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Blanche defends Justice Department suit over Alaska Senate certification
NPR reports Attorney General Todd Blanche, on CNN, defended a Justice Department lawsuit seeking to stop Alaska from certifying Senate results if voter confusion from two candidates named Sullivan is found.
- New headline Was: “Blanche defends DOJ lawsuit blocking Alaska Senate results if Republican loses”
- Our desk filed its story
- Axios is now reporting this
- Alaska Beacon is now reporting this
- New headline Was: “Trump told DOJ to sue to block Alaska Senate results if Republican narrowly loses”
15 earlier updates
- Our desk filed its story
- New headline Was: “Blanche defends DOJ lawsuit blocking Alaska Senate results if Republican loses”
- NPR is now reporting this
- New headline Was: “Trump told DOJ to sue to block Alaska Senate results if Republican narrowly loses”
- New headline Was: “Justice Department sues to delay Alaska Senate certification in close race”
- New headline Was: “Trump Officials Seek Block on Alaska Senate Race Results if the Republican Dan Sullivan Loses”
- Our desk filed its story
- BBC is now reporting this
- New headline Was: “DOJ sues to block Alaska Senate certification if Sullivan loses”
- Al Jazeera is now reporting this
- New headline Was: “DOJ preemptively sues to block Alaska Senate results if Republican narrowly loses”
- New headline Was: “DOJ sues to block Alaska Senate certification if Sullivan loses”
- New headline Was: “Trump Officials Seek Block on Alaska Senate Race Results if the Republican Dan Sullivan Loses”
- New headline Was: “Trump Officials Seek Block on Alaska Senate Race Results if Republican, Dan Sullivan, Loses”
- New headline Was: “Justice Dept. Moves to Block Certification of Alaska Senate Race Results if Republican Loses”
Based on reporting by NPR
Attorney General Todd Blanche on Sunday defended a Justice Department lawsuit that asks a federal court in Alaska to stop the state from certifying U.S. Senate results if they are affected by voter confusion, NPR reported, citing his interview on CNN's State of the Union1.
The department filed the case late Thursday, NPR said, arguing that an independent candidate named Daniel J. Sullivan risks confusing voters with Republican incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan, who faces Democrat Mary Peltola on the Nov. 3 ballot1. NPR said the department cited the National Voter Registration Act and asked that certification wait until the government investigates whether votes for Daniel J. Sullivan were meant for the senator1.
Blanche told CNN the administration was not laying groundwork for President Donald Trump to contest midterm outcomes and was not trying to take over a state election, according to NPR1. He said the relief sought was that Alaska not certify if the law is broken, and that Alaska courts would decide, NPR reported1. Blanche said an Alaska court that kept Daniel J. Sullivan on the ballot did not consider federal law1.
NPR said some Democrats describe the suit as interference in the election process1. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a Republican, said on social media that the state had already distinguished the candidates and that the department should not have sued, according to NPR1. State ballots list the incumbent as Dan S. Sullivan, a registered Republican, and Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. with no party label, NPR said1.
NPR reported Trump said Friday that he ordered the case1. This filing rests on NPR's account of the CNN interview; the interview video and the complaint text were not independently transcribed here1.
