Attorney General Todd Blanche on Sunday defended a Justice Department lawsuit filed at President Donald Trump’s request, a case seeking to stop Alaska from certifying its election results if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan loses. The intervention comes with Election Day just over one week away.

During a contentious appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Blanche rejected the suggestion that Trump was preparing to challenge the midterm results. “President Trump is not trying to take over a state election in any way, shape or form,” Blanche insisted.

That sweeping denial quickly met a basic question: What crime does the administration believe is taking place? Blanche did not identify one, responding, “Well, it depends.”

He then offered a possibility rather than a specific allegation. “There could be a crime,” Blanche said.

“But the real wrong here is that Alaskans are going to be confused and will not have their vote heard.”

The lawsuit targets a key Senate contest in which Sullivan faces a surprisingly competitive challenge from former Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola. The administration’s move has intensified Democratic fears that Trump could attempt to undermine the integrity of the midterm elections.

Complicating the ballot is another candidate named Dan Sullivan, a retired elementary school teacher challenging the incumbent. The shared name is the centerpiece of Blanche’s defense of the federal lawsuit.

On CBS’s “Face the Nation,” Blanche framed the second Sullivan’s candidacy as an effort to siphon votes through voter confusion. “There is no dispute that the only reason the second Dan Sullivan is running is to pull votes away in a confusing and inappropriate manner from the Dan Sullivan incumbent,” Blanche said Sunday.

Host Margaret Brennan challenged that account with details from the ballot itself. She explained that “Dan S. Sullivan” is clearly identified as the incumbent, while the other candidate appears without a party affiliation as “Dan J. Sullivan.”

Brennan also noted that early voting in Alaska began on Oct. 19. She paired the ballot distinction with a reminder that voting was already underway in the state.

The state’s courts had already addressed whether both men could appear before voters. In June, the Alaska Supreme Court ordered that both Sullivans be placed on the August primary ballot.

The federal lawsuit also drew criticism from within Alaska’s Republican ranks. Lisa Murkowsi, Alaska’s senior Republican senator who frequently breaks with Trump, criticized the administration Friday and said state officials had already made the candidates distinguishable.

“Alaskans don’t need any help voting for their preferred candidates, and the State of Alaska has already handled this by clearly distinguishing the candidates on this year’s ballot,” Murkowsi said. Her response rejected the administration’s focus on supposed voter confusion.

Peltola also attacked the lawsuit. She told MS NOW’s Nicolle Wallace over the weekend that “this is exactly the kind of corruption that Alaskans are sick and tired of.”

According to MS NOW polling partner FiftyPlusOne, Peltola narrowly leads Sullivan. The polling snapshot adds further attention to a Senate race described as surprisingly competitive.

Blanche’s interviews left the administration’s public argument resting on claimed voter confusion and the possibility of criminal conduct. Yet when directly asked to name the crime, the attorney general offered only his conditional answer and returned to the claim that Alaskans might not have their votes heard.

Meanwhile, the ballot distinctions Brennan cited, the Alaska Supreme Court’s June order and Murkowsi’s criticism all challenge the administration’s narrative. The Justice Department is still seeking to block certification if the Republican incumbent loses.