Minnesota’s Connection to the Trump Dossier

Mark Elias, Al Franken, Mark Dayton, Trump Dossier, Russia,
Image Credit: Screen grab/VImeo/Alexander Hamilton Institute

WASHINGTON — A bombshell report released Tuesday is calling into question the details surrounding a mysterious and unverified dossier on President Donald Trump and his connections to Russia and its interesting connection to Minnesota.

The report by the Washington Post alleges Hillary Clinton campaign attorney Marc Elias hired Fusion GPS in Washington D.C. to dig up dirt on Trump and his campaign in April 2016. Fusion then hired former MI-6 and British intelligence officer Christopher Steele to find connections to Russia.

Most members of the media refrained from reporting on the details of the document due to its contents being unverifiable.

The Washington Post notes the dossier was paid for by the Democratic National Committee and the Clinton campaign. Both the DNC and Clinton have issued statements denying knowledge of the payments.

Elias has represented democrats for years. As a lawyer specializing in campaign finance law, Elias has represented important faces such as Sens. Harry Reid, Elizabeth Warren, Claire McCaskill, and the Kerry-Edwards campaign in 2004.

He also represented Minnesota Sen. Al Franken in his recount fight in 2008 against Norm Coleman and Gov. Mark Dayton in his recount efforts against now congressman Rep. Tom Emmer.

In 2008, Elias led the charge to find missing ballots in Minneapolis according to MPR.

Franken’s election has raised eyebrows with many suggestions of voter fraud over the years as reported by Alpha News:

Originally on election night, Coleman led Franken by 725 votes. However, before an official recount even began, vote totals began to change in favor of Franken. Minneapolis’ director of elections found an envelope of ballots in her car which had not been counted. In Two Harbors, election officials claimed to have miscommunicated 246 votes. The large number of errors left many scratching heads, especially given the lack of errors in other contests in the same precinct. Only Franken’s race had any recorded changes. Franken picked up another 100 votes from ballot errors in Partridge Township and Mountain Iron.”

In 2010, Elias came back to Minnesota to aide Gov. Mark Dayton in his recount efforts. Dayton led Emmer by more than 8,000 votes at the time of the recount.

According to the Washington Post, Elias is using funds backed by George Soros to change laws that affect the bottom line of the democratic party. On Twitter, Elias states,“I am a lawyer fighting to elect Democrats up and down the ballot, and protecting voting rights for all.”

Preya Samsundar

Preya Samsundar was born and raised in Minneapolis, MN. She graduated from the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities this Spring with a B.A. in Political Science and Sociology, with a minor in Strategic Communications. Preya has previously worked on several State Campaign Races.