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The AI Files · Donald Trump / 2020 alternate elector certificates / state prosecutions · 2020–2026

The fake electors

On 14 December 2020, in seven states Joe Biden had won, Trump supporters signed certificates declaring themselves the electors. The National Archives still has the scans — marked unofficial.

Prosecutors called the papers fraud. Defenders called them a contingent backup. Years of state cases mostly collapsed without proving a crime — and without finding that Trump won those states.

Read the story Explore the files

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The story

The story

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Chapter 1

Two sets of papers

On 14 December 2020, in seven states Joe Biden had already won, Trump-supporting slates signed certificates declaring themselves the electors. The National Archives still hosts the scans — labeled *unofficial*, not accepted as official state action [1].

Prosecutors later called the papers fraud. Defenders called them a contingent backup. Years of state cases mostly collapsed. Wisconsin’s case against alleged planners was still open in mid-2026 [2][3].

This guide is the maintained record of that path: the memos, the seven certificates, the Pence hinge, and the prosecutions that mostly failed — without pretending dismissals mean Trump won those states [2].

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Illustration / file photo used for eastman in the fake-electors guide. Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses

Chapter 2

The logistics memo

Nine days before the meetings, Kenneth Chesebro wrote James Troupis a memo on how Trump-Pence electors could meet on December 14 and transmit votes even though none were certified — so the votes “might be eligible to be counted if later recognized” [4].

He cited Hawaii in 1960. He walked 3 U.S.C. meeting rules. It is the operational spine of Dec 14.

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Chapter 3

The Pence scenario

John Eastman’s “January 6 scenario” treated seven dual slates as the on-ramp for the Vice President to defer, discard, or force a contingent House election [5]. An email to Boris Epshteyn, copying Chesebro, forwarded a December 23 final [6].

Without a willing chair, the certificates would be paper without a parliamentary hook. That is why this story always runs through Mike Pence.

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Chapter 4

The thinning predicate

Inside the administration, Attorney General Barr had already said DOJ had not found fraud on a scale that would change the outcome [7]. Christopher Krebs’s “most secure election” line pointed the same way [7].

The Dec 14 plan did not wait for those assessments to become Trump’s public line. It preserved papers for a different theory of recognition.

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Chapter 5

Ascertainment first

By mid-December, governors’ Certificates of Ascertainment named Biden electors in the seven states [8]. Those are the instruments NARA treats as official state action.

The Trump-aligned meetings did not replace them. They tried to sit beside them.

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Chapter 6

Seven rooms, one date

On December 14 the slates met. Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, New Mexico, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin — the Eastman map [1][5].

Sovereign Citizens noise also appears in the Arizona archive folder; it is not the Republican slate [1]. Keep them straight.

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Chapter 7

Contingent — or not

Wording varied. Some papers hedged. Critics say others read like ordinary Certificates of Vote [2][1].

That difference later ate prosecutions alive. Criminal intent is harder when defendants can point to a lawyer memo about contingency [4][9].

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Chapter 8

Envelopes to the OFR

Packets and envelopes reached the Office of the Federal Register. Email threads with the states survive on NARA’s page — some subject lines saying “False Certificate” [1][10].

Eastman’s scenario assumed dual returns would be in front of the President of the Senate [5]. Transmission was not an afterthought.

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Chapter 9

The hinge refuses

On January 6, Pence refused unilateral power to reject certified electors [11][12]. The Eastman machine lost its operator.

What happened around the Capitol that day belongs in the January 6 sibling guide — not here [13]. This page’s point is narrower: without Pence, the unofficial certificates stayed unofficial.

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Chapter 10

The count that counted

Congress finished the job. Biden 306, Trump 232 [8]. The seven states’ official Biden electors were in that total. The alternate papers were not.

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Chapter 11

Exhibits, not verdicts

The House January 6 committee put Chesebro, Eastman and the slate story into a public narrative [14]. Use it for document pointers. Do not confuse a committee product with a criminal judgment.

Jack Smith’s federal election case also described an alternate-elector scheme — then that case was dismissed. See the federal sibling [15].

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Chapter 12

Congress rewrites the rules

In 2022, Electoral Count Reform provisions clarified the Vice President’s ministerial role and dual-slate mechanics [16]. The ambiguity Eastman tried to drive through was narrowed by statute.

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Chapter 13

Five state tracks

Michigan, Georgia, Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin opened criminal paths [17][18][19][20][21]. Who was charged varied — mass electors in some states, organizers and national figures in others [22][23].

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Chapter 14

Michigan breaks first

In September 2025 a Michigan judge dismissed the elector case, with reporting centered on failure to prove intent to defraud [9][24]. The archival papers did not vanish. The criminal theory against those defendants did.

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Chapter 15

Georgia ends on one page

On 26 November 2025, Judge Scott McAfee granted the state’s nolle prosequi and dismissed the Fulton case in its entirety [25]. Elector defendants named on that caption — including threads through David Shafer and Eastman — did not face a completed trial on those remaining counts.

The phone call, RICO scaffolding and prosecutor fights are the Georgia sibling’s job [26].

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Chapter 16

Arizona and Nevada fall

Arizona’s sprawling case was dismissed in 2026; KJZZ reported Mayes could still refile [27][23]. Nevada’s case against six electors was dismissed on 13 August 2026; the AG later noticed an appeal [28][29].

Dismissals multiplied. So did the naming war: “fake” versus “contingent.”

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Chapter 17

Wisconsin still open

Three defendants pleaded not guilty in June 2026 [3]. Votebeat describes a case aimed at alleged planners — Troupis, Chesebro, Roman — not a rematch against every Wisconsin elector [22].

If any courtroom still tests the memo authors, it is here.

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Chapter 18

Two ledgers

What the documents prove is not the same as what convictions established [1][4][5][24].

Dismissals did not find that Trump won those states [2][25]. Anyone who says otherwise is not reading the orders.

Illustration / file photo used for now in the fake-electors guide.
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Chapter 19

How memory moved

First the name stuck: fake electors. Then indictments made the story feel finished. Then Michigan, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada fell, and the contingent-elector defense roared back [24][25][27][28].

The memory section tracks those phases. The critical path stays the yardstick.

Sources for the story
  1. National Archives / OFR: 2020 Presidential Election Unofficial Certificates
  2. AI Files short case (pre-rebuild): The fake electors
  3. AP: three Wisconsin defendants plead not guilty (16 Jun 2026)
  4. Kenneth Chesebro memo to James R. Troupis (9 Dec 2020): Statutory Requirements for December 14 Electoral Votes — GovInfo J6 CTRL0000082463_00010
  5. John Eastman ‘January 6 scenario’ memo (dual slates / Pence) — text circulated Dec 2020; HKS / DocumentCloud copies
  6. Eastman email to Boris Epshteyn CC Chesebro re Dec 23 memo final (J6 exhibit Chapman053475)
  7. AI Files: Trump Election 2020 full guide (sibling)
  8. National Archives: 2020 Electoral College Results
  9. Reuters: Michigan judge tosses case against Trump fake electors (9 Sep 2025)
  10. NARA OFR email correspondence with states re unofficial certificates (linked on unofficial certificates page)
  11. Vice President Pence letter to Congress (6 Jan 2021) on counting role — widely published text
  12. U.S. Constitution, Amendment XII
  13. AI Files: Trump January 6 full guide (sibling)
  14. House Select Committee to Investigate Jan 6 — Final Report materials on alternate electors (GovInfo collection)
  15. AI Files: Trump federal election case full guide (sibling)
  16. Electoral Count Reform Act of 2022 (Pub. L. 117-328 div.) — reforms after 2020/Jan 6
  17. Michigan AG Dana Nessel prosecution of 16 Trump electors (charging announcements / court docket via press)
  18. Georgia election case — Fulton indictment naming electors/organizers (cross-link; later dismissed)
  19. Arizona AG Kris Mayes fake-electors prosecution (indictment / later dismissal reporting)
  20. Nevada AG Aaron Ford prosecution of six electors (dismissal Aug 2026; appeal notice Oct 2026)
  21. Wisconsin AG Josh Kaul case against alleged planners (pending as of mid-2026 reporting)
  22. Votebeat: Wisconsin fake elector case continues (15 Jun 2026)
  23. LA Times: Arizona prosecutors dismiss fake elector case, seek new indictment (18 Jun 2026)
  24. AP: Michigan dismissal and challenges proving fake-elector cases (10 Sep 2025)
  25. Judge Scott McAfee: Order granting State’s motion for dismissal (26 Nov 2025) — Fulton 23SC188947
  26. AI Files: Trump Georgia election full guide (sibling)
  27. KJZZ: Arizona fake-electors case dismissed; Mayes can still refile (11 Aug 2026)
  28. AP: Judge drops Nevada’s fake elector case (13 Aug 2026)
  29. Las Vegas Review-Journal: AG Ford notice of appeal in Nevada fake-electors case (Oct 2026)

Explore

Go deeper, era by era

Pick an era, or search everything at once: entries, people, dated events, claims, theories and media.

Threads

Follow one thread through the whole story

Each thread pulls together the entries on one question, across all the eras.

Key people

Who was who

Lawyers, electors, prosecutors, officials and the Vice President on this path.

Donald J. TrumpDonald J. TrumpPresident (2017–21; 2025–); candidate who lost the seven states

Beneficiary of the alternate certificates and dual-slate theory; not personally convicted in the state elector cases covered here.

Sources
  1. National Archives / OFR: 2020 Presidential Election Unofficial Certificates
  2. AI Files short case (pre-rebuild): The fake electors
Mike PenceMike PenceVice President; President of the Senate on Jan 6

Target of the Eastman dual-slate scenario; publicly refused unilateral power to reject electors.

Sources
  1. John Eastman ‘January 6 scenario’ memo (dual slates / Pence) — text circulated Dec 2020; HKS / DocumentCloud copies
  2. Vice President Pence letter to Congress (6 Jan 2021) on counting role — widely published text
Joe BidenJoe Biden2020 winner; certified 306 electors

Official Electoral College winner; his electors — not the alternate slates — were counted.

Sources
  1. National Archives: 2020 Electoral College Results
Kamala HarrisKamala Harris2020 vice-presidential elect

Paired with Biden on official Certificates of Vote from the seven states.

Sources
  1. National Archives: 2020 Electoral College Results
John EastmanJohn EastmanOutside counsel; author of January 6 scenario memo

Wrote the dual-slate memo proposing Pence defer/reject votes from seven states.

Sources
  1. John Eastman ‘January 6 scenario’ memo (dual slates / Pence) — text circulated Dec 2020; HKS / DocumentCloud copies
  2. Eastman email to Boris Epshteyn CC Chesebro re Dec 23 memo final (J6 exhibit Chapman053475)
Kenneth ChesebroKenneth ChesebroOutside counsel; Dec 9 logistics memo

Advised Trump-Pence electors meet Dec 14 and transmit votes even without certification; later a WI defendant per press.

Sources
  1. Kenneth Chesebro memo to James R. Troupis (9 Dec 2020): Statutory Requirements for December 14 Electoral Votes — GovInfo J6 CTRL0000082463_00010
  2. Votebeat: Wisconsin fake elector case continues (15 Jun 2026)
Rudy GiulianiRudy GiulianiTrump personal lawyer; AZ defendant in dismissed case

Public face of post-election challenges; named in Arizona’s later-dismissed prosecution.

Sources
  1. LA Times: Arizona prosecutors dismiss fake elector case, seek new indictment (18 Jun 2026)
  2. KJZZ: Arizona fake-electors case dismissed; Mayes can still refile (11 Aug 2026)
Mark MeadowsMark MeadowsWhite House chief of staff; named in AZ case

Senior aide in the post-election period; Arizona case naming him was dismissed.

Sources
  1. LA Times: Arizona prosecutors dismiss fake elector case, seek new indictment (18 Jun 2026)
James R. TroupisJames R. TroupisWisconsin Trump campaign attorney; Chesebro memo recipient

Addressee of the Dec 9 memo; later among WI defendants pleading not guilty (press).

Sources
  1. Kenneth Chesebro memo to James R. Troupis (9 Dec 2020): Statutory Requirements for December 14 Electoral Votes — GovInfo J6 CTRL0000082463_00010
  2. AP: three Wisconsin defendants plead not guilty (16 Jun 2026)
  3. Votebeat: Wisconsin fake elector case continues (15 Jun 2026)
Boris EpshteynBoris EpshteynTrump advisor; Eastman email recipient

Received Eastman’s Dec 23 memo final with Chesebro on copy.

Sources
  1. Eastman email to Boris Epshteyn CC Chesebro re Dec 23 memo final (J6 exhibit Chapman053475)
Jenna EllisJenna EllisTrump campaign lawyer

Part of the public legal team around post-election challenges; Georgia path cross-linked.

Sources
  1. Georgia election case — Fulton indictment naming electors/organizers (cross-link; later dismissed)
  2. AI Files: Trump Georgia election full guide (sibling)
Sidney PowellSidney PowellOutside counsel; separate fraud theories

Pushed broader fraud claims (sibling election-2020); not the author of the Dec 14 logistics memo.

Sources
  1. AI Files: Trump Election 2020 full guide (sibling)
Jeffrey ClarkJeffrey ClarkDOJ official aspirant; Georgia defendant list

Named in Georgia indictment that was later dismissed entirely.

Sources
  1. Judge Scott McAfee: Order granting State’s motion for dismissal (26 Nov 2025) — Fulton 23SC188947
  2. Georgia election case — Fulton indictment naming electors/organizers (cross-link; later dismissed)
Michael RomanMichael RomanTrump campaign operative; WI/GA defendant contexts

Named in Votebeat as among WI alleged planners; also on Georgia dismissal caption.

Sources
  1. Votebeat: Wisconsin fake elector case continues (15 Jun 2026)
  2. Judge Scott McAfee: Order granting State’s motion for dismissal (26 Nov 2025) — Fulton 23SC188947
David ShaferDavid ShaferGeorgia Republican Party chair; alternate elector

Signed/organized Georgia slate context; case ended with statewide dismissal.

Sources
  1. Judge Scott McAfee: Order granting State’s motion for dismissal (26 Nov 2025) — Fulton 23SC188947
  2. NARA: Georgia Republican electors’ unofficial Certificate of Vote
Shawn StillShawn StillGeorgia alternate elector / later state senator

Named on Georgia dismissal caption among elector defendants.

Sources
  1. Judge Scott McAfee: Order granting State’s motion for dismissal (26 Nov 2025) — Fulton 23SC188947
Cathleen LathamCathleen LathamGeorgia defendant on dismissal order

Among remaining defendants when McAfee granted nolle prosequi.

Sources
  1. Judge Scott McAfee: Order granting State’s motion for dismissal (26 Nov 2025) — Fulton 23SC188947
William BarrWilliam BarrAttorney General (until Dec 2020)

Publicly undercut broad fraud claims before the elector meetings; context for DOJ resistance.

Sources
  1. AI Files: Trump Election 2020 full guide (sibling)
Jack SmithJack SmithSpecial Counsel (federal election case)

Federal indictment discussed alternate electors; case later dismissed — sibling guide.

Sources
  1. Federal election case charging documents discussing fake/alternate elector scheme (cross-link; case dismissed)
  2. AI Files: Trump federal election case full guide (sibling)
Fani WillisFani WillisFulton County DA

Brought Georgia RICO case including electors; case dismissed Nov 2025 after disqualification fight.

Sources
  1. Judge Scott McAfee: Order granting State’s motion for dismissal (26 Nov 2025) — Fulton 23SC188947
  2. AI Files: Trump Georgia election full guide (sibling)
Scott McAfeeScott McAfeeFulton County Superior Court judge

Signed the Nov 26 2025 order dismissing the Georgia case in its entirety.

Sources
  1. Judge Scott McAfee: Order granting State’s motion for dismissal (26 Nov 2025) — Fulton 23SC188947
Kris MayesKris MayesArizona Attorney General

Brought AZ fake-electors case; dismissed and explored refile per 2026 press.

Sources
  1. KJZZ: Arizona fake-electors case dismissed; Mayes can still refile (11 Aug 2026)
  2. LA Times: Arizona prosecutors dismiss fake elector case, seek new indictment (18 Jun 2026)
Dana NesselDana NesselMichigan Attorney General

Prosecuted Michigan electors; case dismissed Sep 2025.

Sources
  1. AP: Michigan dismissal and challenges proving fake-elector cases (10 Sep 2025)
  2. Reuters: Michigan judge tosses case against Trump fake electors (9 Sep 2025)
Aaron FordAaron FordNevada Attorney General

Prosecuted six Nevada electors; case dismissed Aug 2026; later noticed appeal.

Sources
  1. AP: Judge drops Nevada’s fake elector case (13 Aug 2026)
  2. Las Vegas Review-Journal: AG Ford notice of appeal in Nevada fake-electors case (Oct 2026)
Josh KaulJosh KaulWisconsin Attorney General

Office behind the still-pending WI case against alleged planners.

Sources
  1. AP: three Wisconsin defendants plead not guilty (16 Jun 2026)
  2. Votebeat: Wisconsin fake elector case continues (15 Jun 2026)
Brad RaffenspergerBrad RaffenspergerGeorgia Secretary of State

Certified Biden’s Georgia electors; resisted pressure (sibling Georgia guide).

Sources
  1. National Archives: 2020 Electoral College Results
  2. AI Files: Trump Georgia election full guide (sibling)
Brian KempBrian KempGeorgia Governor

Signed official ascertainment for Biden electors.

Sources
  1. National Archives: 2020 Electoral College Results
Jocelyn BensonJocelyn BensonMichigan Secretary of State

Michigan official election authority contrasting unofficial MI certificate.

Sources
  1. National Archives: 2020 Electoral College Results
  2. NARA: Michigan Republican electors’ unofficial Certificate of Vote
Katie HobbsKatie HobbsArizona Secretary of State (2020)

Arizona’s chief election officer when unofficial AZ certificate circulated.

Sources
  1. National Archives: 2020 Electoral College Results
  2. NARA: Arizona Republican electors’ unofficial Certificate of Vote (scan linked from unofficial certificates page)
Rusty BowersRusty BowersArizona House Speaker (2020–21)

Publicly refused legislative schemes to replace electors; J6 testimony context.

Sources
  1. House Select Committee to Investigate Jan 6 — Final Report materials on alternate electors (GovInfo collection)
  2. AI Files: Trump January 6 full guide (sibling)
Christopher KrebsChristopher KrebsCISA Director (fired)

‘Most secure election’ statement undercut fraud predicates for alternate slates.

Sources
  1. AI Files: Trump Election 2020 full guide (sibling)
Greg JacobGreg JacobPence counsel

Advised the Vice President against Eastman’s unilateral theory (sibling Jan 6 detail).

Sources
  1. Vice President Pence letter to Congress (6 Jan 2021) on counting role — widely published text
  2. AI Files: Trump January 6 full guide (sibling)
Andrew HittAndrew HittWisconsin GOP chair / alternate elector context

Wisconsin slate organizer context; WI criminal track later focused on planners.

Sources
  1. NARA: Wisconsin Republican electors’ unofficial Certificate of Vote
  2. Votebeat: Wisconsin fake elector case continues (15 Jun 2026)

Timeline

Day by day

22 dated events, 2020–2026, each with its source.

  1. 3–7 Nov 2020
    Election and count Biden leads in the seven later dual-slate states as counts finish; Trump contests results in court. The lawyer memos · source source
  2. 1 Dec 2020
    Barr: no widespread fraud AG Barr says DOJ has not found fraud on a scale that would change the outcome — undercutting the predicate for replacing electors. The lawyer memos · source
  3. 9 Dec 2020
    Chesebro memo to Troupis Memo: Trump-Pence electors should meet Dec 14 and transmit votes even though not certified, so they might later be counted. The lawyer memos · source
  4. ~23 Dec 2020
    Eastman January 6 scenario Memo sketches dual slates in seven states and a Pence-led path to discard or defer those electoral votes. The lawyer memos · source source
  5. By mid-Dec 2020
    Official ascertainments State executives certify Biden electors in AZ, GA, MI, NM, NV, PA, WI. The seven certificates · source
  6. 14 Dec 2020
    Seven slates sign Republican elector slates sign Certificates of Vote in the seven states. The seven certificates · source
  7. Mid–late Dec 2020
    Packets to the OFR Unofficial certificates and envelopes reach the Office of the Federal Register; states correspond about them. The seven certificates · source source
  8. Published / FOIA page
    Archives: unofficial NARA hosts the scans as unofficial certificates not accepted as official State action. The seven certificates · source
  9. Dec 2020
    Language differences Some certificates hedge; critics highlight others that omit clear contingency — later fuel for intent arguments. Contingent vs absolute · source source
  10. Dec 2020 (cited)
    Hawaii 1960 invoked Chesebro memo and defenders cite Hawaii’s 1960 dual electoral votes as precedent. The lawyer memos · source source
  11. 6 Jan 2021
    Pence refuses Eastman path Pence states he will not unilaterally reject electors; joint session counts official votes (Capitol attack: sibling). The Pence decision · source source
  12. 6–7 Jan 2021
    Official count finished Congress completes the count: Biden 306, Trump 232. The Pence decision · source
  13. 2021–2022
    Committee exhibits House Jan 6 committee publishes Eastman/Chesebro materials and elector narrative (committee product, not a verdict). Investigations · source source
  14. 2022–2024
    State cases open Michigan, Georgia, Arizona, Nevada and Wisconsin tracks charge electors and/or organizers. State prosecutions · source source
  15. 2023
    Federal indictment references scheme Jack Smith’s election case describes a fake/alternate elector scheme; federal case later dismissed (sibling). Investigations · source source
  16. 9–10 Sep 2025
    Michigan dismissed Judge tosses charges against Michigan electors; reporting centers on intent. Dismissals · source source
  17. 26 Nov 2025
    Georgia dismissed entirely McAfee grants State’s nolle prosequi; case dismissed in its entirety. Dismissals · source
  18. Jun–Aug 2026
    Arizona dismissed Mayes dismisses / court dismisses; Aug press: without prejudice, refile possible. Dismissals · source source
  19. 13 Aug 2026
    Nevada dismissed Judge drops case against six Nevada Republicans; AG later notices appeal. Dismissals · source source
  20. Jun 2026→
    Wisconsin not-guilty pleas Three alleged planners plead not guilty; case pending — electors themselves largely not the WI targets. What remains · source source
  21. 2025–2026
    What dismissals did not hold No dismissal order finds Trump the lawful winner of those states’ electoral votes. Dismissals · source source
  22. 2022
    Electoral Count Reform Act Congress clarifies VP’s ministerial role and dual-slate rules after 2020/Jan 6. Investigations · source source

What we know now

What we know now

The yardstick

The critical path

The mainstream yardstick: memos → Dec 14 certificates → NARA unofficial → Pence refuses unilateral power → state cases mostly fail / WI open. Rival views break or add links here.

  1. 1
    By mid-Dec 2020Biden’s electors certified

    Governors’ Certificates of Ascertainment name Biden electors in the seven states; NARA official results later show Biden 306.[1]

    On the timeline
  2. 2
    9 Dec 2020Chesebro Dec 9 memo

    Memo advises Trump-Pence electors meet Dec 14 and transmit votes even without certification so they might later be counted.[2]

    On the timeline
  3. 3
    ~23 Dec 2020Eastman dual-slate scenario

    Memo treats seven dual slates as the on-ramp for Pence to defer/reject and reshape the count.[3][4]

    On the timeline
  4. 4
    14 Dec 2020Dec 14 signings

    Republican slates in AZ, GA, MI, NM, NV, PA, WI sign Certificates of Vote.[5]

    On the timeline
  5. 5
    Mid–late Dec 2020Transmission to OFR/Congress

    Unofficial packets reach the Office of the Federal Register; correspondence preserved.[5][6]

    On the timeline
  6. 6
    Published / FOIA pageNARA: unofficial, not state action

    Archives publishes the scans as unofficial and not accepted as evidence of official State action.[5]

    On the timeline
  7. 7
    Dec 2020Wording varies by state

    Some certificates use contingent language; critics say others read like ordinary official certificates — material to intent fights.[5][7]

    On the timeline
  8. 8
    Dec 2020 (cited)Hawaii 1960 cited as precedent

    Chesebro/defense cite 1960 Hawaii dual votes; historians note different timing (court-resolved before count).[2][8]

    On the timeline
  9. 9
    6 Jan 2021Pence refuses unilateral power

    Pence publicly rejects Eastman-style unilateral rejection; counting proceeds under ECA (Capitol violence: sibling Jan 6).[9][10][11]

    On the timeline
  10. 10
    6–7 Jan 2021Official Biden votes counted

    Joint session counts the certified Biden electors from the seven states; Trump loses 306–232.[1]

    On the timeline
  11. 11
    9–10 Sep 2025Michigan case dismissed

    Sep 2025: judge dismisses elector charges for failure to show intent to defraud / rights exercise framing.[12][13]

    On the timeline
  12. 12
    26 Nov 2025Georgia case dismissed entirely

    Nov 26 2025: McAfee grants State’s nolle prosequi; case dismissed in its entirety — including elector defendants.[14]

    On the timeline
  13. 13
    Jun–Aug 2026Arizona case dismissed

    2026: Mayes dismissal / court dismissal; KJZZ reports Aug dismissal with refile still possible.[15][16]

    On the timeline
  14. 14
    13 Aug 2026Nevada case dismissed

    Aug 13 2026: judge dismisses case against six Nevada Republicans; AG later notices appeal.[17][18]

    On the timeline
  15. 15
    Jun 2026→Wisconsin still pending

    Mid-2026: alleged planners plead not guilty; case open — distinct from charging every elector.[19][20]

    On the timeline
  16. 16
    2025–2026No finding Trump won those states

    Dismissals turned on intent, procedure, or prosecutor issues — not a judicial finding that Trump was the lawful winner in those states.[7][14][12]

    On the timeline
Sources for the 16 steps
  1. National Archives: 2020 Electoral College Results
  2. Kenneth Chesebro memo to James R. Troupis (9 Dec 2020): Statutory Requirements for December 14 Electoral Votes — GovInfo J6 CTRL0000082463_00010
  3. John Eastman ‘January 6 scenario’ memo (dual slates / Pence) — text circulated Dec 2020; HKS / DocumentCloud copies
  4. Eastman email to Boris Epshteyn CC Chesebro re Dec 23 memo final (J6 exhibit Chapman053475)
  5. National Archives / OFR: 2020 Presidential Election Unofficial Certificates
  6. NARA OFR email correspondence with states re unofficial certificates (linked on unofficial certificates page)
  7. AI Files short case (pre-rebuild): The fake electors
  8. National Archives / historical: 1960 Hawaii dual electoral votes (Kennedy later certified)
  9. Vice President Pence letter to Congress (6 Jan 2021) on counting role — widely published text
  10. U.S. Constitution, Amendment XII
  11. AI Files: Trump January 6 full guide (sibling)
  12. AP: Michigan dismissal and challenges proving fake-elector cases (10 Sep 2025)
  13. Reuters: Michigan judge tosses case against Trump fake electors (9 Sep 2025)
  14. Judge Scott McAfee: Order granting State’s motion for dismissal (26 Nov 2025) — Fulton 23SC188947
  15. KJZZ: Arizona fake-electors case dismissed; Mayes can still refile (11 Aug 2026)
  16. LA Times: Arizona prosecutors dismiss fake elector case, seek new indictment (18 Jun 2026)
  17. AP: Judge drops Nevada’s fake elector case (13 Aug 2026)
  18. Las Vegas Review-Journal: AG Ford notice of appeal in Nevada fake-electors case (Oct 2026)
  19. AP: three Wisconsin defendants plead not guilty (16 Jun 2026)
  20. Votebeat: Wisconsin fake elector case continues (15 Jun 2026)

OTHER READINGS

Seven ways to read the seven slates

Each theory is scored against the critical path: what it removes, what it adds, what would have to be fake.

Illustration / file photo used for memo in the fake-electors guide.
Illustration / file photo used for memo in the fake-electors guide. Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses
Disputed

Lawful contingent backups (Hawaii path)

The slates were contingent instruments to preserve Trump votes if courts or legislatures later flipped results — historically analogous to Hawaii 1960.

  1. 1Biden’s electors certified
  2. 2Chesebro Dec 9 memo
  3. 3Eastman dual-slate scenariorecast
  4. 4Dec 14 signings
  5. 5Transmission to OFR/Congress
  6. 6NARA: unofficial, not state action
  7. 7Wording varies by staterecast
  8. 8Hawaii 1960 cited as precedent
  9. 9Pence refuses unilateral power
  10. 10Official Biden votes counted
  11. 11Michigan case dismissed
  12. 12Georgia case dismissed entirely
  13. 13Arizona case dismissed
  14. 14Nevada case dismissed
  15. 15Wisconsin still pending
  16. 16No finding Trump won those states
  17. +Live court/legislature reversal path on Dec 14Thin evidence
Open the file
Who believes it
Who has voiced it
Where it started

Chesebro Dec 9 memo and defense counsel framing in state cases.[1][2]

Why it lives

Lives in defense briefs, aligned media, and Michigan’s intent-focused dismissal narrative.

If it were true

If true, most signers lacked criminal intent; ‘fake electors’ is a misnomer.

How it squares with the record

Chesebro’s memo explicitly talks about votes becoming eligible ‘if later recognized.’ [1]

Hawaii 1960 shows dual papers can exist in U.S. history. [2]

Michigan’s dismissal turned on intent, matching this theory’s hinge. [3]

What holds up Disputed

Holds poorly where certificates omitted clear contingency and where Eastman’s memo aimed at Pence rejecting Biden slates.

Against the critical path
  1. 1Biden’s electors certified
  2. 2Chesebro Dec 9 memo
  3. 3Eastman dual-slate scenariorecast
  4. 4Dec 14 signings
  5. 5Transmission to OFR/Congress
  6. 6NARA: unofficial, not state action
  7. 7Wording varies by staterecast
  8. 8Hawaii 1960 cited as precedent
  9. 9Pence refuses unilateral power
  10. 10Official Biden votes counted
  11. 11Michigan case dismissed
  12. 12Georgia case dismissed entirely
  13. 13Arizona case dismissed
  14. 14Nevada case dismissed
  15. 15Wisconsin still pending
  16. 16No finding Trump won those states
  17. +Live court/legislature reversal path on Dec 14Thin evidence
Removes from the critical path
  • 3. Eastman dual-slate scenario must recast Treats Eastman memo as rogue maximalism, not the slates’ purpose What has to be fake or wrong: Evidence that Dec 14 organizers shared Eastman’s Pence-rejection endgame[4]
  • 7. Wording varies by state must recast Reads absolute-sounding wording as lawyerly form, not deceit What has to be fake or wrong: Signers’ admissions they meant to be counted as the sole electors immediately[5]
Adds to the critical path
  • Live court/legislature reversal path on Dec 14 Thin evidence Most suits had already failed[6]
What would have to turn out fake or wrong
  • That Eastman’s dual-slate Pence plan was the shared purpose of the signings
What new information would make it true
  • Trial findings that signers believed only in contingency
  • Uniform contingent wording across all seven
What would prove it false
  • Proof signers knew no court/legislature path remained and still claimed to be the state’s electors
  • Internal messages instructing absolute false certification
Books and films that argue it
Chesebro Dec 9 2020 memo (GovInfo)
Related
They were only contingent electors, like a legal backup.Hawaii 1960 makes the 2020 slates clearly lawful.Chesebro’s Dec 9 logistics memoHawaii 1960 as steel-man precedentSteel-man: lawful contingent electors
Sources
  1. Kenneth Chesebro memo to James R. Troupis (9 Dec 2020): Statutory Requirements for December 14 Electoral Votes — GovInfo J6 CTRL0000082463_00010
  2. National Archives / historical: 1960 Hawaii dual electoral votes (Kennedy later certified)
  3. Reuters: Michigan judge tosses case against Trump fake electors (9 Sep 2025)
  4. John Eastman ‘January 6 scenario’ memo (dual slates / Pence) — text circulated Dec 2020; HKS / DocumentCloud copies
  5. AI Files short case (pre-rebuild): The fake electors
  6. AI Files: Trump Election 2020 full guide (sibling)
Illustration / file photo used for gavel in the fake-electors guide.
Illustration / file photo used for gavel in the fake-electors guide. Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses
Disputed

Fraudulent dual-slate coup papers

The certificates were false instruments designed to create a fake electoral controversy so Pence could overturn Biden’s win.

  1. 1Biden’s electors certified
  2. 2Chesebro Dec 9 memo
  3. 3Eastman dual-slate scenario
  4. 4Dec 14 signings
  5. 5Transmission to OFR/Congress
  6. 6NARA: unofficial, not state action
  7. 7Wording varies by state
  8. 8Hawaii 1960 cited as precedent
  9. 9Pence refuses unilateral power
  10. 10Official Biden votes counted
  11. 11Michigan case dismissedrecast
  12. 12Georgia case dismissed entirely
  13. 13Arizona case dismissed
  14. 14Nevada case dismissed
  15. 15Wisconsin still pending
  16. 16No finding Trump won those statesbreaks
  17. +Proven criminal intent for typical elector-defendantsThin evidence
Open the file
Who believes it
Who has voiced it
Where it started

Prosecutors, Jan 6 committee narrative, ‘fake electors’ media frame.[3][4][1]

Why it lives

Still dominant in Democratic/legal-critic memory even after dismissals.

If it were true

If true, the papers are evidence of a conspiracy even when intent was hard to prove beyond a reasonable doubt in state court.

How it squares with the record

Eastman memo’s Pence scenario is on the page. [1]

NARA refused the papers as official state action. [2]

Certificates were transmitted toward the count. [5]

What holds up Disputed

Holds as a political/historical reading more easily than as a string of criminal convictions.

Against the critical path
  1. 1Biden’s electors certified
  2. 2Chesebro Dec 9 memo
  3. 3Eastman dual-slate scenario
  4. 4Dec 14 signings
  5. 5Transmission to OFR/Congress
  6. 6NARA: unofficial, not state action
  7. 7Wording varies by state
  8. 8Hawaii 1960 cited as precedent
  9. 9Pence refuses unilateral power
  10. 10Official Biden votes counted
  11. 11Michigan case dismissedrecast
  12. 12Georgia case dismissed entirely
  13. 13Arizona case dismissed
  14. 14Nevada case dismissed
  15. 15Wisconsin still pending
  16. 16No finding Trump won those statesbreaks
  17. +Proven criminal intent for typical elector-defendantsThin evidence
Removes from the critical path
  • 11. Michigan case dismissed must recast Reads MI dismissal as technical failure, not exoneration of the scheme What has to be fake or wrong: That lack of elector intent disproves organizers’ Pence plan[6]
  • 16. No finding Trump won those states must deny Sometimes slips into implying Trump was robbed — which dismissals did not find What has to be fake or wrong: Any dismissal order declaring Trump the winner[4]
Adds to the critical path
  • Proven criminal intent for typical elector-defendants Thin evidence Most cases failed this proof[7][8]
What would have to turn out fake or wrong
  • Chesebro’s ‘if later recognized’ language as sincere contingency
What new information would make it true
  • Final convictions establishing deceitful intent
  • Contemporaneous directives to omit contingency on purpose
What would prove it false
  • Binding findings that every slate was clearly contingent and unused for deceit
Books and films that argue it
Eastman January 6 scenario memoJan 6 committee final report materials
Related
They were ‘fake electors.’The elector scheme was a coup.Eastman’s January 6 scenarioSteel-man: fraudulent certificatesGetting the papers to Washington
Sources
  1. John Eastman ‘January 6 scenario’ memo (dual slates / Pence) — text circulated Dec 2020; HKS / DocumentCloud copies
  2. National Archives / OFR: 2020 Presidential Election Unofficial Certificates
  3. House Select Committee to Investigate Jan 6 — Final Report materials on alternate electors (GovInfo collection)
  4. AI Files short case (pre-rebuild): The fake electors
  5. NARA OFR email correspondence with states re unofficial certificates (linked on unofficial certificates page)
  6. AP: Michigan dismissal and challenges proving fake-elector cases (10 Sep 2025)
  7. Reuters: Michigan judge tosses case against Trump fake electors (9 Sep 2025)
  8. AP: Judge drops Nevada’s fake elector case (13 Aug 2026)
Illustration / file photo used for pence in the fake-electors guide.
Illustration / file photo used for pence in the fake-electors guide. Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses
Debated

Pressure tool for Pence — not a real second election

Organizers never expected state courts to seat the slates; the point was parliamentary leverage on Jan 6.

  1. 1Biden’s electors certified
  2. 2Chesebro Dec 9 memo
  3. 3Eastman dual-slate scenario
  4. 4Dec 14 signings
  5. 5Transmission to OFR/Congress
  6. 6NARA: unofficial, not state action
  7. 7Wording varies by state
  8. 8Hawaii 1960 cited as precedentrecast
  9. 9Pence refuses unilateral power
  10. 10Official Biden votes counted
  11. 11Michigan case dismissed
  12. 12Georgia case dismissed entirely
  13. 13Arizona case dismissed
  14. 14Nevada case dismissed
  15. 15Wisconsin still pending
  16. 16No finding Trump won those states
  17. +Unified organizer intent aimed solely at PenceSome evidence
Open the file
Who believes it
Who has voiced it
Where it started

Reading Eastman + transmission timing together.[1][3]

Why it lives

Common among institutionalist critics who separate ‘coup lawyering’ from ‘electors thought they won.’

If it were true

If true, signer culpability splits: lawyers/organizers vs rank-and-file electors.

How it squares with the record

Eastman’s memo is about the joint session, not a new popular election. [1]

Pence was the necessary actor. [2]

What holds up Debated

Explains why ascertainments were not actually reversed at the state level.

Against the critical path
  1. 1Biden’s electors certified
  2. 2Chesebro Dec 9 memo
  3. 3Eastman dual-slate scenario
  4. 4Dec 14 signings
  5. 5Transmission to OFR/Congress
  6. 6NARA: unofficial, not state action
  7. 7Wording varies by state
  8. 8Hawaii 1960 cited as precedentrecast
  9. 9Pence refuses unilateral power
  10. 10Official Biden votes counted
  11. 11Michigan case dismissed
  12. 12Georgia case dismissed entirely
  13. 13Arizona case dismissed
  14. 14Nevada case dismissed
  15. 15Wisconsin still pending
  16. 16No finding Trump won those states
  17. +Unified organizer intent aimed solely at PenceSome evidence
Removes from the critical path
  • 8. Hawaii 1960 cited as precedent must recast Hawaii analogy becomes cover story, not real litigation posture What has to be fake or wrong: Proof Dec 14 actors expected imminent court seating[4]
Adds to the critical path
  • Unified organizer intent aimed solely at Pence Some evidence Memo trail is strong; every signer’s mind is not[1][5]
What would have to turn out fake or wrong
  • That the only goal was quiet preservation for a real recount still brewing
What new information would make it true
  • Internal comms: ‘these only matter if Pence uses them’
What would prove it false
  • Evidence organizers believed legislatures would appoint them before Jan 6
Books and films that argue it
Eastman January 6 scenario memo
Related
Pence had unilateral power to reject Biden’s electors and count Trump’s slates.Eastman’s January 6 scenarioPence rejects unilateral power
Sources
  1. John Eastman ‘January 6 scenario’ memo (dual slates / Pence) — text circulated Dec 2020; HKS / DocumentCloud copies
  2. Vice President Pence letter to Congress (6 Jan 2021) on counting role — widely published text
  3. National Archives / OFR: 2020 Presidential Election Unofficial Certificates
  4. National Archives / historical: 1960 Hawaii dual electoral votes (Kennedy later certified)
  5. Eastman email to Boris Epshteyn CC Chesebro re Dec 23 memo final (J6 exhibit Chapman053475)
Illustration / file photo used for courthouse in the fake-electors guide.
Illustration / file photo used for courthouse in the fake-electors guide. Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses
Disputed

Advice-of-counsel / good-faith legal advice

Electors reasonably relied on campaign lawyers; criminal law should not punish that reliance.

  1. 1Biden’s electors certified
  2. 2Chesebro Dec 9 memo
  3. 3Eastman dual-slate scenariorecast
  4. 4Dec 14 signings
  5. 5Transmission to OFR/Congress
  6. 6NARA: unofficial, not state action
  7. 7Wording varies by state
  8. 8Hawaii 1960 cited as precedent
  9. 9Pence refuses unilateral power
  10. 10Official Biden votes counted
  11. 11Michigan case dismissed
  12. 12Georgia case dismissed entirely
  13. 13Arizona case dismissed
  14. 14Nevada case dismissed
  15. 15Wisconsin still pending
  16. 16No finding Trump won those states
  17. +Clean opinion letters to each slateThin evidence
Open the file
Who believes it
Who has voiced it
Where it started

Defense arguments in MI/NV/AZ and public survivor narratives.[4][1]

Why it lives

Stronger after Michigan’s intent dismissal.

If it were true

If true, organizers/lawyers are the proper targets (see Wisconsin), not slate members.

How it squares with the record

Chesebro memo exists as written advice. [1]

MI dismissal aligns with rights/intent framing. [2]

What holds up Disputed

Advice-of-counsel is not a magic shield if defendants knew advice was a sham.

Against the critical path
  1. 1Biden’s electors certified
  2. 2Chesebro Dec 9 memo
  3. 3Eastman dual-slate scenariorecast
  4. 4Dec 14 signings
  5. 5Transmission to OFR/Congress
  6. 6NARA: unofficial, not state action
  7. 7Wording varies by state
  8. 8Hawaii 1960 cited as precedent
  9. 9Pence refuses unilateral power
  10. 10Official Biden votes counted
  11. 11Michigan case dismissed
  12. 12Georgia case dismissed entirely
  13. 13Arizona case dismissed
  14. 14Nevada case dismissed
  15. 15Wisconsin still pending
  16. 16No finding Trump won those states
  17. +Clean opinion letters to each slateThin evidence
Removes from the critical path
  • 3. Eastman dual-slate scenario must recast Puts maximal Eastman theory on lawyers, not electors What has to be fake or wrong: Electors personally advancing Pence-rejection knowing unlawfulness[5]
Adds to the critical path
  • Clean opinion letters to each slate Thin evidence Public record shows memos to counsel/campaign more than notarized elector opinions[1]
What would have to turn out fake or wrong
  • That rank-and-file electors authored the Eastman scenario
What new information would make it true
  • Documented reliance + counsel opinion letters per defendant
What would prove it false
  • Proof defendants were told the certificates would be used to deceive Congress regardless of contingency
Books and films that argue it
Chesebro Dec 9 2020 memo (GovInfo)
Related
Prosecutors could never prove criminal intent.Why intent ate the prosecutionsWisconsin: planners still in the dock
Sources
  1. Kenneth Chesebro memo to James R. Troupis (9 Dec 2020): Statutory Requirements for December 14 Electoral Votes — GovInfo J6 CTRL0000082463_00010
  2. Reuters: Michigan judge tosses case against Trump fake electors (9 Sep 2025)
  3. Votebeat: Wisconsin fake elector case continues (15 Jun 2026)
  4. AP: Michigan dismissal and challenges proving fake-elector cases (10 Sep 2025)
  5. John Eastman ‘January 6 scenario’ memo (dual slates / Pence) — text circulated Dec 2020; HKS / DocumentCloud copies
Illustration / file photo used for hearing in the fake-electors guide.
Illustration / file photo used for hearing in the fake-electors guide. Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses
Disputed

Partisan lawfare against the losing side’s paperwork

Prosecutions were political revenge for a contested transition; dismissals prove the cases were never sound.

  1. 1Biden’s electors certified
  2. 2Chesebro Dec 9 memo
  3. 3Eastman dual-slate scenariobreaks
  4. 4Dec 14 signings
  5. 5Transmission to OFR/Congress
  6. 6NARA: unofficial, not state action
  7. 7Wording varies by state
  8. 8Hawaii 1960 cited as precedent
  9. 9Pence refuses unilateral power
  10. 10Official Biden votes counted
  11. 11Michigan case dismissed
  12. 12Georgia case dismissed entirely
  13. 13Arizona case dismissed
  14. 14Nevada case dismissed
  15. 15Wisconsin still pending
  16. 16No finding Trump won those statesrecast
  17. +Coordinated D-party directive to prosecute knowingly baseless casesNo evidence
Open the file
Who believes it
Who has voiced it
Where it started

Trump-aligned media after 2025–26 dismissals.[1][4]

Why it lives

Grows as dismissals accumulate; cites WI as leftover persecution.

If it were true

If true, ‘fake electors’ was a branding operation more than a legal one.

How it squares with the record

Multiple dismissals are real. [2][3][5]

NARA papers alone are not convictions. [6]

What holds up Disputed

Overreaches when it claims dismissals mean Trump won those states — they do not. [@short-case]

Against the critical path
  1. 1Biden’s electors certified
  2. 2Chesebro Dec 9 memo
  3. 3Eastman dual-slate scenariobreaks
  4. 4Dec 14 signings
  5. 5Transmission to OFR/Congress
  6. 6NARA: unofficial, not state action
  7. 7Wording varies by state
  8. 8Hawaii 1960 cited as precedent
  9. 9Pence refuses unilateral power
  10. 10Official Biden votes counted
  11. 11Michigan case dismissed
  12. 12Georgia case dismissed entirely
  13. 13Arizona case dismissed
  14. 14Nevada case dismissed
  15. 15Wisconsin still pending
  16. 16No finding Trump won those statesrecast
  17. +Coordinated D-party directive to prosecute knowingly baseless casesNo evidence
Removes from the critical path
  • 3. Eastman dual-slate scenario must deny Sometimes denies Eastman memo’s radical ask What has to be fake or wrong: The memo text itself[7]
  • 16. No finding Trump won those states must recast Treats dismissals as total vindication including ‘Trump won’ What has to be fake or wrong: Actual order language[3][1]
Adds to the critical path
  • Coordinated D-party directive to prosecute knowingly baseless cases No evidence Charging theories differed by state[1]
What would have to turn out fake or wrong
  • NARA’s unofficial certificates
  • Eastman memo authenticity
What new information would make it true
  • Evidence prosecutors filed despite knowing no statutory crime fitted
What would prove it false
  • Convictions establishing elements; or documents forged by prosecutors (none)
Related
Dismissals totally vindicate everyone involved.The cases were pure lawfare.Dismissals ≠ Trump won‘Fake electors’ vs ‘contingent electors’
Sources
  1. AI Files short case (pre-rebuild): The fake electors
  2. AP: Michigan dismissal and challenges proving fake-elector cases (10 Sep 2025)
  3. Judge Scott McAfee: Order granting State’s motion for dismissal (26 Nov 2025) — Fulton 23SC188947
  4. Press: federal pardons / compensation rhetoric affecting state fake-elector ecosystem (2025–26) — Votebeat
  5. AP: Judge drops Nevada’s fake elector case (13 Aug 2026)
  6. National Archives / OFR: 2020 Presidential Election Unofficial Certificates
  7. John Eastman ‘January 6 scenario’ memo (dual slates / Pence) — text circulated Dec 2020; HKS / DocumentCloud copies
Illustration / file photo used for docs in the fake-electors guide.
Illustration / file photo used for docs in the fake-electors guide. Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses
Debated

Documents prove the attempt — convictions optional

Historical judgment should follow the memos and certificates even if criminal courts cannot clear the intent hurdle.

  1. 1Biden’s electors certified
  2. 2Chesebro Dec 9 memo
  3. 3Eastman dual-slate scenario
  4. 4Dec 14 signings
  5. 5Transmission to OFR/Congress
  6. 6NARA: unofficial, not state action
  7. 7Wording varies by state
  8. 8Hawaii 1960 cited as precedent
  9. 9Pence refuses unilateral power
  10. 10Official Biden votes counted
  11. 11Michigan case dismissedrecast
  12. 12Georgia case dismissed entirely
  13. 13Arizona case dismissed
  14. 14Nevada case dismissed
  15. 15Wisconsin still pending
  16. 16No finding Trump won those states
  17. +Shared public standard for ‘attempt’ without convictionDisputed evidence
Open the file
Who believes it
Where it started

Historians/commentators separating criminal law from public history.[1][2][3]

Why it lives

Bridge position after cases collapsed.

If it were true

If true, memory should say ‘attempted dual-slate scheme’ without needing guilty verdicts.

How it squares with the record

Primaries exist regardless of mens rea trials. [1][4][2]

Short case already splits documents vs crimes. [3]

What holds up Debated

Risk of laundering allegations as settled crime; must keep ledgers separate.

Against the critical path
  1. 1Biden’s electors certified
  2. 2Chesebro Dec 9 memo
  3. 3Eastman dual-slate scenario
  4. 4Dec 14 signings
  5. 5Transmission to OFR/Congress
  6. 6NARA: unofficial, not state action
  7. 7Wording varies by state
  8. 8Hawaii 1960 cited as precedent
  9. 9Pence refuses unilateral power
  10. 10Official Biden votes counted
  11. 11Michigan case dismissedrecast
  12. 12Georgia case dismissed entirely
  13. 13Arizona case dismissed
  14. 14Nevada case dismissed
  15. 15Wisconsin still pending
  16. 16No finding Trump won those states
  17. +Shared public standard for ‘attempt’ without convictionDisputed evidence
Removes from the critical path
  • 11. Michigan case dismissed must recast Dismissals answer criminal liability, not historical attempt What has to be fake or wrong: Equating ‘not guilty/dismissed’ with ‘nothing happened’[5]
Adds to the critical path
  • Shared public standard for ‘attempt’ without conviction Disputed evidence Democracies argue this constantly[3]
What would have to turn out fake or wrong
  • That no Eastman/Chesebro plan existed
What new information would make it true
  • Broader consensus historiography citing primaries
What would prove it false
  • Proof certificates were never tied to any Pence strategy
Books and films that argue it
Jan 6 committee final report materials
Related
The certificates are real.What the documents prove vs what convictions establishedShort-case verdict, still the spine
Sources
  1. National Archives / OFR: 2020 Presidential Election Unofficial Certificates
  2. John Eastman ‘January 6 scenario’ memo (dual slates / Pence) — text circulated Dec 2020; HKS / DocumentCloud copies
  3. AI Files short case (pre-rebuild): The fake electors
  4. Kenneth Chesebro memo to James R. Troupis (9 Dec 2020): Statutory Requirements for December 14 Electoral Votes — GovInfo J6 CTRL0000082463_00010
  5. AP: Michigan dismissal and challenges proving fake-elector cases (10 Sep 2025)
Illustration / file photo used for courthouse in the fake-electors guide.
Illustration / file photo used for courthouse in the fake-electors guide. Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses
Unproven

Wisconsin planners’ case as the real test

Elector mass trials were the wrong vehicle; organizer liability in Wisconsin is the clean experiment.

  1. 1Biden’s electors certified
  2. 2Chesebro Dec 9 memo
  3. 3Eastman dual-slate scenario
  4. 4Dec 14 signings
  5. 5Transmission to OFR/Congress
  6. 6NARA: unofficial, not state action
  7. 7Wording varies by state
  8. 8Hawaii 1960 cited as precedent
  9. 9Pence refuses unilateral power
  10. 10Official Biden votes counted
  11. 11Michigan case dismissedrecast
  12. 12Georgia case dismissed entirely
  13. 13Arizona case dismissed
  14. 14Nevada case dismissed
  15. 15Wisconsin still pending
  16. 16No finding Trump won those states
  17. +Completed WI trial recordNo evidence
Open the file
Who believes it
Who has voiced it
Where it started

Votebeat/AP framing of WI defendants as planners.[1][2]

Why it lives

Forward-looking; depends on a trial that has not finished.

If it were true

If true, expect sharper law on lawyer/organizer exposure than on slate signers.

How it squares with the record

WI targets differ from MI’s elector list. [1]

Chesebro/Troupis sit at the memo hinge. [3]

What holds up Unproven

Unproven until adjudication; presumption of innocence.

Against the critical path
  1. 1Biden’s electors certified
  2. 2Chesebro Dec 9 memo
  3. 3Eastman dual-slate scenario
  4. 4Dec 14 signings
  5. 5Transmission to OFR/Congress
  6. 6NARA: unofficial, not state action
  7. 7Wording varies by state
  8. 8Hawaii 1960 cited as precedent
  9. 9Pence refuses unilateral power
  10. 10Official Biden votes counted
  11. 11Michigan case dismissedrecast
  12. 12Georgia case dismissed entirely
  13. 13Arizona case dismissed
  14. 14Nevada case dismissed
  15. 15Wisconsin still pending
  16. 16No finding Trump won those states
  17. +Completed WI trial recordNo evidence
Removes from the critical path
  • 11. Michigan case dismissed must recast MI elector dismissal irrelevant to organizer mens rea What has to be fake or wrong: That MI’s intent logic automatically clears memo authors[4]
Adds to the critical path
  • Completed WI trial record No evidence Still pending[2]
What would have to turn out fake or wrong
  • That WI case charges the ten electors themselves (it focuses on planners per press)
What new information would make it true
  • WI convictions on organizer theories
What would prove it false
  • WI acquittals/dismissals with findings advice was lawful contingency
Related
Wisconsin will convict the architects.Wisconsin: planners still in the dockChesebro’s Dec 9 logistics memo
Sources
  1. Votebeat: Wisconsin fake elector case continues (15 Jun 2026)
  2. AP: three Wisconsin defendants plead not guilty (16 Jun 2026)
  3. Kenneth Chesebro memo to James R. Troupis (9 Dec 2020): Statutory Requirements for December 14 Electoral Votes — GovInfo J6 CTRL0000082463_00010
  4. Reuters: Michigan judge tosses case against Trump fake electors (9 Sep 2025)

Genuinely unknown

Open questions

What is still unknown, partly known, or known and misread.

Genuinely unknownWhat each signer believed on Dec 14
What is known
  • Memos to counsel/campaign exist [1][2]
  • Wording varies by state [3][4]
What is not

Person-by-person contemporaneous intent for ~80 electors.

Why it is still open

Few trials developed full elector mens rea records before dismissals.

Does it change the story?

Splits contingent-backup vs fraud theories.

What would settle it

Credible diary/email evidence per signer or completed trials.

Lawful contingent backups (Hawaii path) Fraudulent dual-slate coup papers Prosecutors could never prove criminal intent. They were only contingent electors, like a legal backup.
Sources
  1. Kenneth Chesebro memo to James R. Troupis (9 Dec 2020): Statutory Requirements for December 14 Electoral Votes — GovInfo J6 CTRL0000082463_00010
  2. John Eastman ‘January 6 scenario’ memo (dual slates / Pence) — text circulated Dec 2020; HKS / DocumentCloud copies
  3. National Archives / OFR: 2020 Presidential Election Unofficial Certificates
  4. AI Files short case (pre-rebuild): The fake electors
Partly knownWho directed the seven-state logistics
What is known
  • Chesebro memo to Troupis [1]
  • Eastman–Epshteyn–Chesebro email loop [2]
  • WI case names planners [3]
What is not

Full command graph across all seven states.

Why it is still open

Privilege, dismissed cases, incomplete public discovery.

Does it change the story?

Organizer vs elector liability.

What would settle it

WI trial record + released privilege logs.

Advice-of-counsel / good-faith legal advice Wisconsin planners’ case as the real test Wisconsin will convict the architects.
Sources
  1. Kenneth Chesebro memo to James R. Troupis (9 Dec 2020): Statutory Requirements for December 14 Electoral Votes — GovInfo J6 CTRL0000082463_00010
  2. Eastman email to Boris Epshteyn CC Chesebro re Dec 23 memo final (J6 exhibit Chapman053475)
  3. Votebeat: Wisconsin fake elector case continues (15 Jun 2026)
Genuinely unknownWhether Arizona refiles
What is known
  • Dismissal with refile possible per KJZZ [1]
What is not

Whether a new indictment appears and survives.

Why it is still open

Prosecutorial discretion / politics.

Does it change the story?

Whether AZ returns as a live track.

What would settle it

New charging instrument or public declination.

Partisan lawfare against the losing side’s paperwork Fraudulent dual-slate coup papers All fake-elector cases were dismissed.
Sources
  1. KJZZ: Arizona fake-electors case dismissed; Mayes can still refile (11 Aug 2026)
  2. LA Times: Arizona prosecutors dismiss fake elector case, seek new indictment (18 Jun 2026)
Partly knownNevada appeal outcome
What is known
  • Dismissal Aug 2026; notice of appeal Oct 2026 [1][2]
What is not

Supreme Court of Nevada disposition.

Why it is still open

Appeal pending in reporting.

Does it change the story?

Could revive or bury NV charges.

What would settle it

Appellate opinion.

Partisan lawfare against the losing side’s paperwork Fraudulent dual-slate coup papers All fake-elector cases were dismissed.
Sources
  1. AP: Judge drops Nevada’s fake elector case (13 Aug 2026)
  2. Las Vegas Review-Journal: AG Ford notice of appeal in Nevada fake-electors case (Oct 2026)
Partly knownFull wording matrix of all seven certificates
What is known
  • NARA hosts scans [1]
  • Public debate flags contingent vs absolute language [2]
What is not

A single official annotated table in this guide (readers should open scans).

Why it is still open

Image PDFs; avoid mis-transcription.

Does it change the story?

Intent arguments cite specific clauses.

What would settle it

Court-stipulated transcriptions.

Lawful contingent backups (Hawaii path) Fraudulent dual-slate coup papers They were only contingent electors, like a legal backup.
Sources
  1. National Archives / OFR: 2020 Presidential Election Unofficial Certificates
  2. AI Files short case (pre-rebuild): The fake electors
Partly knownTrump’s personal directives on certificate wording
What is known
  • He is beneficiary and political principal [1]
  • Named in GA case that was dismissed [2]
What is not

Exact orders on contingent vs absolute language.

Why it is still open

Dismissed cases + privilege.

Does it change the story?

Presidential culpability vs lawyer freelancing.

What would settle it

Admissible presidential comms.

Pressure tool for Pence — not a real second election Documents prove the attempt — convictions optional The elector scheme was a coup.
Sources
  1. AI Files short case (pre-rebuild): The fake electors
  2. Judge Scott McAfee: Order granting State’s motion for dismissal (26 Nov 2025) — Fulton 23SC188947
  3. AI Files: Trump federal election case full guide (sibling)
Genuinely unknownHow Wisconsin ends
What is known
  • Not-guilty pleas Jun 2026 [1]
What is not

Trial verdicts, plea deals, or dismissal.

Why it is still open

Live case.

Does it change the story?

Only major open criminal data point.

What would settle it

Final judgment.

Wisconsin planners’ case as the real test Wisconsin will convict the architects.
Sources
  1. AP: three Wisconsin defendants plead not guilty (16 Jun 2026)
  2. Votebeat: Wisconsin fake elector case continues (15 Jun 2026)

WHAT PEOPLE SAY

Claims rated against the record

{n} popular claims — fake vs contingent, Hawaii 1960, Pence’s power, what dismissals mean — each with points for and against.

What the ratings mean
  • Documented Primary sources establish it.
  • Partly true Real core with overclaim.
  • Disputed Serious sources disagree.
  • Unproven Claimed, not shown.
  • False Contradicted by the record.
  • Mixed True and false pieces fused.
  • Alleged Charged or asserted, not settled.
  • History Settled historical fact.
  • Official Government finding or certified result.
  • Debated Live argument among analysts.
  • Cleared Investigated and not sustained.
  • Discredited Collapsed under evidence.

Partly trueThey were ‘fake electors.’Fake vs contingent

What the record shows. Partly — NARA calls them unofficial/alternate; ‘fake’ is a political-legal label, not the archive’s word. The papers were real documents with disputed legal effect.

Who says it: Media / J6 committee / prosecutors

Points for
  • NARA: not official state action [@nara-unofficial]
  • They did not cast the counted votes [@nara-official-2020]
Points against
  • Defense: contingent, not counterfeit blank forms [@chesebro-dec9]
  • Signatures of real people on real paper [@nara-unofficial]
Sources
  1. National Archives / OFR: 2020 Presidential Election Unofficial Certificates
  2. National Archives: 2020 Electoral College Results
  3. Kenneth Chesebro memo to James R. Troupis (9 Dec 2020): Statutory Requirements for December 14 Electoral Votes — GovInfo J6 CTRL0000082463_00010
  4. AI Files short case (pre-rebuild): The fake electors
Read the full entry
DisputedThey were only contingent electors, like a legal backup.Fake vs contingent

What the record shows. Disputed — Chesebro memo supports the backup story; Eastman memo and some wording undercut ‘only.’

Who says it: Defense / Trump allies

Points for
  • Chesebro ‘if later recognized’ language [@chesebro-dec9]
  • MI intent dismissal [@reuters-mi-dismiss]
Points against
  • Eastman Pence-rejection scenario [@eastman-jan6-scenario]
  • Critics: some certificates lacked clear contingency [@short-case]
Sources
  1. Kenneth Chesebro memo to James R. Troupis (9 Dec 2020): Statutory Requirements for December 14 Electoral Votes — GovInfo J6 CTRL0000082463_00010
  2. John Eastman ‘January 6 scenario’ memo (dual slates / Pence) — text circulated Dec 2020; HKS / DocumentCloud copies
  3. Reuters: Michigan judge tosses case against Trump fake electors (9 Sep 2025)
  4. AI Files short case (pre-rebuild): The fake electors
Read the full entry
Partly trueHawaii 1960 makes the 2020 slates clearly lawful.Hawaii 1960

What the record shows. Partly — Hawaii shows dual papers can exist; timing and posture differ.

Who says it: Chesebro memo / defenders

Points for
  • Real 1960 dual-vote history [@hawaii-1960]
  • Cited in Dec 9 memo [@chesebro-dec9]
Points against
  • 1960 dispute resolved toward Kennedy before/with count context [@hawaii-1960]
  • Does not rewrite 2020 certificate wording fights [@short-case]
Sources
  1. National Archives / historical: 1960 Hawaii dual electoral votes (Kennedy later certified)
  2. Kenneth Chesebro memo to James R. Troupis (9 Dec 2020): Statutory Requirements for December 14 Electoral Votes — GovInfo J6 CTRL0000082463_00010
  3. AI Files short case (pre-rebuild): The fake electors
Read the full entry
FalsePence had unilateral power to reject Biden’s electors and count Trump’s slates.Pence’s power

What the record shows. False as applied — Pence and longstanding practice rejected that reading; ECRA later clarified.

Who says it: Eastman memo scenario

Points for
  • Eastman argued ECA unconstitutional [@eastman-jan6-scenario]
Points against
  • Pence letter refusing unilateral power [@pence-letter-jan6]
  • 12th Amendment text doesn’t grant VP a private veto [@12th-amendment]
  • ECRA 2022 [@ecra-2022]
Sources
  1. John Eastman ‘January 6 scenario’ memo (dual slates / Pence) — text circulated Dec 2020; HKS / DocumentCloud copies
  2. Vice President Pence letter to Congress (6 Jan 2021) on counting role — widely published text
  3. U.S. Constitution, Amendment XII
  4. Electoral Count Reform Act of 2022 (Pub. L. 117-328 div.) — reforms after 2020/Jan 6
Read the full entry
DisputedThe elector scheme was a coup.Was it a crime?

What the record shows. Disputed label — documents show an attempt to create a dual-slate parliamentary crisis; ‘coup’ is a charged word courts did not need to adopt.

Who says it: Critics

Points for
  • Eastman scenario to discard electors [@eastman-jan6-scenario]
  • Transmission toward Congress [@ofc-correspondence]
Points against
  • No military seizure; Pence refused [@pence-letter-jan6]
  • Criminal cases mostly failed [@ap-mi-dismiss]
Sources
  1. John Eastman ‘January 6 scenario’ memo (dual slates / Pence) — text circulated Dec 2020; HKS / DocumentCloud copies
  2. NARA OFR email correspondence with states re unofficial certificates (linked on unofficial certificates page)
  3. Vice President Pence letter to Congress (6 Jan 2021) on counting role — widely published text
  4. AP: Michigan dismissal and challenges proving fake-elector cases (10 Sep 2025)
Read the full entry
Partly trueProsecutors could never prove criminal intent.Was it a crime?

What the record shows. Partly — true in Michigan’s dismissal framing; not a global finding for every defendant everywhere.

Who says it: Defense after MI

Points for
  • MI dismissal on intent [@reuters-mi-dismiss][@ap-mi-dismiss]
Points against
  • Some GA pleas preceded total dismissal [@ga-mcafee-dismiss]
  • WI organizers still pending [@ap-wi-plea]
Sources
  1. Reuters: Michigan judge tosses case against Trump fake electors (9 Sep 2025)
  2. AP: Michigan dismissal and challenges proving fake-elector cases (10 Sep 2025)
  3. Judge Scott McAfee: Order granting State’s motion for dismissal (26 Nov 2025) — Fulton 23SC188947
  4. AP: three Wisconsin defendants plead not guilty (16 Jun 2026)
Read the full entry
DocumentedThe certificates are real.Was it a crime?

What the record shows. Documented — NARA hosts the scans.

Who says it: Archives / all serious tellings

Points for
  • NARA unofficial page [@nara-unofficial]
Points against
    Sources
    1. National Archives / OFR: 2020 Presidential Election Unofficial Certificates
    Read the full entry
    FalseThe dismissals mean Trump actually won those states.What dismissals mean

    What the record shows. False — dismissals did not make that finding.

    Who says it: Online overclaim

    Points for
      Points against
      • Short-case verdict [@short-case]
      • GA nolle prosequi text [@ga-mcafee-dismiss]
      • Official count Biden 306 [@nara-official-2020]
      Sources
      1. AI Files short case (pre-rebuild): The fake electors
      2. Judge Scott McAfee: Order granting State’s motion for dismissal (26 Nov 2025) — Fulton 23SC188947
      3. National Archives: 2020 Electoral College Results
      Read the full entry
      MixedDismissals totally vindicate everyone involved.What dismissals mean

      What the record shows. Mixed — they vindicate against those criminal charges; they do not erase the papers or the Eastman plan.

      Who says it: Trump-aligned messaging

      Points for
      • MI/GA/AZ/NV dismissals [@ap-mi-dismiss][@ga-mcafee-dismiss][@kjzz-az-dismiss][@ap-nv-dismiss]
      Points against
      • Documents remain [@nara-unofficial]
      • WI pending [@ap-wi-plea]
      • Eastman memo remains [@eastman-jan6-scenario]
      Sources
      1. AP: Michigan dismissal and challenges proving fake-elector cases (10 Sep 2025)
      2. Judge Scott McAfee: Order granting State’s motion for dismissal (26 Nov 2025) — Fulton 23SC188947
      3. KJZZ: Arizona fake-electors case dismissed; Mayes can still refile (11 Aug 2026)
      4. AP: Judge drops Nevada’s fake elector case (13 Aug 2026)
      5. National Archives / OFR: 2020 Presidential Election Unofficial Certificates
      6. AP: three Wisconsin defendants plead not guilty (16 Jun 2026)
      7. John Eastman ‘January 6 scenario’ memo (dual slates / Pence) — text circulated Dec 2020; HKS / DocumentCloud copies
      Read the full entry
      DisputedThe cases were pure lawfare.What dismissals mean

      What the record shows. Disputed — political incentives existed; so did real statutes and real PDFs. Dismissals show proof problems, not automatic bad faith.

      Who says it: Trump-aligned media

      Points for
      • Wave of dismissals [@short-case]
      • Prosecutor controversies (e.g. GA) [@sibling-georgia]
      Points against
      • Primary certificates [@nara-unofficial]
      • Eastman memo [@eastman-jan6-scenario]
      Sources
      1. AI Files short case (pre-rebuild): The fake electors
      2. AI Files: Trump Georgia election full guide (sibling)
      3. National Archives / OFR: 2020 Presidential Election Unofficial Certificates
      4. John Eastman ‘January 6 scenario’ memo (dual slates / Pence) — text circulated Dec 2020; HKS / DocumentCloud copies
      Read the full entry
      UnprovenWisconsin will convict the architects.Was it a crime?

      What the record shows. Unproven — case pending; not-guilty pleas entered.

      Who says it: Observers

      Points for
      • Case still open [@ap-wi-plea][@votebeat-wi]
      Points against
      • Presumption of innocence [@ap-wi-plea]
      • Other state collapses [@ap-nv-dismiss]
      Sources
      1. AP: three Wisconsin defendants plead not guilty (16 Jun 2026)
      2. Votebeat: Wisconsin fake elector case continues (15 Jun 2026)
      3. AP: Judge drops Nevada’s fake elector case (13 Aug 2026)
      Read the full entry
      FalseThe National Archives accepted the Trump slates as official.Fake vs contingent

      What the record shows. False — page says not accepted as official State action.

      Who says it: Occasional confusion

      Points for
        Points against
        • NARA lede [@nara-unofficial]
        • Official results separate [@nara-official-2020]
        Sources
        1. National Archives / OFR: 2020 Presidential Election Unofficial Certificates
        2. National Archives: 2020 Electoral College Results
        Read the full entry
        Partly trueAll fake-elector cases were dismissed.What dismissals mean

        What the record shows. Partly — MI/GA/AZ/NV largely dismissed; WI pending; NV appeal notice; some GA pleas earlier.

        Who says it: Casual summary

        Points for
        • Major dismissals [@ap-mi-dismiss][@ga-mcafee-dismiss][@ap-nv-dismiss]
        Points against
        • WI pending [@ap-wi-plea]
        • NV appeal [@rj-nv-appeal]
        Sources
        1. AP: Michigan dismissal and challenges proving fake-elector cases (10 Sep 2025)
        2. Judge Scott McAfee: Order granting State’s motion for dismissal (26 Nov 2025) — Fulton 23SC188947
        3. AP: Judge drops Nevada’s fake elector case (13 Aug 2026)
        4. AP: three Wisconsin defendants plead not guilty (16 Jun 2026)
        5. Las Vegas Review-Journal: AG Ford notice of appeal in Nevada fake-electors case (Oct 2026)
        Read the full entry
        MixedOnly the people who signed certificates faced risk.Was it a crime?

        What the record shows. Mixed — some states charged electors; WI focused on planners; AZ swept in national figures.

        Who says it: Simplifiers

        Points for
        • MI/NV elector defendants [@ap-mi-dismiss][@ap-nv-dismiss]
        Points against
        • AZ named Giuliani/Meadows [@latimes-az-dismiss]
        • WI planners [@votebeat-wi]
        Sources
        1. AP: Michigan dismissal and challenges proving fake-elector cases (10 Sep 2025)
        2. AP: Judge drops Nevada’s fake elector case (13 Aug 2026)
        3. LA Times: Arizona prosecutors dismiss fake elector case, seek new indictment (18 Jun 2026)
        4. Votebeat: Wisconsin fake elector case continues (15 Jun 2026)
        Read the full entry
        FalseJack Smith already proved the elector scheme at trial.Was it a crime?

        What the record shows. False — federal election case did not complete a trial conviction; it was dismissed.

        Who says it: Online overclaim

        Points for
          Points against
          • Sibling federal guide / dismissal [@sibling-federal][@smith-indictment-electors]
          Sources
          1. AI Files: Trump federal election case full guide (sibling)
          2. Federal election case charging documents discussing fake/alternate elector scheme (cross-link; case dismissed)
          Read the full entry

          Media

          Memos, certificates and follow-ups

          Primary packets, committee products and argument-making coverage.

          Official & authoritative 8

          Illustration / file photo used for memo in the fake-electors guide.Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licensesprimary memo · 2020Chesebro Dec 9 2020 memo (GovInfo)Kenneth ChesebroLogistics playbook for Dec 14 meetings.
          How it changes the story

          Centers lawyer logistics over courtroom fraud theories.

          1. 1Biden’s electors certified
          2. 2Chesebro Dec 9 memorecast
          3. 3Eastman dual-slate scenario
          4. 4Dec 14 signings
          5. 5Transmission to OFR/Congress
          6. 6NARA: unofficial, not state action
          7. 7Wording varies by state
          8. 8Hawaii 1960 cited as precedentrecast
          9. 9Pence refuses unilateral power
          10. 10Official Biden votes counted
          11. 11Michigan case dismissedbreaks
          12. 12Georgia case dismissed entirely
          13. 13Arizona case dismissed
          14. 14Nevada case dismissed
          15. 15Wisconsin still pending
          16. 16No finding Trump won those states
          Supports
          2. Chesebro Dec 9 memo, 8. Hawaii 1960 cited as precedent
          Challenges
          11. Michigan case dismissed
          Whose account it centres
          Campaign counsel
          For its thesis to hold
          Memo authentic (it is).

          Matching theories: Lawful contingent backups (Hawaii path) Advice-of-counsel / good-faith legal advice

          Open
          Illustration / file photo used for eastman in the fake-electors guide.Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licensesprimary memo · 2020Eastman January 6 scenario memoJohn EastmanDual-slate / Pence scenario.
          How it changes the story

          Makes Pence the hinge; hard to call the project ‘only Hawaii backup.’

          1. 1Biden’s electors certified
          2. 2Chesebro Dec 9 memo
          3. 3Eastman dual-slate scenariorecast
          4. 4Dec 14 signings
          5. 5Transmission to OFR/Congress
          6. 6NARA: unofficial, not state action
          7. 7Wording varies by state
          8. 8Hawaii 1960 cited as precedentbreaks
          9. 9Pence refuses unilateral powerrecast
          10. 10Official Biden votes counted
          11. 11Michigan case dismissed
          12. 12Georgia case dismissed entirely
          13. 13Arizona case dismissed
          14. 14Nevada case dismissed
          15. 15Wisconsin still pending
          16. 16No finding Trump won those states
          Supports
          3. Eastman dual-slate scenario, 9. Pence refuses unilateral power
          Challenges
          8. Hawaii 1960 cited as precedent
          Whose account it centres
          Eastman’s constitutional theory
          For its thesis to hold
          That Pence could act unilaterally (Pence rejected).

          Matching theories: Fraudulent dual-slate coup papers Pressure tool for Pence — not a real second election

          Open
          Illustration / file photo used for docs in the fake-electors guide.Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licensesarchive · 2020–24NARA unofficial certificates collectionNational Archives / OFRScans + correspondence.Open Illustration / file photo used for ballot in the fake-electors guide.Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licensesarchive · 2021NARA 2020 Electoral College ResultsNational ArchivesOfficial 306–232.Open Illustration / file photo used for mcafee in the fake-electors guide.Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licensescourt order · 2025McAfee dismissal order (26 Nov 2025)Fulton County Superior CourtNolle prosequi; case dismissed entirely.Open
          Illustration / file photo used for hearing in the fake-electors guide.Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licensescommittee · 2022Jan 6 committee final report materialsU.S. House Select CommitteeInvestigative narrative + exhibits; not a verdict.
          How it changes the story

          Popularized ‘fake electors’ frame with document drops.

          1. 1Biden’s electors certified
          2. 2Chesebro Dec 9 memorecast
          3. 3Eastman dual-slate scenariorecast
          4. 4Dec 14 signingsrecast
          5. 5Transmission to OFR/Congress
          6. 6NARA: unofficial, not state action
          7. 7Wording varies by state
          8. 8Hawaii 1960 cited as precedent
          9. 9Pence refuses unilateral power
          10. 10Official Biden votes counted
          11. 11Michigan case dismissedbreaks
          12. 12Georgia case dismissed entirely
          13. 13Arizona case dismissed
          14. 14Nevada case dismissed
          15. 15Wisconsin still pending
          16. 16No finding Trump won those statesbreaks
          Supports
          2. Chesebro Dec 9 memo, 3. Eastman dual-slate scenario, 4. Dec 14 signings
          Challenges
          11. Michigan case dismissed, 16. No finding Trump won those states
          Whose account it centres
          Committee majority narrative
          For its thesis to hold
          Readers separate exhibits from conclusions.

          Matching theories: Fraudulent dual-slate coup papers Documents prove the attempt — convictions optional

          Open
          Illustration / file photo used for capitol in the fake-electors guide.Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licensesstatute · 2022Electoral Count Reform Act materialsU.S. CongressStructural response to dual-slate ambiguity.Open Illustration / file photo used for hero in the fake-electors guide.Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licensesprior page · 2026AI Files short case (gateway)The AI FilesSuperseded as maintained record by this guide.Open

          Public memory

          How memory of it changed

          From ‘fake electors’ headline to ‘contingent electors’ defense to ‘cases collapsed’ — phases when the public path moved.

          1. Illustration / file photo used for hearing in the fake-electors guide.
            Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses
            2021–2022 Split into camps

            ‘Fake electors’ becomes the name

            Dominant views
            • Democratic / mainstream press A coordinated fake-elector plot to overturn the election.[1][2]
            • Trump allies Contingent electors / legitimate protest paperwork.[3][4]
            What drove it
            • Jan 6 committee hearings and exhibits (Chesebro/Eastman).[1][3]
            They were ‘fake electors.’ They were only contingent electors, like a legal backup.
          2. Illustration / file photo used for gavel in the fake-electors guide.
            Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses
            2022–2024 Split into camps

            Indictments make it feel settled

            Dominant views
            • Prosecutors’ audiences Charges confirm the fraud frame.[5][6]
            • Defendants’ audiences Lawfare using paperwork from a contested transition.[2]
            What drove it
            • State charging announcements; federal indictment narrative.[7][8]
            The elector scheme was a coup. The cases were pure lawfare.
          3. Illustration / file photo used for courthouse in the fake-electors guide.
            Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses
            Sep 2025 Split into camps

            Michigan cracks the intent story

            Dominant views
            • Defense See — no intent, cases are collapsing.[9]
            • Prosecutors elsewhere One judge, one statute — keep going.[10]
            What drove it
            • MI dismissal coverage (AP/Reuters).[10][9]
            Prosecutors could never prove criminal intent.
          4. Illustration / file photo used for courthouse in the fake-electors guide.
            Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses
            Nov 2025–Aug 2026 Split into camps

            The collapse wave

            Dominant views
            • Trump-aligned Total vindication; ‘fake electors’ was a hoax narrative.[2][11]
            • Critics Procedural escapes; documents still show the attempt.[12][13]
            What drove it
            Dismissals totally vindicate everyone involved. The dismissals mean Trump actually won those states. The certificates are real.
          5. Illustration / file photo used for now in the fake-electors guide.
            Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses
            2026→ Split into camps

            Wisconsin leftover + naming war

            Dominant views
            • Wait-and-see lawyers Organizer trial is the real test.[16]
            • Memory warriors Fight over whether to keep saying ‘fake.’[2]
            What drove it
            • WI not-guilty pleas; NV appeal notice.[17][18]
            Wisconsin will convict the architects. All fake-elector cases were dismissed.
          Sources and polls
          1. House Select Committee to Investigate Jan 6 — Final Report materials on alternate electors (GovInfo collection)
          2. AI Files short case (pre-rebuild): The fake electors
          3. Kenneth Chesebro memo to James R. Troupis (9 Dec 2020): Statutory Requirements for December 14 Electoral Votes — GovInfo J6 CTRL0000082463_00010
          4. National Archives / historical: 1960 Hawaii dual electoral votes (Kennedy later certified)
          5. Michigan AG Dana Nessel prosecution of 16 Trump electors (charging announcements / court docket via press)
          6. Georgia election case — Fulton indictment naming electors/organizers (cross-link; later dismissed)
          7. Federal election case charging documents discussing fake/alternate elector scheme (cross-link; case dismissed)
          8. Arizona AG Kris Mayes fake-electors prosecution (indictment / later dismissal reporting)
          9. Reuters: Michigan judge tosses case against Trump fake electors (9 Sep 2025)
          10. AP: Michigan dismissal and challenges proving fake-elector cases (10 Sep 2025)
          11. Judge Scott McAfee: Order granting State’s motion for dismissal (26 Nov 2025) — Fulton 23SC188947
          12. National Archives / OFR: 2020 Presidential Election Unofficial Certificates
          13. John Eastman ‘January 6 scenario’ memo (dual slates / Pence) — text circulated Dec 2020; HKS / DocumentCloud copies
          14. KJZZ: Arizona fake-electors case dismissed; Mayes can still refile (11 Aug 2026)
          15. AP: Judge drops Nevada’s fake elector case (13 Aug 2026)
          16. Votebeat: Wisconsin fake elector case continues (15 Jun 2026)
          17. AP: three Wisconsin defendants plead not guilty (16 Jun 2026)
          18. Las Vegas Review-Journal: AG Ford notice of appeal in Nevada fake-electors case (Oct 2026)

          Lasting impact

          How it changed us

          Electoral Count Reform, habits of dual-slate politics, and arguing documents vs convictions.

          Laws & institutions 3

          Counting rules and prosecutorial experiments after the dual slates.

          Illustration / file photo used for docs in the fake-electors guide.
          Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses
          2021–24In force

          Public unofficial-certificate archive

          NARA’s FOIA page made the seven certificates permanently citable.

          The evidence it changed
          • Unofficial certificates page with scans and emails.[2]
          ‘Fake electors’ becomes the name
          Illustration / file photo used for courthouse in the fake-electors guide.
          Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses
          2022–26One-case law

          State criminal labs mostly failed

          Five state tracks tested elector/organizer liability; most dismissed.

          The evidence it changed
          The collapse wave All fake-elector cases were dismissed.

          People it inspired 2

          Careers and public roles reshaped by the papers and the cases.

          Illustration / file photo used for eastman in the fake-electors guide.
          Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses
          2020–Documented

          Eastman as the memo face

          The dual-slate theory is publicly inseparable from Eastman’s scenario memo.

          The evidence it changed
          • Memo text + email finalization.[8][9]
          ‘Fake electors’ becomes the name
          Illustration / file photo used for chesebro in the fake-electors guide.
          Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses
          2020–26Alleged

          Chesebro from memo to defendant

          Author of the logistics memo later appears in WI planners coverage.

          The evidence it changed
          Wisconsin leftover + naming war

          Things we now take for granted 2

          Habits of argument that hardened after 2020–26.

          Illustration / file photo used for hearing in the fake-electors guide.
          Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses
          2021–26

          The name fight never ends

          Before

          ‘Fake electors’ dominated early coverage.

          After

          ‘Contingent electors’ returned as dismissals mounted — both labels now signal camps.

          The evidence it changed
          ‘Fake electors’ becomes the name The collapse wave They were ‘fake electors.’ They were only contingent electors, like a legal backup.
          Sources for this section
          1. Electoral Count Reform Act of 2022 (Pub. L. 117-328 div.) — reforms after 2020/Jan 6
          2. National Archives / OFR: 2020 Presidential Election Unofficial Certificates
          3. AP: Michigan dismissal and challenges proving fake-elector cases (10 Sep 2025)
          4. Judge Scott McAfee: Order granting State’s motion for dismissal (26 Nov 2025) — Fulton 23SC188947
          5. KJZZ: Arizona fake-electors case dismissed; Mayes can still refile (11 Aug 2026)
          6. AP: Judge drops Nevada’s fake elector case (13 Aug 2026)
          7. AP: three Wisconsin defendants plead not guilty (16 Jun 2026)
          8. John Eastman ‘January 6 scenario’ memo (dual slates / Pence) — text circulated Dec 2020; HKS / DocumentCloud copies
          9. Eastman email to Boris Epshteyn CC Chesebro re Dec 23 memo final (J6 exhibit Chapman053475)
          10. Kenneth Chesebro memo to James R. Troupis (9 Dec 2020): Statutory Requirements for December 14 Electoral Votes — GovInfo J6 CTRL0000082463_00010
          11. Votebeat: Wisconsin fake elector case continues (15 Jun 2026)
          12. AI Files short case (pre-rebuild): The fake electors
          13. House Select Committee to Investigate Jan 6 — Final Report materials on alternate electors (GovInfo collection)

          How this guide works

          Sources and method

          This page rebuilds the Trump hub short case The fake electors as a full AI Files guide.

          Spine sources are primaries: NARA unofficial certificate scans and official 2020 Electoral College results; the Chesebro Dec 9 2020 memo (GovInfo); the Eastman January 6 scenario memo; the 12th Amendment and Electoral Count Act text; Judge McAfee’s Nov 2025 Georgia dismissal order. Press (AP, Reuters, KJZZ, LA Times, Votebeat, Review-Journal) is labeled as press when it carries disposition reporting.

          January 6 Capitol events, the broader 2020 fraud-claim litigation, the Georgia RICO case and the federal election case are cross-linked to sibling guides — not rebuilt here.

          The mainstream critical path is labeled: the certificates were real instruments in a plan to create a dual-slate dispute for the Vice President; official Biden electors were the ones counted; most state criminal cases failed for intent, procedure or prosecutor issues; Wisconsin remained open against alleged planners. Rival readings (pure contingent backup; pure forgery coup; lawyer-advice immunity; lawfare; documents-prove-crime-without-conviction; dismissals-equal-vindication) are full theory cards with path.removes / path.adds / mustBeFake.

          Ukraine-war material is out of scope. Never Grokipedia.

          By the numbers
          • 48 entries in 6 eras
          • 41 distinct sources cited
          • 22 dated events
          • 15 claims checked
          • 7 theories opened up
          • 8 books, films and follow-ups
          • 16 steps on the critical path
          • 7 open questions
          • 7 lasting changes
          • 40 freely licensed pictures

          Pictures & licenses

          Picture credits

          Every picture is public domain or freely licensed, from Wikimedia Commons. Files are stored on this site with their metadata removed; each credit links to the original.

          Illustration / file photo used for hero in the fake-electors guide.
          Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses · original
          Illustration / file photo used for memo in the fake-electors guide.
          Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses · original
          Illustration / file photo used for eastman in the fake-electors guide.
          Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses · original
          Illustration / file photo used for chesebro in the fake-electors guide.
          Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses · original
          Illustration / file photo used for docs in the fake-electors guide.
          Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses · original
          Illustration / file photo used for ballot in the fake-electors guide.
          Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses · original
          Illustration / file photo used for path in the fake-electors guide.
          Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses · original
          Illustration / file photo used for pence in the fake-electors guide.
          Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses · original
          Illustration / file photo used for capitol in the fake-electors guide.
          Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses · original
          Illustration / file photo used for hearing in the fake-electors guide.
          Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses · original
          Illustration / file photo used for gavel in the fake-electors guide.
          Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses · original
          Illustration / file photo used for courthouse in the fake-electors guide.
          Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses · original
          Illustration / file photo used for mcafee in the fake-electors guide.
          Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses · original
          Illustration / file photo used for now in the fake-electors guide.
          Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses · original
          Illustration / file photo used for trump in the fake-electors guide.
          Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses · original
          Illustration / file photo used for biden in the fake-electors guide.
          Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses · original
          Illustration / file photo used for harris in the fake-electors guide.
          Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses · original
          Illustration / file photo used for giuliani in the fake-electors guide.
          Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses · original
          Illustration / file photo used for meadows in the fake-electors guide.
          Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses · original
          Illustration / file photo used for ellis in the fake-electors guide.
          Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses · original
          Illustration / file photo used for powell in the fake-electors guide.
          Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses · original
          Illustration / file photo used for clark in the fake-electors guide.
          Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses · original
          Illustration / file photo used for roman in the fake-electors guide.
          Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses · original
          Illustration / file photo used for shafer in the fake-electors guide.
          Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses · original
          Illustration / file photo used for latham in the fake-electors guide.
          Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses · original
          Illustration / file photo used for barr in the fake-electors guide.
          Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses · original
          Illustration / file photo used for smith in the fake-electors guide.
          Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses · original
          Illustration / file photo used for willis in the fake-electors guide.
          Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses · original
          Illustration / file photo used for raffensperger in the fake-electors guide.
          Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses · original
          Illustration / file photo used for kemp in the fake-electors guide.
          Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses · original
          Illustration / file photo used for benson in the fake-electors guide.
          Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses · original
          Illustration / file photo used for hobbs in the fake-electors guide.
          Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses · original
          Illustration / file photo used for bowers in the fake-electors guide.
          Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses · original
          Illustration / file photo used for krebs in the fake-electors guide.
          Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses · original
          Illustration / file photo used for whitmer in the fake-electors guide.
          Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses · original
          Illustration / file photo used for ga-capitol in the fake-electors guide.
          Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses · original
          Illustration / file photo used for phone in the fake-electors guide.
          Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses · original
          Illustration / file photo used for indictment in the fake-electors guide.
          Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses · original
          Illustration / file photo used for scotus in the fake-electors guide.
          Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses · original
          Illustration / file photo used for ellipse in the fake-electors guide.
          Pooled from AI Files sibling guide assets (re-encoded; EXIF stripped) · see sibling guide credits / upstream free licenses · original

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