During an interview with CNN's Dana Bash, Attorney General Todd Blanche sharply criticized her for implying that the Justice Department's lawsuit in Alaska was related to overturning election results. Blanche insisted that the lawsuit was not aimed at enabling any presidential action to alter election outcomes, calling the question 'crazy' and 'not a real question.' The lawsuit, filed on October 22, targets the certification of Alaska's Senate race, where incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan faces former Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola. The suit seeks to preserve ballots to investigate potential voter confusion caused by a second candidate with the same name, Daniel J. Sullivan, who ran as an independent.
The DOJ's stance is that the lawsuit does not seek to prevent ballot casting or certification of the election, but rather to ensure that ballots are preserved for further examination. Blanche emphasized that the suit is about 'putting guardrails in place' to determine whether voter confusion influenced the outcome. The Alaska courts have already ruled on the name overlap, with the state Supreme Court affirming that the second Sullivan could appear on the ballot. Blanche admitted the outcome remains uncertain, stating, 'We don't know what's going to happen yet.'
The lawsuit has drawn mixed reactions from political figures. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) criticized the DOJ for filing the suit, while Senator Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) acknowledged the need to examine the situation but expressed concern about the timing. The Peltola campaign labeled the suit as a 'despicable political threat,' and the ACLU has challenged it, arguing that the federal government lacks authority over election certification under the National Voter Registration Act. The filing occurred just 11 days before Election Day, raising concerns about its implications for the electoral process.