Kamala Harris, who ended her failed presidential campaign $20 million in debt, is soliciting donations to support a recount for incumbent Bob Casey against Republican Dave McCormick, the declared winner of the Pennsylvania Senate race. But rather than help Casey in his longshot ballot bid, Harris’s gambit may end up lining the pockets of her campaign and those of controversial campaign lawyer Marc Elias.
The Associated Press called the race for McCormick on Thursday. He led Casey by around 32,000 votes at the time, and that lead has since grown to 36,000. The margin hovers just above the 0.5 percent threshold that automatically triggers a recount under Pennsylvania law.
Whether a recount will take place is unclear, but the Harris campaign and Elias have nonetheless swooped in to help Casey reverse the projected outcome of the election. “The Pennsylvania race is not over. More soon,” said Elias, who joined the Harris campaign legal team in August.
The Harris Fight Fund, an arm of the campaign, issued an email to supporters Thursday seeking money to fund a potential recount in Pennsylvania, and ostensibly to ensure that Democratic victories hold up in Arizona and Nevada.
“There are very important Senate races where