the same day, made it "highly uncertain [...] whether Congress could validly count electoral votes cast on a later date." Given the unlikelihood that attempts to overturn the election result in court would resolve by December 14, Chesebro therefore advocated having the pro-Trump electors meet and cast their own votes on that day, the same as if they had actually won the popular vote.[4]
In addition to expanding the strategy to other states, the second memo went a step further. According to the Federal indictment against Trump for his actions related to the failed January 6 insurrection, "The December 6 Memorandum (Fraudulent Elector Memo) marked a sharp departure from Co-Conspirator 5's [Chesebro's] Wisconsin Memo", the main difference being, "on January 6, the Vice President should open and count the fraudulent votes, setting up a fake controversy that would derail the proper certification of Biden as president-elect."[11]
References
edit- ^ "Trump co-defendant Kenneth Chesebro appears to have been at Capitol on Jan. 6". NBC News. August 18, 2023. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
- ^ Pengelly, Martin (May 31, 2023). "Donald Trump reiterates pledge to scrap birthright US citizenship". the Guardian. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
- ^ a b Pilkington, Ed (August 19, 2023). "'It baffles me': what drew a mild lawyer with a liberal past into Trump's election plot?". the Guardian. Archived from the original on August 19, 2023. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
- ^ a b c "Chesebro Nov 18 fraudulent elector memo" (PDF). New York Times. February 3, 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 10, 2023. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
- ^ a b "Chesebro Dec 6 fraudulent elector memo" (PDF). New York Times. August 9, 2023. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 18, 2023. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
- ^ a b "Chesebro Dec 9 fraudulent elector memo" (PDF). New York Times. February 2, 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 19, 2023. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
- ^ a b "Memos Show Roots of Trump's Focus on Jan. 6 and Alternate Electors". New York Times. February 3, 2022. Archived from the original on August 10, 2023. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
- ^ a b "Previously Secret Memo Laid Out Strategy for Trump to Overturn Biden's Win". New York Times. August 9, 2023. Archived from the original on August 18, 2023. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
- ^ a b Costa, Robert; Watson, Kathryn (August 9, 2023). "Newly unveiled memo cited in Trump indictment detailed false electors scheme". CBS News. Archived from the original on August 18, 2023. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
- ^ a b "Trump Jan. 6 Indictment: Read the Full Text, Annotated". New York Times. August 1, 2023. Archived from the original on August 18, 2023. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
- ^ "Federal Trump Jan 6 Indictment" (PDF). New York Times. August 1, 2023. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 18, 2023. Retrieved August 19, 2023.