Chuck Ross of the Washington Free Beacon documents the latest hijinks from high-profile Democratic operative Marc Elias.
The Democratic superlawyer behind the Trump-Russia collusion hoax has entered the “fake news” foray once again, this time on behalf of a mysterious media company that publishes partisan articles designed to look like legitimate news stories.
Elias Law Group, the firm of Marc Elias, represents an outfit called Star Spangled Media in a battle with Arizona campaign finance regulators over the activities of its website, the Morning Mirror. The site recently started running Facebook ads touting Democratic state candidates in Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and other battleground states, according to Semafor.
Under its banner for “local” news, the Morning Mirror touts the success of one Democrat after another on “reproductive rights.” … The site publishes other seemingly non-political stories, such as “What Are the Benefits of SPF,” a pro-sunscreen story, and “Lefties of Baseball,” about the “phenomenon” of left-handed pitchers in America’s pastime.
It is unclear who funds Star Spangled Media, but the operation marks an emerging trend for Democrats. Party donors have poured millions of dollars into websites such as Courier Newsroom and States Newsroom, which promote liberal causes and Democratic candidates in articles designed to look like legitimate news stories. The organizations in turn use the articles in social media ads that do not outwardly disclose the Democratic source of funding.
Elias’s advocacy for fake news may come as no surprise. As an attorney for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign, he commissioned the infamous Steele dossier, which falsely accused then-candidate Donald Trump of colluding with Russia to influence the 2016 election. The Federal Election Commission later fined the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee for falsely listing Elias’s work as “legal expenses” rather than opposition research.
In response to Arizona regulators, Elias Law Group argues Star Spangled Media is a legitimate commercial news organization that should be exempt from having to disclose its activities to campaign finance regulators.
