Obama Judge Dismisses Trump’s Alaska Election Delay Claim
A federal judge dismisses Trump’s attempt to delay Alaska Senate election certification over ‘Decoy Dan’ ballot confusion claims.
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A federal judge appointed by former President Barack Obama has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Trump administration seeking to delay the certification of Alaska’s Senate election. The case centered on concerns that a so-called ‘Decoy Dan’ candidate, Daniel J. Sullivan, could mislead voters and cost incumbent Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) the election.
Justice Department’s Legal Challenge Rejected
Judge Sharon Gleason ruled on Sunday that the Justice Department’s argument lacked a viable plan to determine which voters supported the incumbent Sullivan rather than the second Sullivan. In her decision, Gleason emphasized that the U.S. government did not provide a method to segregate and investigate ballots without compromising voter secrecy.
“Clearly, if this Court were to order that certain ballots will be segregated and subject to a future and as yet unspecified investigation by law enforcement, it would likely result in voter ‘confusion and consequent incentive to remain away from the polls,’” Gleason wrote. She added that late changes to election rules are strongly disfavored.
Decoy Dan Allegations and Denials
A recent report from The New York Times revealed that Democrat operatives, including staff of Democrat candidate Mary Peltola, were allegedly involved in efforts to recruit the second Sullivan. The plan aimed to siphon votes from the incumbent under Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system.
Peltola has denied any knowledge of the alleged efforts, stating, “I just want to clear the air. I knew nothing about any other candidate on the ballot except for me and the incumbent. That is all I have ever known about. I am not interested in tricking voters.”
Trump Administration’s Response
The Trump administration has vowed to continue fighting the decision, with the Justice Department already filing an appeal. A spokesperson for the Department emphasized, “Alaskan voters deserve a fair election, not to be misled in an attempt to rig outcomes.”
The original lawsuit argued that the inclusion of Daniel J. Sullivan on the ballot could taint the election results, as his candidacy was found to be “for the purpose of confusing or misleading voters and compromising the fairness of the ballot.”
Source: Daily Wire
