Alaska voters and groups seek dismissal of Justice Department election lawsuit

Two Alaska voters, the League of Women Voters of Alaska and Common Cause filed a motion Friday asking the Alaska district court to dismiss the Justice Department's case. The filing was made on behalf of the voters and both organizations.

The Justice Department's Thursday lawsuit seeks to block certification if Republican Senator Dan S. Sullivan loses to Democrat Mary Peltola by fewer votes than independent candidate Daniel J. Sullivan receives. The independent is listed on the ballot without a party affiliation.

The department alleges that the independent's candidacy is intended to help Peltola by misleading supporters of Senator Sullivan into voting for the other candidate.

The dismissal motion also asks the court to consider sanctions against the attorneys who signed the complaint. It argues that the complaint is frivolous and lacks support in case law, legal principles or a tenable interpretation of the National Voter Registration Act.

To support that request, the filing alleges that the case was brought at President Trump's direction. It cites his response when asked about the case Friday: “I'm the one that said do it.”