Yesterday, an executive order targeted Perkins Coie LLP (Parrish post on X)…
The law firm is involved many places, but also MN, Al Franken recount in 2008, election contests in 2020…
The Recount War Room, Minneapolis, November 20, 2008
The air in the campaign office hung heavy, thick with the scent of stale coffee and the faint tang of ink from 2.9 million ballots. Al Franken slouched at a folding table, his tie askew, glasses fogged with exhaustion. He stared at a tally sheet: November 18’s initial count had him trailing Norm Coleman by 215 votes—a whisper of a margin in a sea of nearly three million cast. Across the room, Marc Elias, Perkins Coie’s legal sharpshooter, paced like a caged animal, his Blackberry buzzing against his ear. Outside, the Minnesota wind howled, but inside, the recount’s chaos reigned.
“Marc, 215 votes,” Al growled, tossing the sheet onto a pile of legal pads and crumpled donut wrappers. “That’s nothing—less than a tenth of a percent. And they’re still calling it for Coleman. This is nuts.”
Elias snapped his phone shut, mid-shout—“Get me those Ramsey County totals now!”—and turned to Franken, his voice cutting through the haze like a switchblade. “It’s not nothing, Al. It’s a mandatory recount—state law kicked in the second that margin dipped under half a percent. We’ve got 120 sites sorting ballots as of yesterday, November 19. Coleman’s team’s already crying foul, but we’ve got the edge.”
Franken rubbed his temples. “Edge? Your edge is bleeding me dry. What’s the tab now—three million? Three-point-six? I told ‘em at the fundraiser last week we’re building the ‘Franken Wing’ at Perkins Coie with this.”
Elias smirked, a shadow of a grin in the dim light. “Three-point-six, give or take. Worth every penny. Look, the State Canvassing Board’s got Ritchie, Magnuson, Anderson, Gearin, and Cleary eyeballing every challenged ballot. We’re not just recounting—we’re hunting. Those 953 absentee ballots Coleman’s team wants buried? Wrongly rejected. We’re pushing to get ‘em counted.”
Al leaned forward, skepticism etched into his face. “And Coleman’s just gonna let that slide? His crew’s already suing—December 18, the Supreme Court’s gonna hear their plea to freeze those absentees.”
“Too late,” Elias shot back, tapping a stack of papers. “The Board voted unanimously December 12—counties are sorting rejected absentees as we speak. The Supreme Court’ll rule December 18 that those ballots stay in. Coleman’s got no legs—his suit’s a delay tactic. We’ve got the law, Al. Minnesota statute says every legal vote counts.”
The room stilled, the space heater’s hum the only sound. Franken squinted at Elias. “So what’s the plan? We’re still down 215 as of Tuesday.”
Elias leaned on the table, his knuckles whitening against the wood. “We flip it. The recount’s churning—by December 5, most ballots’ll be sorted. Then it’s the absentees. January 6, Coleman’ll file his contest—pure desperation. We’ll counter January 12, call his Notice of Contest ‘scattershot.’ The three-judge panel—Hayden, Marben, Reilly—they’ll rule April 13. Franken up by 312. Coleman appeals to the Supreme Court, loses June 30, unanimous. You’re in by July 7.”
Franken blinked, then let out a low, dry laugh. “You’re a damn fortune teller now? Two hundred and twenty-five votes after the recount, 312 after the courts? That’s your call?”
“Not a call—a fact,” Elias said, his eyes glinting like steel. “I’ve got twenty paralegals tearing through absentee envelopes in St. Paul right now. Coleman’s got noise—claims of double-counting, missing ballots. We’ve got evidence. Ramsey County’s rejected pile alone could swing this. You don’t lose a race this tight, Al. Not with me.”
Franken leaned back, staring at the ceiling through the cigarette haze that wasn’t there but felt like it should be. “A shark in a suit,” he muttered. “Poor Norm doesn’t stand a chance.”
“Poor Norm’s got Ben Ginsberg,” Elias countered, already dialing again. “But I’ve got the votes. Rest up, Senator. We’ve got a war to win.”
Vote Margins: The initial 215-vote deficit (November 18), the 225-vote lead post-recount (certified January 5, 2009), and the final 312-vote victory (April 13, 2009, upheld June 30) are historical.
Recount Details: The mandatory recount began November 19, per state law (margin <0.5%), with 120 locations and the State Canvassing Board (Ritchie, Magnuson, Anderson, Gearin, Cleary) overseeing. Sorting largely finished December 5.
Absentee Ballots: 953 wrongly rejected absentee ballots were pivotal. The Board’s December 12 vote and the Supreme Court’s December 18 ruling to include them are factual.
Legal Timeline: Coleman’s January 6 contest, Franken’s January 12 motion to dismiss, the three-judge panel (Hayden, Marben, Reilly) ruling April 13, and the Minnesota Supreme Court’s June 30 rejection align with records.
Costs: The $3.6 million figure for Perkins Coie’s fees is from Franken’s own quip, reflecting the real expense.
Al Franken as crooked as they come..🤡
How long are we going to allow this trash. Aren’t we ever going to elect reasonably honest reps who really are for the people? Or is this all we can expect? The statis quo? Sorry my friend, Minnesota is in my taillights!!!