Marc Elias's Law Firm Was Part of Democratic 'Decoy Dan' Ballot-Stacking Scheme in Alaska Senate Race
Source: M.D. Kittle. "Russia Collusion Hoaxer Marc Elias Tied To Alaska Ballot Scandal." October 30, 2026. thefederalist.com
The Gist
The author argues that a New York Times report shows Democrats ran a scheme to put a same-name 'decoy' candidate on Alaska's Senate ballot to confuse voters and hurt Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan. He says Marc Elias's law firm, which represents the Peltola campaign and the Democratic Senate committee, was part of it, and that this fits Elias's long record of shady tactics.
Conclusion
Marc Elias and his law firm, along with Mary Peltola's campaign and Democratic Party operatives, participated in a deceptive scheme to rig Alaska's Senate ballot by recruiting a same-name 'decoy' candidate to confuse voters. This fits Elias's long record of dirty election tactics and warrants investigation and possible professional sanctions.
Premises
- The New York Times reported, citing texts, emails, and a former Peltola campaign manager, that Democratic operatives recruited a candidate with the same name as Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan to draw votes from him.
- The Times reports that an Elias Law Group attorney, Jacquelyn Lopez, was 'part of this effort,' and the firm represents both the Peltola campaign and the DSCC, whose top aides appear in emails tied to the scheme.
- Peltola, the campaign, and the DSCC deny involvement, but the documentary evidence in the Times report makes those denials increasingly hard to believe.
- Authorities are treating the matter as potentially criminal: Alaska's governor has ordered an investigation, the DOJ has opened probes and issued subpoenas, and Sen. Ron Johnson has sent records preservation letters, including to Lopez.
- Elias has a history of unethical or manipulative conduct: the Steele dossier and Fusion GPS payments, a 2021 appeals court sanction, an alleged conflict of interest in the Iowa 2nd District case, and his stated post-2024 commitment to use 'every legal tool' against Trump.
- Elias's pattern of anything-for-the-win tactics makes his involvement in the Alaska ballot scheme plausible and consistent with his character.
Assumptions
- The New York Times report is accurate and its characterization of Lopez's role is correct.
- Being mentioned in texts or receiving a preservation letter indicates culpable involvement rather than routine legal work.
- Recruiting a same-name candidate to split votes is deceptive and improper, rather than ordinary hardball politics.
- Elias's past conduct is relevant evidence of what he did in this case.
- Elias's Russia-related work involved fabrication ('manufacture the dossier'), not just opposition research that turned out to be flawed.
- A law firm representing a campaign and a party committee is responsible for, or complicit in, the clients' alleged actions.
- Denials by Peltola and the DSCC are not credible given the reported evidence.