Blanche Defends Doj’s Alaska Election Role as Schiff Pushes Back
WHO:
CBS News - Todd Blanche, identified in the transcript as U.S. attorney general, defended the Justice Department’s Alaska election lawsuit during an interview with Margaret Brennan on “Face the Nation.”
CBS News - President Trump said, “I’m the one that said do it,” referring to the Alaska lawsuit. Blanche declined to say whether Trump had told him to take the action, saying he would not discuss communications with the president and that he did not know whom Trump meant.
CBS News - Blanche said the DOJ’s Civil Rights Unit drafted the lawsuit and that the department researched the matter under federal law.
NBC News Politics - Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said in an exclusive “Meet the Press” interview that “it’s not the federal government’s business to run Alaskan elections.”
WHAT:
CBS News - The Justice Department sued Alaska over election certification, seeking a process to preserve ballots and address possible voter confusion involving two candidates named Dan Sullivan.
CBS News - Blanche said the DOJ was not seeking federal control of Alaska’s election or certification process. He said the lawsuit sought to ensure a process could determine whether confusion affected the result, and argued that the state should not certify a result if a court ultimately found it resulted from confusion rather than voters’ intent.
CBS News - Brennan said the lawsuit asked state election officials not to certify a result that might be affected by voter confusion. Blanche disputed her description of the filing.
CBS News - Blanche said the Alaska Supreme Court had not considered the federal law at issue; Brennan cited its ruling that the claim that the challenger intended to confuse voters was unsupported by a preponderance of evidence. Blanche said the court’s opinion had not yet been issued and acknowledged that the court said Alaska law did not address bad faith.
NBC News Politics - The article’s description says DOJ sued to block certification of Alaska’s election results if Sen. Dan Sullivan loses, because another candidate with the same name is on the ballot.
CBS News - Blanche said DOJ would investigate alleged crimes, including corruption, and that the department complies with congressional subpoenas.
WHERE:
CBS News - The disputed election and lawsuit concern Alaska and the selection of its U.S. senator.
WHY:
CBS News - Blanche said Alaska’s election-system director had warned that the second Dan Sullivan’s candidacy could confuse voters and said the challenger was running to draw votes from the incumbent. He said the lawsuit aimed to uphold federal law and protect voters’ intent.
NBC News Politics - Schiff opposed federal involvement in running Alaska’s elections.
HOW:
CBS News - Blanche said Alaska’s ranked-choice ballot permits voters to rank candidates, and that ballot patterns could help establish whether confusion occurred. He said the lawsuit sought to keep ballots available for review and leave any determination about the winner to Alaska’s election system.
(UPDATED October 25, 2026 17:07 UTC)
The Justice Department is suing Alaska over its U.S. Senate election, seeking to preserve ballots and address possible confusion because two candidates named Dan Sullivan are on the ballot. Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the lawsuit on “Face the Nation,” saying the department wants to determine whether confusion affected the result, not take control of Alaska’s election or certification process. He said Alaska’s election director had warned the second candidate could confuse voters and argued the lawsuit aims to protect voters’ intent under federal law. Blanche said ranked-choice ballot patterns could help assess confusion and that Alaska’s election system would determine the winner. President Trump said, “I’m the one that said do it,” but Blanche declined to discuss communications with him. He said the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Unit drafted the filing. Senator Adam Schiff argued the federal government should not run Alaska’s elections.