Judge drops DOJ bid over Alaska ballot
Federal Judge Sharon Gleason ruled the government's plan to investigate votes for a second Dan Sullivan is impossible because early ballots are already mixed.
By Peter Graham ·
A federal judge in Washington dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Justice Department on Sunday. The suit sought to block the certification of Alaska’s U.S. Senate race if Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan loses to Democrat Mary Peltola.
The legal action targeted the presence of a second candidate named Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. on the ballot. The state of Alaska listed him as a retired teacher and former schoolteacher. The Justice Department argued that an investigation was needed to determine if votes for the junior candidate were actually intended for the senator.
U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason found the request infeasible. She noted that early voting had already concluded. The cast ballots had been commingled to the point where the identity of the voter could no longer be determined without violating privacy. Gleason stated that the United States provided no workable plan to segregate these ballots while preserving voter secrecy.
The dispute centers on whether Peltola’s campaign recruited the second Sullivan to confuse voters. Peltola has insisted she had no knowledge of the recruitment. She told KTUU Friday that she honestly had no idea if her top aides were involved in bringing the retired teacher onto the ballot.
Sullivan, an ally of President Donald Trump, disputed Peltola’s denial. He told CNN’s State of the Union that he doubted the claims. He stated, “There is no way this went on for a year that they weren’t informing her.” Sullivan added that he was sure he would lose many votes due to the confusion.
The lawsuit was filed less than two weeks before Tuesday’s election. Federal agents had issued subpoenas in the matter. Trump ordered the Justice Department to file the suit and later called for Peltola to be prosecuted. The governor of Alaska, a Republican, has ordered a separate state investigation and suggested he might not certify a Peltola victory.
Other political figures offered mixed views on the strategy. South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott said criminal charges might make sense if candidates colluded to confuse voters. Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland called the tactic stupid politics but noted it is not illegal. Sen. Bernie Sanders agreed that the move was not illegal, describing it as something that happens in every election.
Source: WKMG-TV · original report published
