Long before Kenneth Chesebro became Co-Conspirator 5—which is how he was identified in the indictment of Donald Trump for attempting to overturn the 2020 election—he was “the Cheese,” his nickname at Harvard Law School in the mid-80s. The moniker was based in part on a corruption of his name, which is pronounced “chez-bro,” as well as a reference to his Wisconsin roots. But there was also an element of irony in the choice, because Chesebro was anything but a big cheese—rather, a shy, awkward nerd among nerds.
So, it appears, Chesebro remained through most of his adulthood, which has rendered his current notoriety a source of bafflement to those who have known him since those days. Chesebro’s role as a legal architect of Trump’s efforts to remain in office after he lost the presidential election came to light months ago, but the indictment, which Special Counsel Jack Smith obtained from a Washington grand jury last week, places an especially harsh spotlight on Chesebro’s conduct.
