Follow-up: Attorney General Todd Blanche Says Trump Has No Designs on Taking Over State Elections; Alaska Certification Suit Targets Same-Name Ballot Confusion

U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said on CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday, October 25, that the Justice Department's lawsuit filed Friday — seeking to preemptively block Alaska from certifying its U.S. Senate race if the Republican incumbent loses narrowly — is not an attempt to give President Donald Trump control of state elections, and that the department is not laying groundwork to overturn an unfavorable result. "President Trump is not trying to take over a state election in any way, shape, or form," Blanche said. "We're not laying any groundwork for the president to do that."

Blanche reiterated the administration's contention that the Alaska action is specific to that state, because two Republicans on the ballot have almost identical names: incumbent Senator Dan S. Sullivan and challenger Dan J. Sullivan Jr. The latter is only running "to confuse voters," Blanche said, adding: "Never before have opponents gone to such lengths to try to thwart and cheat an election as they're doing in this case." Dan J. Sullivan has denied in interviews that his aim is to cause confusion or divert votes, Reuters reported, and his campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The lawsuit was filed to give officials "the ability to determine whether there was confusion that violates the law," Blanche said. He declined to comment on whether Trump ordered him to file it, although the president himself has said he did so, as GSM has reported.

Trump spoke about Alaska again on Sunday before boarding a flight to Michigan, accusing Democrats of orchestrating Dan J. Sullivan's campaign. "They've made it very unclear and I think it's very unfair," he told reporters. "I think it's illegal because it's unfair. You want fairness in voting."

Critics view the move as part of a pattern of federal overreach in election oversight. "The fact that Todd Blanche and the Justice Department are willing to go along with it, they're willing to put their name on it, is an indication of how far they will go after this election is over to try to challenge the results," Senator Adam Schiff, a California Democrat, told NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday. Election officials around the country have told Reuters they are preparing for potential federal interference in the November 3 midterm elections, which will decide control of Congress. Beyond Alaska, the administration has also sued to stop California from counting certain mail-in ballots and made a mostly unsuccessful attempt to force 30 states and the District of Columbia to provide complete voter rolls.

Related: Follow-up: Peltola Camp Moves Overnight to Intervene in Alaska Senate Certification Suit

Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)

Photo: 司法部长 Todd Blanche 官方肖像。图：美国司法部（公共领域），经维基共享资源

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