Marc Elias labeled assertions of Iranian interference in the 2020 and 2024 elections a “Big Lie,” even as U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies documented Tehran’s efforts to undermine President Donald Trump.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
A prominent Democratic attorney who played a central role in funding the Steele dossier during the 2016 election cycle is now dismissing claims that Iran sought to interfere in the 2020 and 2024 presidential elections to damage President Donald Trump, despite multiple public findings from U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies.
Marc Elias, former general counsel for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign and founder of the Elias Law Group, rejected assertions of Iranian election meddling after a report by Just the News detailed intelligence assessments concluding that Tehran attempted to undermine Trump in both election cycles.
After the publication of a second Just the News article outlining Iranian influence efforts, President Trump shared the story on Truth Social, along with a separate post announcing strikes against Iran and later another post referencing the election interference claims. Elias responded on X, calling the reporting “the next Big Lie.”
“The next Big Lie is to taking [sic] shape right in front of us,” Elias wrote, asserting that Trump would use the issue to “assert illegal and unconstitutional powers over the 2026 elections.”
U.S. intelligence agencies previously assessed that Iran conducted influence operations in 2020 aimed at undercutting Trump’s reelection. A declassified March 2021 intelligence community assessment by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) concluded “with high confidence” that Tehran carried out an influence campaign to “undercut the reelection prospects of former President Trump.”
Earlier that election cycle, then-Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe warned that Iran had obtained U.S. voter registration data and sent spoofed emails posing as the Proud Boys to intimidate voters. In a 2024 update, the National Intelligence Council stated that Iranian cyber actors used data on more than 100,000 voters in the operation.
The Justice Department subsequently charged two Iranian nationals in 2021, alleging they conducted a “cyber-enabled campaign to intimidate and influence American voters.” The FBI has said the defendants accessed voter information, sent threatening emails and attempted to undermine voter confidence. The Treasury Department also designated several Iranian individuals and entities for election interference.
In 2024, U.S. officials reported renewed Iranian efforts targeting Trump’s campaign. A joint statement from the FBI, ODNI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said they had observed “increasingly aggressive Iranian activity,” including cyber operations directed at a presidential campaign. The Microsoft Threat Analysis Center assessed that Iranian actors were preparing influence operations aimed at U.S. audiences.
ODNI later stated that Iran had conducted malicious cyber activities to compromise Trump’s campaign, including “hack and leak” operations involving stolen materials. The Justice Department announced charges against alleged Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps operatives Seyyed Ali Aghamiri and Yaser Balaghi, while the Treasury Department said Iran-based hackers had increased their targeting of the 2024 election. The FBI lists Aghamiri, Balaghi and Masoud Jalili as wanted.
Despite those findings, several Democratic lawmakers and commentators questioned or disputed the scope and intent of Iran’s activities. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., wrote on X that Trump was using the issue as justification for military action. Historian Timothy Snyder acknowledged Iran attempted interference in 2020 but argued it was designed to help Trump — a claim that differs from intelligence assessments. Other commentators labeled the claims unsubstantiated.
The debate comes amid renewed scrutiny of Elias’s role in the 2016 election cycle. He helped oversee funding for opposition research conducted by Fusion GPS, which retained former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele. Special Counsel John Durham’s investigation concluded that the FBI was unable to corroborate the dossier’s central allegations. The FBI inspector general’s 2019 report criticized the bureau’s reliance on the dossier in obtaining surveillance warrants.
The Federal Election Commission later fined the Democratic National Committee and the Clinton campaign over misreporting payments related to opposition research. While the commission dismissed certain allegations against Elias personally, it found “probable cause” to believe federal reporting violations occurred.
In addition to cyber influence efforts, federal prosecutors alleged that Iranian operatives plotted to assassinate Trump during the 2024 campaign. The Justice Department charged Pakistani national Asif Merchant and Afghan national Farhad Shakeri in connection with separate alleged schemes. ODNI categorized the incidents as examples of “Notable Attack Planning” by the IRGC.
Elias did not respond to a request for comment submitted through the Elias Law Group.
The dispute highlights continuing divisions over the interpretation of intelligence findings regarding foreign election interference, even as multiple agencies publicly documented Iranian cyber and influence operations in both recent presidential elections.