A federal judge rejected the Trump administration’s effort to block Alaska from certifying the winner of its U.S. Senate election, ruling that the government had not shown it had legal authority to bring the case. (Foto: Instagram)
A federal judge rejected the Trump administration’s lawsuit seeking to prevent Alaska from certifying the winner of its U.S. Senate election. In a ruling issued Sunday, Nov. 1, U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason said the federal government had not shown it had legal authority to bring the case.
Gleason wrote that the court therefore lacked jurisdiction and that the United States’ amended complaint had to be dismissed. Less than two hours after the ruling, the federal government said it would appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit.
President Donald Trump confirmed Oct. 23 that he had directed the Justice Department to try to block certification of the Alaska Senate election results if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan lost by a narrow margin. Sullivan is seeking reelection in a closely contested race.
Republican leaders argue that another candidate on the ballot, Dan J. Sullivan Jr., could split the party’s vote and hurt the senator. The federal government said its effort was intended to prevent confusion between candidates with similar names. The election is scheduled for Nov. 3 and will help determine control of Congress.
