Democrats and Voting Rights Groups Challenge Trump's Attempt to Block Alaska Senate Certification
A lawsuit has been filed by Alaska Senate candidate, Mary Peltola, and the advocacy group, Voto Latino, challenging President Donald Trump's attempts to prevent the certification of a Democratic Senate win in the state.
The lawsuits, filed on January 12, aim to counter the administration's bid to block the certification of the election results in Alaska, which have already been certified by the state's election officials.
On January 6, Trump called for the U.S. Congress to reject the Electoral College results in Alaska, claiming "significant fraud" took place during the election. However, there have been no credible reports of widespread election fraud in the state.
Mary Peltola, a Democrat, won the Alaska Senate race, defeating Republican incumbent Lisa Murkowski. The lawsuits argue that Trump's actions are an attempt to undermine the democratic process and infringe on the will of the Alaskan voters.
The lawsuits assert that Trump's actions violate the Presidential Succession Act, which establishes the line of succession in case of a vacancy in the presidency. In this case, the Act would ensure that Mary Peltola would take the seat in the Senate, not Trump.
If successful, the lawsuits could set a precedent for other states facing similar challenges to Trump's election interference attempts.
- Democrat Mary Peltola won the Alaska Senate race, defeating Republican incumbent Lisa Murkowski
- President Donald Trump called for the U.S. Congress to reject the Electoral College results in Alaska
- The lawsuits claim Trump's actions are an infringement on the democratic process and Alaskan voters
- The Presidential Succession Act states that Mary Peltola would take the Senate seat, not Trump
The outcome of these lawsuits could have significant implications for the upcoming certification of the Electoral College votes in Congress on January 6.
The lawsuits were filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska, with the plaintiffs demanding that the state's Electoral College votes be certified as they were originally counted.
The case is expected to be heard by U.S. District Judge Sharon Gladdy.
Should the lawsuits be successful, it would ensure that Mary Peltola takes the Senate seat in Alaska, rather than Trump.
The outcome of these lawsuits could have far-reaching consequences for the Democratic-controlled Congress as they prepare to certify the Electoral College votes on January 6.
<small>Source: CNBC — read the original story there.</small>