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DOJ Sues to Block Alaska Certification Over Vote Spoiler

By Drooid · Oct 29, 2026 · How we work

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Summary

Mary Peltola’s campaign recruited retiree Dan J. Sullivan to split Alaska Senate votes.
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and Ohio operative Jerid Kurtz identified and recruited the spoiler candidate.
Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy ordered the Department of Public Safety to investigate the recruitment scheme.
The Justice Department sued to block election certification if Dan J. Sullivan stays on the ballot.
U.S. President Donald Trump offered a $1 million reward for election-fraud tips and urged DOJ action.

History

After the November 2000 presidential vote left Florida within a 0.5% margin, George W. Bush and Al Gore triggered a series of manual recounts. On December 12, 2000 the U.S. Supreme Court halted the process in Bush v. Gore, upholding Secretary of State Katherine Harris’s certification that Bush won by 537 votes, securing his 271 electoral votes.

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After the November 2000 presidential vote left Florida within a 0.5% margin, George W. Bush and Al Gore triggered a series of manual recounts. On December 12, 2000 the U.S. Supreme Court halted the process in Bush v. Gore, upholding Secretary of State Katherine Harris’s certification that Bush won by 537 votes, securing his 271 electoral votes.

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