Trump's Justice Department Breaks With Tradition to Intervene in the Midterms — and Courts Have Rejected It in Two States
Reuters reported Monday that the department sought to set aside about 20,000 California mail ballots and to block certification of Alaska's Senate result — and that courts have now rejected its lawsuits against both states, a day before the vote.
The Justice Department of President Donald Trump has shown a willingness to intervene directly in Tuesday's midterm elections, breaking with decades of practice meant to avoid the appearance that law enforcement powers are being used to benefit a political party or candidate, Reuters reported on Monday.
In California, the department sought to set aside mail-in ballots from about 20,000 voters it alleges are likely noncitizens ineligible to vote, and demanded records in a related criminal probe. California has said it has measures in place to prevent voting by noncitizens and argued the department does not have the authority to block votes. In Alaska, the department intensified a criminal investigation into whether a Senate candidate with nearly the same name as Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan entered the race to confuse voters, and sued to block certification of the result if Sullivan narrowly loses.
The courts, so far, have said no in both states. U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason in Anchorage dismissed the Alaska lawsuit on Sunday, finding the state could not conduct such a probe while preserving the secrecy of ballots; a federal judge in California had already rejected the department's bid there, and an appeals court upheld that ruling. Reuters reported the department has appealed the Alaska decision. The U.S. Constitution assigns responsibility for administering elections to the states.
Attorney General Todd Blanche says the department's efforts are lawful and aim to protect the integrity of the vote. 'The Department isn't helping any campaign. It's enforcing the law,' he said, in remarks Reuters reported. Critics cited by Reuters say the interventions could accelerate any attempt by the president to sow doubt about the midterms, which will decide control of Congress and dozens of governors' races when polls open Tuesday — in New York City at 6 a.m.
