Trump's DOJ Shatters Pre-Election Norms With Midterm Offensive

Alaska lawsuit, raids on Democrats, and revived grievances mark aggressive October blitz

By LineZotpaper AI staff

Published25 October 2026

Updated25 October 2026

Read Time3 min

Sources2 outlets

With just nine days until the midterm elections, the Trump administration's Justice Department has launched a barrage of politically sensitive investigations, lawsuits, and arrests, breaking with longstanding traditions of restraint before Election Day. The most aggressive intervention came this week in Alaska, where the DOJ filed a preemptive lawsuit seeking to delay certification of the state's U.S. Senate results if the Democrat wins, arguing that a similarly named candidate could confuse voters. President Donald Trump took personal credit for ordering the lawsuit, telling reporters, "I'm the one that said, 'Do it.'"

The Justice Department's October offensive has touched multiple fronts. On Oct. 7, Trump established a White House committee to investigate alleged mortgage fraud by Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, authorizing DOJ involvement. Cook denies wrongdoing. On Oct. 12, federal agents searched the home of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and seized her cellphone as part of an immigration fraud investigation; the Wall Street Journal reports the administration is building a case to strip her of citizenship. On Oct. 15, the DOJ sued California to block ballots from over 20,000 suspected noncitizens, and last week demanded county officials segregate flagged ballots within 48 hours under threat of criminal liability. On Oct. 22, prosecutors indicted Virginia state Sen. Louise Lucas on charges related to an alleged illegal marijuana enterprise; she also denies wrongdoing. On Oct. 23, two former senior FBI officials were charged with lying to Congress about the Hunter Biden investigation.

Attorney General Todd Blanche has explicitly rejected the notion of DOJ independence from the White House, declaring, "I work for President Trump." He dismissed the traditional pre-election caution period as an unwritten convention, noting that the Lucas investigation began under President Biden. In a statement, the DOJ defended its election-related actions as preventing harm, arguing that "once an unlawful ballot is cast and counted, it cannot be uncounted." The department also said linking the Lucas and former FBI officials' cases to the midterms is "a smear," as none of the defendants are on November ballots.

However, legal experts have questioned the DOJ's authority to block certification of a state-run election. Alaska's Supreme Court ruled the second candidate belongs on the ballot, and the state's ranked-choice system allows voters to rank both candidates. Peltola's campaign and national Democrats have moved to intervene in the Alaska lawsuit. The October blitz is also reviving investigations into longtime Trump adversaries, including former CIA Director John Brennan, former FBI Director James Comey, and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

This marks a departure from the long-standing DOJ tradition of avoiding election-influencing actions in the weeks before a vote.
The actions could affect control of the Senate and set a precedent for future administrations.
Legal challenges to DOJ's authority may reshape checks on executive power.

Background

The DOJ has historically observed an informal 60- to 90-day period of heightened caution before elections, though no blanket prohibition exists. Attorney General Todd Blanche has openly rejected the notion of independence from the White House, stating "I work for President Trump." President Trump took personal credit for ordering the Alaska lawsuit, an extraordinary intervention in a race that could decide control of the Senate.

Key Perspectives

DOJ: Says its interventions are lawful and not politically motivated, arguing it is constitutionally part of the executive branch and accusing the Biden administration of weaponizing law enforcement. "Once an unlawful ballot is cast and counted, it cannot be uncounted." Legal experts: Question the DOJ's authority to block certification of a state-run election, given Alaska's Supreme Court ruling and ranked-choice system. Peltola campaign and national Democrats: Have moved to intervene in the Alaska lawsuit, challenging the preemptive attempt to halt certification. Louise Lucas and Lisa Cook: Deny wrongdoing. FBI Director Kash Patel: Cast the arrests of former FBI officials as part of a crackdown on alleged political "weaponization" against Trump.

What to Watch

The outcome of the Alaska lawsuit and whether the DOJ's intervention affects the election result.
Legal challenges to DOJ's actions could reach the Supreme Court.
Whether additional investigations or charges are announced before Election Day, now nine days away.

Sources

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 8 supported.

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SupportedTrump’s DOJ has shattered pre-election norms with a midterm offensive.Axios: “President Trump's DOJ has shattered the traditional calm of a pre-election period with a barrage of politically sensitive investigations, prosecutions and eleventh-hour efforts to influence the vote.”
Partly supportedAn Alaska lawsuit, raids on Democrats and revived grievances mark an aggressive October blitz.Axios: “On Oct. 12, federal agents searched Rep. Ilhan Omar's (D-Minn.) home and seized her cellphone as part of an investigation into possible immigration fraud.”
SupportedThere are just nine days until the midterm elections.Axios: “With just nine days until the midterms”
SupportedThe DOJ filed a preemptive Alaska lawsuit seeking to delay certification of the Senate results if the Democrat wins, arguing a similarly named candidate could confuse voters.Axios: “a preemptive lawsuit seeks to delay certification of the state's U.S. Senate results — if the Democrat wins. The DOJ argues that a second candidate, Dan J. Sullivan Jr., could confuse voters”
SupportedTrump told reporters, “I'm the one that said, 'Do it.'”Axios: ““I'm the one that said, 'Do it,' ” he told reporters.”
Partly supportedFederal agents searched Ilhan Omar’s home and seized her cellphone as part of an immigration fraud investigation.Axios: “federal agents searched Rep. Ilhan Omar's (D-Minn.) home and seized her cellphone as part of an investigation into possible immigration fraud.”
Partly supportedThe Wall Street Journal reports the administration is building a case to strip Omar of her citizenship.Axios: “The Wall Street Journal reports that the administration is building a case to try to strip the Somali-born lawmaker of her citizenship, and ultimately deport her.”
SupportedThe DOJ sued California to block ballots from over 20,000 suspected noncitizens.Axios: “On Oct. 15, DOJ sued California to block ballots from more than 20,000 suspected noncitizens.”
Partly supportedThe DOJ demanded that county officials segregate flagged ballots within 48 hours under threat of criminal liability.Axios: “On Friday, prosecutors demanded that county officials segregate flagged ballots within 48 hours, warning of potential criminal liability.”
SupportedProsecutors indicted Virginia state Sen. Louise Lucas on charges related to an alleged illegal marijuana enterprise.Axios: “On Oct. 22, prosecutors unveiled an eight-count indictment against Virginia state Sen. Louise Lucas — a key figure in Democrats' redistricting efforts in that state — alleging she helped operate an illegal marijuana enterprise.”
SupportedBlanche said, “I work for President Trump.”Axios: “declaring this week: “I work for President Trump.””
SupportedThe DOJ said, “once an unlawful ballot is cast and counted, it cannot be uncounted.”Axios: ““Once an unlawful ballot is cast and counted, it cannot be uncounted,” DOJ said.”