Trump DOJ Takes Emergency Action - Dem Plan To Steal Crucial Senate Seat

The Justice Department has asked a federal court to intervene in Alaska’s Senate election if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan loses and votes for a similarly named candidate could have changed the outcome.

President Donald Trump confirmed Friday that he personally directed the department to file the lawsuit. “I’m the one who said, ‘do it,’” he told reporters. The case was filed Thursday in federal court in Alaska, less than two weeks before Election Day.

The lawsuit concerns Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., a retired teacher running against incumbent Sen. Dan S. Sullivan, Democrat Mary Peltola and Gerald Heikes. Daniel J. Sullivan denies being a political plant or working with Democrats. Republicans have argued his candidacy could confuse voters and draw support from the incumbent.

Alaska election officials initially removed Daniel J. Sullivan from the ballot, but a state judge reversed that decision and the Alaska Supreme Court allowed him to remain in the race. The ballot distinguishes the candidates by listing the challenger as “Sullivan, Daniel J. Jr.” and the incumbent as “Sullivan, Dan S. (Registered Republican) Incumbent.”

The Justice Department’s request is conditional. It asks the court to delay certification if Sen. Sullivan loses and the votes for Daniel J. Sullivan could have changed the result. The department says it wants time to investigate whether voters who selected the challenger intended to vote for the incumbent.

That question becomes more complicated under Alaska’s ranked-choice system, which allows voters to rank candidates and transfers ballots as lower-performing candidates are eliminated. In the August primary, Peltola received 49.5 percent, Sen. Sullivan 41.4 percent and Daniel J. Sullivan about 2.5 percent, according to figures cited in reports on the case.

The Justice Department is relying on the National Voter Registration Act, arguing that its election-integrity provisions support federal intervention. A department spokesperson said: “The Justice Department, consistent with the National Voter Registration Act enacted by Congress, is taking the necessary steps to ensure that this frivolous candidacy does not undermine the integrity of Alaska’s election or the will of its voters.”

The legal theory is disputed. Notre Dame election-law professor Derek Muller has questioned whether the statute gives the department authority to halt certification, while other experts say the federal government has a legitimate interest in ensuring a fair process. Even if a federal court considers the request, the department cannot independently stop Alaska from certifying results.

Peltola’s campaign condemned the lawsuit as a political attempt to interfere with the election and said it would oppose federal involvement. Sen. Sullivan’s campaign said it would let the case proceed through the courts and expressed confidence that Alaskans can distinguish between the candidates.

Attorney General Todd Blanche said shortly before the filing that the Justice Department did not intend to improperly interfere with state elections or certification, while acknowledging that extraordinary circumstances could warrant federal action. Trump had raised the issue publicly on Wednesday, saying his administration was examining “powerful legal options” involving the candidacy.

The race has drawn national attention as Republicans defend a 53–47 Senate majority. With voting approaching, the dispute now places a question about ballot clarity and voter intent before a federal judge—after Alaska’s own courts have already ruled that Daniel J. Sullivan may appear on the ballot.