Judge denies Trump admin attempt to block key Senate result

WASHINGTON: A federal judge on Sunday tossed out an extremely unusual attempt by US President Donald Trump's administration to hold up midterm election results in Alaska should the Democratic Senate candidate win.

The judge dismissed the closely watched lawsuit, saying it would be unworkable.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) had asked the court to block certification of the results if incumbent Republican Dan Sullivan loses on Tuesday, because a second candidate also named Dan Sullivan would have drawn away votes.

The legal bid, which Trump has said he ordered personally, sparked alarm, given concerns that Republicans will seek to contest losses in the midterms battle for control of Congress.

Alaska is one of the states where Democrats are aiming to flip Republican-held seats in their uphill bid to win the Senate majority.

According to Trump and the lawsuit, the Democratic candidate in Alaska, Mary Peltola, has tried to get an unfair advantage by recruiting another person named Sullivan to run and confuse voters who intended to back the incumbent Republican Senator Sullivan.

They sought to force an investigation if the Democrat wins to check how many voters who cast ballots for the second Sullivan actually meant to choose the Republican incumbent.

Such an attempt "would likely result in voter 'confusion and consequent incentive to remain away from the polls.' Such late-breaking changes to the election rules are strongly disfavored," said the ruling by Judge Sharon Gleason, an appointee of former Democratic president Barack Obama.

Peltola has denied deliberately recruiting the second Sullivan into the race.

Shortly after Gleason's ruling, the DOJ stated it plans to file an appeal.

"Alaskan voters deserve a fair election, not to be misled in an attempt to rig outcomes," the DOJ said through its rapid response account on X.

Meanwhile Trump took to his Truth Social platform to claim that "the Fake Daniel J Sullivan Jr" had disappeared, and described Democratic lawyers and activists as "CRIMINALS" abusing the law.--AFP