>>> AFTER THE 2020 ELECTION, THE >>> AFTER THE 2020 ELECTION, THE FIRST REPUBLICAN CONTROL STATE TO PASS A BIG VOTER SUPPRESSION LAW WAS IOWA. THEY DID THEIRS ON MARCH 8th. THE NEXT DAY, MARCH 9th, A LAWSUIT WAS FILED AGAINST THAT ANTI-VOTING RIGHTS BILL WITH MARK ELIAS AND HIS ORGANIZATION. AFTER IOWA THERE WAS GEORGIA. MARCH 25th, GEORGIAS REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR SIGNED INTO LAW HIS STATES BILL, SIGNED IT IN A ROOM WITH SIX OTHER WHITE MEN STANDING BY WHILE THEY ALL STOOD UNDERNEATH THE PAINTING OF A SLAVE PLANTATION. VERY SUBTLE. THAT SAME DAY, GEORGIA GOT ITSELF SUED WITH THE HELP OF DEMOCRATIC LAWYER MARK ELIAS. THEN IT WAS FLORIDA. FLORIDAS GOVERNOR SIGNED HIS BILL LIVE ON FOX NEWS. ALSO VERY SUBTLE. FLORIDA SOON FOUND ITSELF SUED OVER THAT LAW. ALSO, AGAIN, WITH THE HELP OF DEMOCRATIC LAWYER MARK ELIAS. OVER AND OVER AGAIN IN ALL THOSE STATES AND MONTANA AND RECENTLY IN ARKANSAS, REPUBLICANS EXPEDITIOUSLY -- IOWA JUST AS EXPEDITIOUS PSEUDOTHEM FOR IT. MARK ELIAS IS OBVIOUSLY ON IT. BUT HES SOUNDING A PUBLIC ALARM SAYING LAWYERS ALONE AND THESE LAWSUITS ALONE ARE NOT GOING TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM. JOINING US NOW TO TELL US WHY IS MARK ELIAS. >> THANKS FOR HAVING ME, RACHEL. >> I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE LOOK AT YOUR TRACK RECORD OVER THE COURSE OF YOUR CAREER, BECAUSE PARTICULARLY IN THE LAST YEAR, AND THEY FEEL CONFIDENT KNOWING YOU ARE FIGHTING THESE LAWS AND THAT YOU ARE BRINGING THESE LAWSUITS AND THEY HAVE A LOT OF FAITH IN YOUR ABILITY TO BAT DOWN SOME OF THE WORST OF THIS STUFF. WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO SIGNAL TO PEOPLE THESE LAWSUITS AND OTHER GOOD LAWYERS LIKE YOURSELF, ITS NOT ENOUGH? >> WELL, REALLY FOR TWO REASONS. FIRST IS THAT ITS NOT REALISTIC TO ASSUME THAT EVERY PROVISION OF EVERY BAD LAW IS GOING TO GET STRUCK DOWN BY A COURT. WE WON MORE THAN WE LOST IN 2019 AND 2020. WE DID BETTER THAN THAT IN THE POST ELECTION, BUT YOU CANT ASSUME THAT WHEN STATE AFTER STATE AFTER STATE THROWS THE KITCHEN SINK AT VOTERS AND MAKES RESTRICTING VOTING RIGHTS THEIR TOP PRIORITY, THAT THE COURTS ARE GOING TO BE WILL TO BAT THEM ALL BACK. BUT THE SECOND REASON GOES FRANKLY TO THE POINT YOU MADE IN YOUR DESTRUCTION, AND ITS SO IMPORTANT, WHICH IS THAT WE HAVE A CULTURE PROBLEM IN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, WHICH IS THAT RIGHT NOW, RATHER THAN SOLVING THE PROBLEMS OF THE CITIZENRY, OF A REEMERGING ECONOMY, THEY ARE USING THEIR PRECIOUS TIME IN STATE LEGISLATURE AFTER STATE LEGISLATURE TO PASS VOTING RESTRICTION LAWS TARGETING BLACK, BROWN, AND YOUNG VOTERS. IF THAT DOESNT SHIFT, WE WIN LAWSUITS AND THEY PASS NEW LAWS. AT SOME POINT, THIS IS ONLY GOING TO CHANGE IF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IS ABLE TO
CHANGE, AND RIGHT NOW THAT CHANGE, AND RIGHT NOW THAT DOESNT LOOK LIKELY. >> WHAT DO YOU THINK IS BOTH DOABLE AND THE BEST CASE SCENARIO FOR TRYING TO TURN THAT SHIP AROUND? OBVIOUSLY YOU WISH YOU COULD TURN PEEPS HEARTS, MAKE THEM SEE A DIFFERENT WAY. ITS HARD TO DO THAT IN SHORT ORDER. I KNOW YOU HAVE BEEN A VOCAL IMPASSIONATE SUPPORTER FOR THE "FOR THE PEOPLE" ACT IN THE SENATE. WHAT IS BEST HOPE THAT YOU THINK IS OUT THERE IN TERMS OF TRYING TO TURN THIS AROUND? >> I VIEW MY ROLE TO BUY TIME FOR DEMOCRACY. IF WE CAN BUY TIME BY FIGHTING OFF THE WORST OF THESE PROVISIONS AND GIVE THE POLITICAL PROCESS AN OPPORTUNITY TO RATIONALIZE ITSELF, HAVE CONGRESS PASS THE "FOR THE PEOPLE" ACT, THATS GREAT. IF WE CAN BUY TIME FOR OUR DEMOCRACY AND MAYBE HAVE SOME SHIFT IN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY THAT IT STOPS VIEWING PEOPLE VOTING AS AN EXCESS TERRIBLE THREAT TO THE PARTY, RATHER THEY VIEW ALL AMERICANS AS A GOAL WE ASPIRE TO, MAYBE WE SUCCEED. IM NOT OPTIMISTIC. ALL I CAN DO IS PROTECT DEMOCRACY BY SHOWING UP IN KROOPS AROUND AMERICA AND TELL JUDGES ITS NOT RIGHT, ITS NOT FAIR, ITS NOT CONSTITUTIONAL TO TARGET BLACK, BROWN, AND YOUNG VOTER. >> LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT ANOTHER PIECE OF THAT TO MOVED INTO PUBLIC CONSCIOUSNESS, FROM AN OBJECT THAT WAS PUBLIC INTEREST AND FUN, BECAUSE IT WAS SO RIDICULOUS, THESE POST ELECTION AUDITS OR RECOUNTS, THE THIRD-PARTY INTERVENTIONS WHERE PARTISAN GROUPS AND INEXPERIENCED UNCERTIFIED GROUPS ARE BEING GIVEN ACCESS TO VOTING MACHINES AND BALLOTS, IN ORDER TO, IT SEEMS PLAINLY, TO CAST DOUBT ON ELECTION RESULTS AND MAKE PARTISANS FEEL LIKE THE RESULTS THEY WOULD HAVE WANTED COULD HAVE BEEN THE REAL RESULTS OF THE ELECTION IF NOT FOR MAGIC PICK SI DUST SPRINKLED THERE. IM STARTING TO SEE THOSE EFFORTS IN A DARKER LIGHT THAN I OFFICIALLY DID, BECAUSE I DO THINK THEYRE HAVING A DESIRED EFFECT. IS THERE A LEGAL CASE TO BE MADE VIOLATIONS OF STATE LAW, FEDERAL LAW, IN TERMS OF HANDING AND VOTING MACHINERY IN TERMS OF THE WAY THE AUDITS AND RECOUNTS ARE BEING HANDLED? >> I THINK YOURE ENTIRELY RIGHT. I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO SCREAM ABOUT IN AS BEST I CAN AT THE TOP OF MY LUNGS. THE FORMER SOVIET DISSIDENT WROTE IN I THINK 1971 THAT IN THE FORMER SOVIET UNION, THE LIE HAD BECOMES NOT JUST A MORAL CATEGORY, BUT OF THE STATE. THE BIG LIE HAS MOVED FROM A POLITICAL CATEGORY, SOMETHING TRUMP AND HIS ALLIES WERE SAYING FOR POLITICAL PURPOSES AND ITS TURNING INTO A PILLAR OF THE STATE, PART OF STATE POLICY, AND THATS REALLY DANGEROUS. AND ONE OF THE WAYS ITS DOING IT IS THROUGH THOSE AUDITS BECAUSE ITS GIVING THE VENEER OF OFFICIALNESS. THEYRE DONE THROUGH STATE LEGISLATURES, STATE OFFICIALS, AND IT IS ALLOWING THE BIG LIE TO HAVE THAT IMPRAIMATUR OF THE STATE. WHEN THEY DO THESE PROCESSES -- THESE ARE NOT RECOUNTS. I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED MANY MORE STATE RECOUNTS MORE THAN ANY PERSON LIVE OR DEAD, AND I CAN TELL YOU THESE ARE NOT GENUINE AUDITS OR RECOUNTS. WHAT IS HAPPENING, THEY SPOILING THE BALLOTS, RUINING THE EQUIPMENT. LITERALLY THE STATE OF ARIZONA IS GOING TO HAVE TO THROW AWAY VOTING MACHINES BASED ON THIS. DO I THINK IT VIOLATES FEDERAL LAW? YEAH, I DO, BECAUSE THE LAW SAYS THEY SHOULD BE KEPT FOR 22 MONTHS AFTER THE ELECTION, AND THESE HAVE BEEN TAINTED. DO I THINK IT VIOLATES STATE LAW? YEAH, IT DOES. I WISH JUDGES WOULD VIEW THIS WITH THE SERIOUSNESS OF DEMOCRACY BEING A THREAT RATHER THAN, IF THEY HUMOR THESE CRAZY PEOPLE THEYLL GO AWAY.
