Trump’s Alaska election lawsuit dismissed as judge says ballot inquiry is infeasible
Judge rejects federal request
The Justice Department filed its case less than two weeks before the election, seeking an inquiry into whether votes for retired teacher Daniel J. Sullivan were intended for Sen. Dan S. Sullivan. Early voting had already begun, and Alaska officials called the lawsuit baseless, saying the inquiry could not be done without compromising voter privacy.
In a Sunday order, U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason found the requested remedy infeasible because many ballots had already been cast and mixed together. She said the government offered no workable method to separate the relevant ballots while preserving secrecy.
Dispute over second Sullivan
The ballot lists the senator as Dan S. Sullivan, a Republican incumbent, and the retired teacher as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. The teacher has said he entered the race independently.
Republicans have accused former congresswoman Mary Peltola and her campaign of arranging for the second Sullivan to run to confuse voters. A New York Times report cited interviews with Peltola’s former campaign manager, text messages and campaign finance records concerning an operative seeking decoy candidates. Peltola and her campaign have denied involvement.
Trump and officials respond
After the report, Trump directed the Justice Department to sue over certification of a possible Peltola victory and called for her prosecution. Federal agents went to Alaska to issue subpoenas. The state’s Republican governor ordered an investigation and suggested he might refuse to certify a Peltola win.
Candidates campaign statewide
Peltola has called the dispute a distraction from issues including high prices caused by the war in Iran, which the article says was launched by Republican Donald Trump. Her campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee have denied involvement in recruiting the retired teacher.
Both candidates spent the final days of the campaign traveling across Alaska. Sullivan said he would leave the question of possible crimes to lawyers.
Key points
- A federal judge dismissed the Justice Department’s effort to halt certification of a possible Peltola victory.
- Judge Sharon Gleason said ballots already cast could not be separated in a way that preserved voter secrecy.
- The dispute concerns retired teacher Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. and Sen. Dan S. Sullivan, whose names appear differently on the ballot.
- Peltola and her campaign denied involvement in recruiting the retired teacher.