DOJ Confirms Criminal Probe Into Alaska's 'Spoiler' Senate Candidate

U.S. Attorney Michael Heyman confirmed on Friday that a federal criminal investigation is underway into an alleged scheme designed to confuse voters in the Alaska Senate race. The probe targets a reported effort to place a candidate named Dan J. Sullivan on the ballot to mirror the name of the Republican incumbent, Senator Dan J. Sullivan.

Heyman stated that the department is acting "intensely and swiftly" in response to credible information revealed this week by The New York Times. The report indicated that the campaign of Democratic candidate Mary Peltola appeared involved in recruiting the challenger. Although the investigation has continued for several months, Heyman noted a "significant surge of law enforcement assets" to the state following the publication.

In court filings submitted Friday, the Department of Justice requested that all ballots ranking the challenger Dan J. Sullivan be preserved and segregated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Wilson argued this step is necessary to determine if such rankings resulted from voter confusion. The government described the measures as modest precautionary steps that would become impossible to implement after Election Day.

The legal battle is unfolding in parallel to a civil lawsuit filed last week by the Justice Department. That suit seeks to block the certification of the Alaska Senate race if Senator Dan J. Sullivan loses. Federal attorneys warned of a "substantial risk" that the challenger's candidacy would mislead voters and compromise the integrity of the electoral process.

Mary Peltola denied knowledge of the recruitment effort during a campaign rally in Juneau on Thursday. She told supporters, "I just want to clear the air.. I knew nothing about any other candidate on the ballot except for me and the incumbent." Peltola added that she was not interested in tricking voters.

The challenger Dan J. Sullivan has consistently denied running at the behest of Democrats. He stated in June that he had no contact with Peltola's campaign, describing the interaction as "zero, none, zilch." State attorneys argue that Alaska elections officials already took steps to distinguish the two candidates on the ballot and that the state's ranked voting system addresses potential confusion.

Republican Governor Mike Dunleavy ordered a separate state investigation into Peltola. He said the recent reporting reveals an organized effort to manipulate elections by recruiting a candidate with the same name as an incumbent. President Donald Trump also cast doubt on whether Peltola would be seated if she won, telling reporters in South Carolina that it is hard to believe she would even be allowed to run.

Federal prosecutors issued dozens of grand jury subpoenas and record preservation requests this week. Heyman did not specify which crimes are under investigation or identify the targets. State attorneys have asked a court to rule on the Justice Department's lawsuit by Monday, arguing the case could cast a cloud over the election.