Andrew Hitt, the former chairman of the Wisconsin Republican Party, has come forward to assert that he was deceived into signing documents falsely asserting that former President Trump had won the 2020 election in Wisconsin, as part of the state’s “fake elector” scheme.
In an interview with Anderson Cooper on “60 Minutes,” Hitt revealed that he was advised by the legal counsel of the state GOP to sign the documents as a precautionary measure, in the event that the Trump campaign’s legal challenges against Wisconsin’s election integrity proved successful.
Expressing discomfort with the Trump campaign’s efforts to invalidate votes in Wisconsin, Hitt emphasized that he did not believe in the claims of widespread fraud. He stated that the legal advice received indicated that the documents held no significance unless validated by a court.
Hitt admitted to feeling pressured into signing the document, fearing potential repercussions if the Trump lawsuit succeeded and the electors were unprepared. He voiced regret over his decision, acknowledging that he would not have done so had he been aware of the true motives behind the scheme.
The ten Wisconsin GOP electors convened at the state Capitol on December 14 to sign the document under the supervision of Kenneth Chesebro, the Trump campaign lawyer described by federal special counsel Jack Smith as the “architect” of the fake elector scheme. Despite the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s dismissal of the Trump campaign’s lawsuit, Hitt proceeded with signing the document as a precautionary measure.
Chesebro, who was also involved in a separate Georgia state racketeering case related to the fake elector scheme, pleaded guilty to lesser charges in October. The fake Electoral College votes delivered by Hitt and other Wisconsin GOP electors were not recognized following the Capitol riots on January 6.
Hitt resigned from his position as state GOP chairman in August 2021. While fake electors in other states have faced legal consequences, Hitt believes that prosecutors understand that he and others were deceived. He emphasized his cooperation with federal prosecutors, asserting that evidence such as text messages and emails supports the conclusion that they were tricked.
The Wisconsin fake electors settled a civil suit against them in December, acknowledging that the document was part of a scheme to overturn the election results. In a statement attached to the settlement agreement, the 10 Republicans expressed opposition to any attempts to undermine public faith in the election results.
