Trump administration lost in court in two Sullivan conflicts
A US federal court has rejected the Donald Trump administration's lawsuit regarding the Senate election in Alaska. The administration asked to suspend the official certification of the results if Republican Senator Dan Sullivan lost. This was caused by the participation of another candidate with the same surname as the senator in the election.
The Trump administration lost in court in the two Sullivans conflict. According to DW, the court ruling was issued on Sunday, November 1. The court concluded that the US Department of Justice lacked the necessary legal grounds to file such a lawsuit.
Incumbent Senator Dan Sullivan and retired teacher Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. are both running in the election. The Trump administration stated that the participation of a candidate with the same surname could confuse voters and affect the outcome of the vote.
The Department of Justice asked not to officially certify the election results in the event of a victory by Democratic Party candidate Mary Peltola. It also demanded a determination of whether voters who voted for the second Sullivan actually intended to support the incumbent senator.
Federal Judge Sharon Gleason noted in a 20-page ruling that the US government had failed to provide a practical mechanism for conducting such an inquiry without violating the secrecy of the ballot.
The court proceedings were prompted by an article in The New York Times. It stated that political consultants associated with Peltola may have been involved in recruiting the candidate with the same surname as the senator into the election.
Peltola denied these allegations. Meanwhile, Reuters reported that it could not independently confirm the information cited by the newspaper.
Following the court ruling, the US Department of Justice announced its intention to file an appeal. Trump, writing on his Truth Social social network that "the fake Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. has vanished," once again criticized his political opponents.
The midterm elections for the US House of Representatives and the Senate will take place on November 3. The election race in Alaska is considered one of the important battlegrounds in the fight for control over the Senate.