Federal Judge Dismisses DOJ Suit to Block Alaska Senate Certification

A federal judge has thrown out a legal challenge initiated by the Justice Department that aimed to prevent the certification of Alaska’s U.S. Senate election results should Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan lose, according to The Guardian ^[1]. This decision represents a major setback for President Donald Trump, who had directed the intervention just weeks before the election.

The suit, lodged less than two weeks before voting day, contended that having two candidates named Dan Sullivan on the ballot might confuse voters and shift the outcome toward Democratic nominee Mary Peltola. However, US District Court Judge Sharon Gleason determined that the relief sought by the federal government was "infeasible" given that many voters had already cast their ballots, as reported by the New York Post ^[2].

Judge Gleason noted that the Department of Justice failed to offer a viable method for separating ballots cast for Dan J. Sullivan without compromising voter secrecy, according to the New York Post ^[2]. The state of Alaska had argued the case was without merit, stating that isolating these ballots would infringe upon voter privacy rights, the New York Post reported.

Senator Sullivan, an ally of President Trump, told CNN he would accept the election results regardless of the outcome, The Guardian reported ^[1]. He voiced skepticism regarding Peltola’s assertion that she was unaware of efforts to recruit a retired teacher named Dan J. Sullivan to run in the race, stating, "She’s continually lying to the Alaskan people," according to The Guardian.

The dispute originated from a New York Times investigation indicating that aides from Peltola’s campaign recruited the second Sullivan candidate to split votes, a claim Peltola denies, the Guardian noted ^[1]. The Justice Department had intensified its criminal investigation into the matter, issuing grand jury subpoenas, according to the New York Post ^[2].

Alaska officials, including the Attorney General’s office, had urged the judge to dismiss the lawsuit, labeling the federal intervention unwarranted, NBC News reported ^[3]. The state emphasized that it had taken significant steps to distinguish the two Sullivans on the ballot, NBC News noted.

Judge Gleason cited the Purcell principle, which discourages federal courts from altering election rules close to an election, as part of her reasoning, the New York Post reported ^[2]. The dismissal leaves the certification of the race in the hands of state officials, despite Republican calls for further scrutiny.