President Donald Trump stated Friday that he personally directed the Department of Justice to file a lawsuit seeking to prevent Alaska from certifying its Senate election results if Republicans lose the upcoming contest. Speaking to reporters shortly after landing in Florida, the president openly claimed responsibility for the federal legal action.
“I’m the one that said do it,” Trump told reporters on Friday.
The president’s admission arrived just a day after the Justice Department initiated legal action against Alaska election officials. The federal complaint argues that the presence of an independent candidate named Dan Sullivan, appearing alongside incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan on the ballot, risks confusing voters and potentially costing the GOP the race against Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola. The Alaska contest represents one of several pivotal races nationwide viewed as critical to maintaining Republican control of the United States Senate.
The federal lawsuit constitutes an extraordinary intervention by the executive branch into a state-managed election. Through the filing, the administration is asking the court to delay the certification of election results if the incumbent loses by a narrow enough margin that votes cast for the independent candidate could have altered the outcome.
In its official complaint, the Justice Department outlined its rationale for the intervention. Given the substantial likelihood that the inclusion of Daniel J. Sullivan will confuse or mislead voters attempting to cast a ballot for Senator Sullivan, and thus distort the will of Alaskan voters, the agency argued there is a substantial likelihood that a certification of the election will reflect an electoral process that lacked integrity.
The underlying ballot dispute has a prior judicial history within the state. The Alaska Supreme Court ruled in June that the independent candidate Sullivan could legally remain on the ballot. Despite the state high court ruling, Trump has continued to voice sharp criticism against the candidacy and Alaska’s established election rules.
Addressing reporters, the president criticized the ballot arrangement and the independent candidate’s motives without offering evidence. They have two guys named Dan Sullivan running, Trump said, noting that Democrats put forward a candidate who he claimed had never voted before. The president asserted that the independent candidate decided to run for the Senate unexpectedly, alleging that one is Daniel S. while the other is Daniel J., whom he characterized as a fake candidate attempting to change his middle initial.
The Justice Department complaint and the president’s direct confirmation highlight the intense partisan focus on Alaska’s Senate race as control of the chamber hangs in the balance.
