Marc Elias Wiki: The Man Behind the Latest Clinton Scandal
High-powered D.C. lawyer Marc. E. Elias is in the news for all the wrong reasons. He’s an instrumental player in the latest Hillary Clinton scandal, hiring Fusion GPS to conduct opposition research on Donald Trump. The problem? It was a biased, fabricated hit piece which formed the basis of the whole “Russian collusion” narrative gripping Capitol Hill.
This Marc Elias wiki page covers the man behind the controversy.
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And what a controversy it is. A large reason for the Trump-Russia investigation, opened by Robert Mueller via special council, was the research paid for by Elias. According to The Washington Post, Elias hired Fusion GPS on behalf of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the Clinton campaign 2016 to complete opposition research that would be detrimental to Trump’s election chances. (Source: “Clinton campaign, DNC paid for research that led to Russia dossier,” Washington Post, October 24, 2017.)
And how much did it cost to nearly sway the course of American electoral history? Less than you might think. The Clinton campaign and the DNC paid Elias’s law firm Perkins Coie $5.6 million and $3.6 million, respectively.
Elias has been positively identified as the liaison behind the transaction.
In this article, we will see everything about Marc Elias’s career, controversies & facts to know.
- Marc Elias Role in Hillary Clinton Campaign 2016
- Marc Elias Role in Law Firm Perkin’s Coie
- How Much is Marc Elias Worth?
- Some Interesting Facts to Know
#1. Marc Elias in Hillary Clinton Campaign 2016 and Democratic Party Causes
Elias is a well-known counsel in Democratic Party circles. He served as lead counsel for Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL) Senator Al Franken’s 2008 election recount for the Minnesota Senate. That recount and subsequent challenge was the result of a narrow Franken victory, in which he won the state by only 308 votes. Elias helped the DNC navigate through the muddy waters of what remains the largest election recount in American history.
United States Senate election in Minnesota, 2008
| Nominee | Al Franken | Norm Coleman |
| Party | DFL | Republican |
| Popular vote | 1,212,629 | 1,212,317 |
| Percentage | 41.99% | 41.98% |
Somewhat of a recount specialist, Elias has been victorious for the Democratic Party in several other recounts. His recount win list includes Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring (2013) and Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton (2010). Elias also represented Senator Maria Cantwell (2000) and Senator Harry Reid (1998) in their recounts.
According to his law firm profile, Elias currently holds general counsel to the political action committee (PAC) “Hillary for America,” the presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton. Previously, Elias held the same position for the 2004 presidential campaign of Democratic Party candidate John Kerry. He also served as a consultant to the Senate Rules Committee during its consideration of the 1996 Louisiana Senate election result. (Source: “Marc E. Elias Partner, Perkins Coie, last accessed October 25, 2015.)
Elias’s current Rolodex includes the DNC, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and the Democratic Governors Association, as well as U.S. senators, governors, and congressional representatives.
Furthermore, Elias has associations with progressive-liberal billionaire financier George Soros. When Elias started to become more active in representing voting rights cases, he once approached Soros for funding for a related project. Soros spokesman Michael Vachon said that Elias approached them with a set of proposals for challenging state restrictions that would be helpful “up and down the ballot.” (Source: “The crusade of a Democratic superlawyer with multimillion-dollar backing,” The Washington Post, August 7, 2017).
Of course, it’s widely known that Soros is a fierce and boisterous critic of Trump, especially on immigration issues and Trump’s desire to reinforce national borders.
If there was any doubt about Elias’s dedication to the Democratic Party, his Twitter profile closes the debate. It reads: “I am a lawyer fighting to elect Democrats up and down the ballot, and protecting voting rights for all.”
(Source: Marc E. Elias Twitter profile)
As such, it’s a safe bet that Elias is a fierce opponent of Trump. It’s uncertain, however, whether he knew that the eventual Russia dossier would become the hit piece that it did. But it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that Elias probably knew it would be extremely unflattering to Trump and helpful to the Clinton campaign.
#2. Law Firm Perkins Coie
Elias is the chairperson of Perkins Coie’s political law practice. His main focus isn’t just on the DNC and its candidates, but also on tax-exempt organizations and PACs that are connected to topics such as campaign finance and government ethics. Basically, Elias represents various types of interests in Washington, including behind-the-scenes groups that formulate public policy.
According to Perkins Coie, Elias is a “recognized authority in the Federal Election Campaign Act, Lobbying Disclosure Act, Ethics in Government Act and Foreign Agents Registration Act.” The firm’s also says that he is a “preeminent counselor in the areas of congressional and executive branch ethics and gift rules.” (Source: Perkins Coie, op cit.)
While I’m not a U.S. election law expert, I find it ironic that it’s Elias who is now accused of paying for hit piece research on Trump. While there’s no evidence that Elias acted unethically or knew beforehand how slimy the research would become, the recent revelations about the dubious Russian dossier won’t do anything to help his reputation in regards to ethics.
I suspect that his award as “Top Lawyer” for campaign finance and ethics, and campaign and election law—as professed by Washingtonian Magazine—might be his last.
#3. Marc Elias Net Worth Would Run into Eight Figures
There’s no concrete evidence online about Marc Elias net worth figures. As a high-powered, credentialed and connected major Washington D.C. partner, however, he would be making easily into the seven digits annually. As he was the go-to lead counsel for Democratic Party causes, his compensation would be quite substantial.
Credits: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDOWhA_Et88
Assuming he has taken care of his earnings and has invested wisely, I estimate that his total net worth would run into eight figures (over $10,000,000) quite easily. Please note, this is a rough estimate, and I have no evidence of actual net worth.
#4. Interesting Facts About Marc Elias
- According to late-2010 information, Marc Elias’s wife was Brenley Elias, and they were the parents of two children.
- Elias was an early adopter of Twitter, having joined in March 2009. He has more than 22,800 followers, and has Tweeted over 1,000 times.
- According to his LinkedIn profile, Elias is interested in the following subjects: Duke University, Hamilton College, John Kerry – John Edwards for President Campaign Alumni, U.S. Government Relations, Lobbying and Public Affairs, Government Relations Professional Networking Group, and Official Hamilton College Group.
- Elias has previously been named by Politico Magazine as one of the “50 Politicos to Watch.” He’s frequently quoted in national media and mainstream political publications.
- Elias is a professor, having taught both law and political science at William & Mary Law School, and “Modern Campaigns and Elections” at Hamilton College.
- He is the former co-chair of the bipartisan Committee to Modernize Voter Registration.
- Elias serves on the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Election Law.
The latest Marc Elias and Trump dossier scandal may torpedo Robert Mueller’s investigation into Trump’s Russian collusion case. For Democrats, the rebound effect may not be so kind. There’s a litany of potential ethics and campaign law violations surrounding Elias and the Democratic Party. That’s not the kind of story they want floating in the news cycle for the upcoming 2018 congressional elections.
