Alaska drops voter fraud charges against American Samoan family

The dismissal followed an appeals court ruling that prosecutors failed to prove intentional wrongdoing in a case complicated by confusion over American Samoans’ citizenship status.

Image via AP

Alaska prosecutors dropped voter misconduct charges against nine remaining members of a Whittier family of American Samoan descent last Friday, ending a years-long prosecution that had drawn national scrutiny.

About the case

The case began in 2023 when Tupe Smith won a local school board seat and the Alaska Division of Elections found a discre…