A national Democratic law firm, known for its high-profile partisan battles, is suing New Hampshire over its newly enacted absentee voter ID requirement.
And the lawsuit was filed just weeks after the state’s self-declared “top Dem,” Executive Councilor Karen Liot Hill (D-Lebanon), used her office to solicit clients on the firm’s behalf.
The lawsuit, filed this week by the Washington, D.C.–based Elias Law Group in partnership with the Manchester firm McLane Middleton, argues that the state’s new law places “severe and unreasonable burdens” on voters with disabilities. Three New Hampshire residents with visual impairments are named as plaintiffs, claiming the requirement to submit identification with absentee ballots will make it more difficult for them to exercise their right to vote.
“SB 287 is a solution in search of a problem,” the complaint states. “New Hampshire has long enjoyed high-turnout, secure, and fraud-free elections, as the state’s own government officials, including Defendants, have consistently emphasized.”
The case has taken on added political significance after revelations that Liot Hill solicited potential plaintiffs for the suit. In emails sent from her official Executive Council account and obtained by NHJournal, Liot Hill refers potential plaintiffs to the Elias Law Firm.
When pressed by reporters, Liot Hill declined to comment and, according to emails, was advised by Morrison not to respond to NHJournal’s questions. Critics argue that Liot Hill’s involvement blurs the line between her role as a taxpayer watchdog on the five-member Executive Council and her partisan political activity.
The purpose of the Executive Council is to protect taxpayer dollars by reviewing contracts and avoiding unnecessary spending. The lawsuit Liot Hill helped organize will cost the state time and money, including the potential need to hire outside counsel to help the state fend off the well-funded Elias attorneys.
The lawsuit also shines a spotlight on Marc Elias, the attorney who has become one of the most prominent—and polarizing—figures in Democratic politics. Elias served as general counsel to both John Kerry’s 2004 and Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaigns. During the latter, he hired Fusion GPS on behalf of the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee to conduct opposition research, which produced the now-discredited Steele dossier that fueled years of investigations into alleged Trump-Russia ties.
After leaving the firm Perkins Coie, Elias launched Elias Law Group in 2021, billing it as a mission-driven firm dedicated exclusively to Democratic campaigns, voting rights cases, and progressive causes. The group has since become a dominant force in election litigation, playing a central role in defending the 2020 election results against challenges from President Donald Trump’s allies.
Elias makes no secret of his partisan focus. “Elias Law Group is proud of the work it has done for the DNC,” the firm said in a past statement. “We look forward to continuing to represent the Democratic Party as well as helping citizens vote, and progressives make change.”
This latest controversy adds to Liot Hill’s growing list of political headaches. She has previously faced criticism for using campaign funds on personal expenses. And while the first-term councilor won’t be facing the voters again until (at least) September 2026, her latest campaign finance report claims she’s already covered more than 9,670 miles on the campaign trail as of June 1. As a result, she’s paid herself $6,771.70 from her campaign fund to cover the costs.
With the Elias lawsuit now in play, Republicans are expected to make the case that Democrats are using national partisan legal firepower to interfere with New Hampshire’s voter ID protections and local control of elections.
