FEC Fines the Clinton Campaign and DNC for Conduct Related to Steele Dossier
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
We have previously discussed allegations that Marc Elias, the former general counsel for the Clinton Campaign and partner at the firm Perkins Coie, lied to conceal the campaign's funding of the infamous Steele Dossier. The Federal Election Commission (FEC) has now fined the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign for violating election rules in hiding that funding. Elias has previously been sanctioned for his conduct in litigation and recently lost an effort to gerrymander the Maryland voting districts. The alleged Elias' lies would ordinarily seem a professional liability for any attorney but they seem an actual professional attraction for Elias.
On March 29, the FEC imposed a relatively small fine of $8,000 for Clinton and $105,000 for the DNC. However, it is the basis rather than the size of the fine that is so notable.
The FEC found that Clinton campaign and DNC payments to Fusion GPS were funneled through Perkins Coie and Elias. As the campaign denied funding the dossier, these payments were concealed as "legal advice and services." The FEC said the law firm, Perkins Coie, paid Fusion $1,024,407.97 for the dossier in 2016.
Elias has featured prominently in the filings of Special Counsel John Durham. The key to many of these operations is someone referred to by Durham as "Campaign Lawyer-1," who is now known to be Elias. Elias was called before the grand jury.
It was Elias who made the key funding available to Fusion GPS, which in turn enlisted Steele to produce his now discredited dossier on Trump and his campaign.
During the campaign, a few reporters did ask about the possible connection to the campaign, but Clinton campaign officials denied any involvement. It was only weeks after the election that journalists discovered that the Clinton campaign hid payments for the Steele dossier as "legal fees" among the $5.6 million paid to Perkins Coie.
New York Times reporter Ken Vogel said at the time that Elias denied involvement in the anti-Trump dossier. When Vogel tried to report the story, he said, Elias "pushed back vigorously, saying 'You (or your sources) are wrong.'" Times reporter Maggie Haberman declared, "Folks involved in funding this lied about it, and with sanctimony, for a year."
"It was not just reporters who asked the Clinton campaign about its role in the Steele dossier. John Podesta, Clinton's campaign chairman, was questioned by Congress and denied categorically any contractual agreement with Fusion GPS. Sitting beside him was Elias, who reportedly said nothing to correct the misleading information given to Congress."
Elias' former partner, Michael Sussmann, has been indicted by Durham.
It is not known if Elias is a target for possible indictment.
Democrats continue to hire Elias despite his checkered past. Elias has unsuccessfully led efforts to challenge Democratic losses. Elias has been sanctioned in past litigation.
Elias also was the subject of intense criticism after a tweet that some have called inherently racist. Democrats used the recent Georgia election law as a rallying cry for federalizing elections by labelling the law, as described by President Biden, "Jim Crow on steroids." Biden has been repeatedly called out for demonstrably false statements about the law. Elias argued that Georgia voters could not be expected to be able to read their driver's licenses correctly — a statement that seemed to refer to minority voters who would be disproportionately impacted by such a requirement.
Elias was back in the news on another defeat in court last week. He filed in support of an abusive gerrymandering of the election districts in Maryland that a court found violated not only violated Maryland law but the state constitution's equal protection, free speech and free elections clauses. The court found that the map pushed by Elias "subverts the will of those governed."
Elias has been accused of making millions from gerrymandering and challenging election victories by Republicans (while condemning such actions by Republicans as "anti-Democratic"). He was involved in the New York redistricting that was ridiculed as not only ignoring the express will of the voters to end such gerrymandering but effectively negating the votes of Republican voters.
It is clear that none of these controversies will alter Elias' conduct or such tactics. Indeed, they appear to be a draw from some Democrats and the media. CNN recently asked Elias "what should we be doing differently" in covering elections. He chastised the media for not having enough of a a "pro-democracy slant," which appears to mean a more Democratic slant.
After the FEC fine, DNC spokesman Daniel Wessel called the complaints over their hiding the funding of the dossier (and public denials before the election) are "silly."
It has been a bad week for Elias, but these headlines only seem a draw for some in Democrats that Elias is the precisely the type of attorney that they want in case pursuing gerrymandering and election challenges.
Jonathan Turley
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I have to admit that one person who I absolutely want to see indicted is Marc Elias.
Elias frightens you? Why?
I'll use a very popular answer:
Our democracy!
Please define who the 'our' are.
The people whom you don't seem to like.
Assuming you're referring to Bannon, Stone, Gorka, Eastman and others? If so, you are correct.
From your seed:
Of course, that factual statement is made after 8 paragraphs of implying that he is guilty of every fallacious charge Turley cites.
Even though Turley states the fact that Elias testified before to Durham grand jury, that grand jury did NOT indict Elias.
Oh and it's pretty fucking hilarious that Turley says : Elias has been accused of making millions...
I thought you and yours were all about capitalism.
Yet the headlines this week that Turley cites had NO effect on Elias, did they Vic?
Turley flaps his gums ad nauseam and the FEC but for some reason, doesn't mention the FACT that the FEC DISMISSED the allegation against Elias AND Perkins Coie.
I guess THAT fact just doesn't fit into Turley's agenda.
Perhaps one of the reasons that Elias is the Democrats go to attorney for election challenges is that of 65 cases filed by Trump to overturn Biden's election that Elias was involved in, he WON 64.
Oh and BTFW, if Turley is so outraged by politicians and political Partys hiring a lawyer who was sanctioned, I await his expressing his outrage about the Trump's/RNC hiring a long list of lawyers that have been SUSPENDED from practicing law and or sanctioned by the court. I won't hold my breath.
You mean thus far there is no indictment. A lot depends on whether Sussman get convicted. Then, as Andrew Weissmann might say - It's deal time. Sussman is fighting it right now. We need him convicted!
Oh and it's pretty fucking hilarious that Turley says : Elias has been accused of making millions...
I thought you and yours were all about capitalism.
Me and mine? Capitalism has nothing to do with influence peddling, political donations or insider trading. Elected officials like the Clintons, Obamas and the Bidens shouldn't be raking in millions based on public service. Elias is a lawyer and a proud dirty one.
Yet the headlines this week that Turley cites had NO effect on Elias, did they Vic?
This week? Elias specialty is elections & gerrymandering. Thus maybe one -
Other than "this week" the Maryland case defines Elias.
Perhaps one of the reasons that Elias is the Democrats go to attorney for election challenges is
It's that he's dirty and he has succeeded in changing the rules in battleground states during the 2020 election.
You seem to like Elias for all the reasons that I think he needs to be indicted. Time will tell.
NO. I meant what I said Vic.
Oh, please do tell me WTF Sussman's conviction would have to do with indicting Elias Vic?
Either Durham has evidence against Elias or he doesn't.
WTF does Weissmann have to do with it. You're just regurgitating BS now.
Do you have an issue with the 6th Amendment Vic?
Why? How will it affect your life Vic?
Yes, you and yours.
Elias is a lawyer and the millions that he's made is for legal services. You have NO evidence that he is 'dirty'.
Turley stated that it was about headlines 'this week' Vic.
Prove ANY of that Vic.
You seem like you hate Elias because he represents his clients successfully.
Cite the reasons Elias should be indicted Vic. Crimes and statutes please.
It may come down to Sussman either cooperating on the "others involved" or he goes to prison and gets his ass fitted for a big gold ring.
It all depends on a conviction.
Vic, show us your proof that either votes for Joe biden in the 2020 presidential election were counted more than once, or that people who were ineligible to vote cast votes for Joe Biden that were counted. Or shut the fuck up.
Your innuendo that "Elias" illegally or unethically swung the election is without basis. "Changing" election rules because of the pandemic does not a scandal or rigged election make. You have to show Biden got more votes than voters who chose him could have cast.
Where did that come from? And no John, I won't shut up.
Your innuendo that "Elias" illegally or unethically swung the election is without basis. "Changing" election rules because of the pandemic does not a scandal or rigged election make.
Only State Legislatures get to make election rules. Somehow he got around that.
You have to show Biden got more votes than voters who chose him could have cast.
Why is that?
More unsubstantiated proclamations Vic.
Where is the proclamation?
And some will take everything you've refuted as the gospel truth.
Your comment is a proclamation Vic.
You made utterly unsubstantiated announcements.
Neither of which answered my question.
Link?
I made no pronouncements. You lack an argument.
adverb
So close to the truth
PROCLAMATION Vic.
You proclaimed;
What's hilarious about those proclamations is that you've been pretending that Durham has the goods on Elias all along.
WHY does Durham need to convict Sussman if he has the goods on Elias Vic?
WHY does Sussman need to cooperate if Durham already has the goods on ALL of those that he made unsubstantiated allegations about?
So just another unsubstantiated proclamation from you. Got it.
That's not a proclamation. Do you see how the sentence begins: "It may come down to"
WHY does Durham need to convict Sussman if he has the goods on Elias Vic?
If he has the goods on Elias he wouldn't need Sussman. That's how these things go sometimes. The best example would be the Mueller indictments. That was all about trying to get people to flip. Of course, in that case there was no "collusion."
WHY does Sussman need to cooperate if Durham already has the goods on ALL of those that he made unsubstantiated allegations about?
He wouldn't (Three times for the normal mind)
It's called a "what if."
Would you like to contribute anything?
You're pretty desperate to ignore that second sentence Vic.
THAT is a proclamation.
Your very first comment on this seed is:
Yet you haven't posted ANY evidence that Elias has committed a CRIME.
Even though you've posted Turley's unsubstantiated innuendos and multiple seeds about your hero's court motion, not a word of it implicates Elias.
Well since you think that the Mueller indictments are the best example and that 'it all depends on a conviction', then we need to follow the end game on the Mueller convictions and expect Biden to follow Trump's action of PARDONING Manafort, Stone, Papadopoulos and Flynn.
So WHY would Sussmann flip?
Bullshit Vic.
That isn't a 'what if', that's a false allegation. Own it.
I did. In fact, I am the ONLY one who has. You failed to reply to most of my questions.
Care to contribute some answers now Vic?
Nope. A proclamation would be "There shall be a conviction." Get it? I should be getting teacher's pay for this.
Yet you haven't posted ANY evidence that Elias has committed a CRIME.
Why would I? I never claimed there was a crime in that article. Did you see me do that? Show me where?
Well since you think that the Mueller indictments are the best example and that 'it all depends on a conviction', then we need to follow the end game on the Mueller convictions and expect Biden to follow Trump's action of PARDONING Manafort, Stone, Papadopoulos and Flynn.
Right now I'm sure Biden is worried about Hunter and himself.
So WHY would Sussmann flip?
The answer has been in post 1.2.3 all along.
Would you like to comment on the seed?
Last chance.
Nope, and you should be getting a tap dancer's pay, NOT a teacher's.
AGAIN, in your very first comment you stated:
Are you claiming that you want to see Elias indicted just because you don't like him?
I presume that you mean that Biden will pardon himself and Hunter. That would just prove that he's smarter than Trump.
It can't be since the question was just asked Vic.
If the 'Biden crime family' follows the precedent of the 'Trump crime family', rather than flip, Sussmann can count on a pardon long before he ever spends a day in jail.
I already have.
You're ignoring my questions and statements in:
Why bother. Everything I say is bullshit
What is the purpose of that comment Vic?
"Elias has been accused of making millions from gerrymandering and challenging election victories by Republicans ..."
Always fun when someone (Turley) worth 15 million tries to dump on someone (Elias) worth 5 times less.