Blanche Defends Justice Dept. Alaska Senate Lawsuit

Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the Justice Department's lawsuit over the certification of Alaska's Senate race on Sunday, saying the department is trying to ensure Alaska can determine the correct winner if litigation continues after the election. He made the case on CNN's State of the Union and CBS's Face the Nation.

Certification is the official step in which election results are confirmed. The Justice Department filed its suit on October 22 in the U.S. District Court in Alaska. It asks the court to declare certification of the Senate race unlawful and to bar the state from allowing certification to go ahead. NPR reported that the lawsuit seeks to block certification of the results if the Republican candidate loses.

President Donald Trump has claimed he authorized the lawsuit. "I'm the one who said do it," he said.

The contest is the midterm Senate election in Alaska, scheduled for November 3. Four candidates advanced to the final round after the state's August primaries. Republican incumbent Dan S. Sullivan is seeking re-election, and Dan J. Sullivan, a former Forest Service employee, is also running as a Republican. The Democratic candidate is Mary Peltola, a former U.S. Representative. In June, Alaska's Supreme Court ruled that both men named Sullivan could compete in the race.

Blanche accused one of the candidates of intentionally trying to confuse voters. He also said the lawsuit was meant to make sure the state could settle the outcome if court challenges follow the vote, according to CNBC.

During the interviews, Blanche called CNN "crazy," according to The Guardian. He also accused Margaret Brennan, the host of CBS News's Face the Nation, of giving a "misleading" description of the case, as Yahoo News reported.

The Justice Department has faced criticism that the Alaska Senate lawsuit is aimed at blocking a Democratic victory in a key race.