Attorney and Trump foe targeted in Alaska ballot probe, sources say
Marc Elias, a longtime Democratic attorney and vocal opponent of the Trump administration, received one of about 20 target letters sent by the DOJ in its Alaska ballot investigation.
Key points
- Marc Elias is a target in a DOJ criminal investigation into alleged voter confusion in Alaska's Senate race.
- About 20 target and preservation letters have been issued, and the DSCC received a grand jury subpoena.
- Elias called the probe a sham and said his firm will not be intimidated.
Marc Elias, a longtime Democratic attorney and vocal opponent of the Trump administration, is a target in a Justice Department criminal investigation into whether Democrats tried to confuse Alaska voters by recruiting a candidate with the same name as Republican incumbent Senator Dan Sullivan, according to a law enforcement official and a second source familiar with the matter.
The investigation is led by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Alaska and also involves prosecutors from the Civil Rights Division's criminal section. About 20 target and preservation letters have been issued in the probe, and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has separately received a grand jury subpoena, a law enforcement source told CBS News.
Elias responds to investigation
Elias said in a statement to CBS News that "No one should be surprised that President Trump's Department is targeting me and my law firm on Election Day." He said the administration has repeatedly weaponized the DOJ against the president's political enemies despite zero evidence of wrongdoing, and that his firm, Elias Law Group, proudly counts itself among Trump's political enemies.
Elias said his firm will not be intimidated by a sham investigation and will keep working to support its clients.
We will not be intimidated by a sham investigation
— Marc Elias
Prosecutors and timing questions
Federal prosecutors have not said what crimes they are investigating. Last week, White House deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller suggested on Fox News that violations of 18 USC 241, a civil rights conspiracy statute, could be examined.
The letters and subpoenas were sent in recent days, which the article says appears to conflict with Justice Department internal guidelines and historic norms limiting investigative steps before a national election. Michael Heyman, the court-appointed U.S. Attorney in Alaska, denied the department was escalating the probe or timing it around the election, citing New York Times reporting as the basis for increased activity.
