Courts Rebuff Trump Lawsuits as Alaska Launches Probe
Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy ordered a criminal investigation into Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola Thursday, hours after a federal judge blocked Justice Department attempts to sequester 20,000 California mail ballots. The twin confrontations mark an unprecedented executive effort to challenge midterm voting procedures before election day, testing whether federal courts will constrain presidential intervention in state counts.
The White House is challenging state ballot procedures days before voting — manufacturing legal pretexts to contest unfavorable Senate counts before results are certified.
Background The Constitution grants states primary authority over administering federal elections, creating a decentralized voting apparatus spanning 50 distinct legal systems. That framework has faced escalating pressure since 2020 as White House allies deploy federal agencies and state executives to challenge voter eligibility before tallies conclude.
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Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy directed state law enforcement to investigate Mary Peltola's campaign, following President Donald Trump's calls for criminal charges over an alleged scheme to recruit a same-name spoiler candidate.
U.S. District Judge David Carter denied a Justice Department motion to impound 20,000 California mail ballots, ruling federal interference 6 days before the midterms violates statutory voter protections.
Justice Department attorneys filed a preemptive federal lawsuit in Anchorage seeking to block Alaska from certifying a Peltola victory, warning that candidate name confusion compromises ballot neutrality.
Federal prosecutors issued over 100 subpoenas across 13 states demanding noncitizen voter audits, prompting state election directors to warn that aggressive federal inquiries risk voter intimidation.
Watch Ninth Circuit emergency appeal on California ballots: if appellate judges uphold Carter's ruling Friday, the Justice Department loses its primary lever to halt state vote certifications nationwide.
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