Trump orders lawsuit to block Alaska Senate result if Republicans lose

Donald Trump said he ordered the Justice Department to challenge certification of Alaska’s Senate election result if Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan loses. Filed Thursday, the lawsuit alleges that another candidate named Dan J. Sullivan, a registered Republican, is trying to divert votes to Democrat Mary Peltola; Peltola called the move “corruption,” while the candidates deny a deliberate ploy. The suit seeks to delay certification of a Democratic victory if Sullivan’s losing margin is smaller than the votes won by his namesake. Legal analyst Derek Muller described the Justice Department’s case as “absurdly thin” and unlikely to succeed.