Disaster Strikes McAuliffe Campaign After Staffer Mistakenly Emails Fox News
Virginia Democrat Terry McAuliffe’s gubernatorial campaign may see the handwriting on the wall, as it has reportedly hired the infamous attorney Marc Elias’ firm to represent them.
That’s the same Elias who worked for the Washington, D.C., law firm Perkins Coie hired by the Hillary Clinton campaign in 2016 to conduct opposition research on Donald Trump.
The firm then turned around and hired Fusion GPS, which brought in former British intelligence agent Christopher Steele, who authored the notorious dossier that helped launch the FBI’s shameful Russia probe.
Elias also oversaw a slew of lawsuits in swing states to loosen election integrity laws and procedures during the 2020 campaign cycle.
Fox News editor Tyler O’Neil reached out to McAuliffe campaign spokesperson Christina Freundlich via email for comment on a $53,580 payment to the Elias Law Group, referencing a story by George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley.
“I am writing a story about the report that McAuliffe hired Marc Elias, potentially to challenge the election results. Would the campaign explain the purpose of the hiring?” O’Neil asked.
Freundlich responded to the email with a message apparently meant for fellow campaign staffers, saying, “Can we try to kill this.”
Fox News reporter: “I am writing a story about the report that McAuliffe hired Marc Elias, potentially to challenge the election results […]”
McAuliffe spoksperson: “Can we try to kill this” pic.twitter.com/buSINd4wRn
— Corey A. DeAngelis (@DeAngelisCorey) October 29, 2021
A staff member must have responded to Freundlich, who further explained, again in an email apparently not meant for Fox, writing, “To dispute the challenges of the election.”
The McAuliffe campaign did not respond to Fox on the record regarding the questions O’Neil asked in his original email.
“”To dispute the challenges of the election,” she clarified, ostensibly responding to an email that did not go through to Fox News.”https://t.co/lt9BIgeLUV pic.twitter.com/6aCiKMcAum
— Corey A. DeAngelis (@DeAngelisCorey) October 29, 2021
Turley tweeted Thursday, “McAuliffe may be preparing to challenge any win by Republican Glenn Youngkin. He has given $53,680 to the Elias Law Group. McAuliffe does not appear disturbed by Elias’ highly controversial career or his possible exposure in the Durham investigation.”
McAuliffe may be preparing to challenge any win by Republican Glenn Youngkin. He has given $53,680 to the Elias Law Group. McAuliffe does not appear disturbed by Elias’ highly controversial career or his possible exposure in the Durham investigation…https://t.co/Gb6YzAJmBo
— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) October 28, 2021
Perhaps it’s not so surprising that McAuliffe would turn to Elias given their mutual connections to Bill and Hillary Clinton.
McAuliffe served as co-chair of Bill’s 1996 presidential re-election campaign and was campaign chair of Hillary’s 2008 bid for the presidency.
Elias was general counsel for Hillary’s 2016 campaign, while still at Perkins Coie.
I spent 28 years at @PerkinsCoieLLP. It is a amazing place with great lawyers. I am starting a new law firm @EliasLawGroup because our democracy is at risk and it is the most effective way for me to fight back. I look forward to working with Perkins in that effort as well.
— Marc E. Elias (@marceelias) August 22, 2021
“Elias is a critical figure in the ongoing Durham investigation and has been accused of lying to the media to hide the role of the Clinton campaign in funding the Steele dossier,” Turley noted in a Thursday blog post.
“There are a host of election lawyers but McAuliffe selected an attorney accused of lying to the media, advancing rejected conspiracy theories, and currently involved in a major federal investigation that has already led to the indictment of his former partner,” the law professor added.
McAuliffe has good reason to be nervous about Tuesday’s election results, which may be behind bringing Elias on board as Turley suggested.
Youngkin pulled significantly ahead of the Democrat 53 to 45 percent in a Fox News poll of likely voters released Thursday.
The Real Clear Politics average of polls has the Republican up over McAuliffe by 0.9 percentage points.
Here’s hoping Youngkin wins by such a wide margin that not even Elias and a team of Democratic lawyers can overcome it.
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