Follow-Up: DOJ Files Amended Alaska Suit Calling Peltola-Linked Effort a 'Sham Campaign'; State Election Officials Fire Back as 'Meritless'

The US Department of Justice filed an amended lawsuit on Thursday, October 29, in its Alaska Senate election case, citing this week's New York Times report and writing that operatives for Democratic candidate Mary Peltola orchestrated a "sham campaign for the purpose of misleading Alaskan voters," according to Reuters. The amended complaint continues to seek to block Alaska from certifying the Senate result in the event of a narrow loss by Republican incumbent Senator Dan S. Sullivan.

Alaska election officials fired back in a court filing on Thursday night, calling the amended lawsuit "meritless" and saying it has "cast a cloud over Alaska's election that is contrary to the public interest." Governor Mike Dunleavy, who has ordered a state investigation into the recruiting affair, told NewsNation that any finding of illegality "may in fact impact whether someone is seated in the US Senate."

At the center of the dispute are two Sullivans on the ballot: incumbent Republican Dan S. Sullivan and Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., a retired teacher running without a party label. The Times reported that people connected to Peltola's campaign recruited the namesake candidate to siphon votes from the incumbent. Peltola's campaign has previously said it had "no involvement with either Sullivan campaign," the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has also denied involvement, and Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. has denied that his aim was to cause confusion or divert votes. Alaska elections attorney Scott Kendall told Reuters the second Sullivan's candidacy would "hurt Mary Peltola so much more than it helps her."

The Justice Department first sued Alaska on October 22, seeking to hold certification if the incumbent loses by a margin that the namesake candidate's votes could reverse. Alaska election officials had earlier found that Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. was not a good-faith candidate and removed him from the ballot, but state courts, including the Alaska Supreme Court, ruled that he must remain on it. GSM has previously reported the governor's order for a state investigation.

The Alaska race is one of about ten highly competitive Senate contests that could decide control of the chamber; Democrats need a net gain of four seats to win back the majority. More than 44 million Americans had already voted as of Thursday evening, according to the University of Florida's Election Lab, less than two million shy of the total from the 2022 midterms. Election Day is November 3.

Source: Reuters: Trump escalates legal challenges against states as Election Day nears

Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)

Photo: 图：位于 Anchorage 的阿拉斯加联邦大楼（Federal Building）正面全景，司法部阿拉斯加参议员选举诉讼在此联邦法院系统审理。照片：Carol M. Highsmith，美国国会图书馆藏品，公共领域，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / The Federal Building in Anchorage, Alaska. Photo: Carol M. Highsmith, Library of Congress collection, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

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