When conspiracy theorist Alex Jones led his legion of supporters to the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, an unassuming man in a red “Trump 2020” hat was seen accompanying him. This man, identified as attorney Kenneth Chesebro, was observed recording Jones with his phone as they approached the restricted area of the Capitol grounds.
Recent investigations have shed light on Chesebro’s alleged connections to a plot to overthrow the 2020 election. He has been identified as the alleged architect of a scheme involving fake GOP electors in multiple states in an attempt to subvert the Electoral College process. Chesebro has invoked his Fifth Amendment rights when asked about his whereabouts during the first week of January and on January 6, 2021.
Although Chesebro did not enter the Capitol building or engage in violence, he is the only one among the unindicted co-conspirators in Trump’s federal indictment and the only member of Trump’s legal team known to have been present at the Capitol on January 6.
Publicly available photos, videos, and interviews with acquaintances have confirmed Chesebro’s presence at the protest. However, it is unclear why he was following Jones on that day.
Chesebro’s involvement in the alleged plot to subvert the 2020 election was relatively unknown until 2022. He is currently indicted in Fulton County, Georgia, along with Trump and 17 others, with prosecutors alleging their involvement in a criminal conspiracy to unlawfully change the outcome of the election in favor of Trump.
Chesebro’s path to Trump’s orbit includes his work as a research assistant for Harvard professor Lawrence Tribe and his donations to Republican candidates. In November 2020, he began advising Trump campaign attorney Jim Troupis on the potential use of fake electors in Wisconsin.
Evidence revealed an email exchange between Chesebro and John Eastman, another architect of the fake electors’ scheme, in which Chesebro suggested that “chaos” on January 6 could pressure Supreme Court justices to take action before the count.
On January 6, Chesebro was seen with Jones for about an hour near the Capitol, recording their movements with his phone. Videos and deleted video clips from various sources were used to recreate Chesebro’s movements and confirm his presence.
While Chesebro’s actions outside the Capitol that day have received little scrutiny, his alleged involvement in a plot to manipulate the election results has raised concerns. Further investigation and legal proceedings will shed more light on his role in these events.