Justice Department sues to block Alaska Senate race results if Republican loses
At President Trump's direction, the Justice Department sued Friday to block the certification of the Alaska Senate race if Republican incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan loses, citing the presence of another candidate on the ballot bearing the same name. CBS News senior White House and political correspondent Ed O'Keefe has more.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has initiated legal proceedings against the state of Alaska, with the aim of invalidating the state's recent Senate elections—provided that the Republican candidate emerges victorious. The basis for this lawsuit is rooted in the potential for voter confusion due to the concurrent candidacy of two individuals named Dan Sullivan.
The incumbent Republican senator is Dan S. Sullivan, while Dan J. Sullivan Jr., a retired teacher and registered Republican, is contesting as an independent. The lawsuit claims that Dan J. Sullivan's intention to run for Senate was to mislead current Senator Sullivan's supporters into mistakenly voting for him, thereby enhancing the chances of Peltola's campaign success.
If Peltola were to secure the victory, the DOJ asserts that the state should refrain from certifying the election results. Dan J. Sullivan, however, denies any malicious intent, stating he entered the race due to dissatisfaction with the leadership of the incumbent senator; he believes his name would provide him with "an instant megaphone."
This lawsuit reflects Donald Trump's strategy to intrude into the upcoming midterm elections, where Democrats are projected to maintain a polling advantage. Yet, legal scholars doubt the suit's viability, citing its "absurdly thin" nature, with no significant chance of success. The lawsuit is viewed as an attempt to generate media coverage rather than achieve a favorable court outcome.
Similar to this, other attempts by the Trump administration to influence elections since the start of his second term have been met with legal challenges. According to the Brennan Center for Justice, a nonpartisan policy group, federal courts have temporarily or permanently blocked 34 attempts by the administration to interfere in election processes.
This includes 22 rulings from judges appointed by Democratic presidents and 12 from those appointed by Republican presidents. On Friday, Trump confirmed that the decision to sue Alaska was made by his office, stating, "I'm the one who said do it," to reporters in Florida.
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