Federal probe opens on Alaska Senate ballot

Federal prosecutors in Alaska confirmed on Friday that a criminal investigation is underway into a disputed Senate ballot that listed a challenger with the same name as the Republican incumbent. U.S. Attorney Michael Heyman told reporters the inquiry has been active for several months. He stated that new information prompted a surge of law enforcement resources to the state.

The dispute centers on a candidate named Dan J. Sullivan who appeared on the ballot against Sen. Dan Sullivan. The New York Times reported this week that Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola’s campaign helped recruit the challenger. Heyman said the department is acting intensely and swiftly on credible information that voters may have been deceived.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Wilson filed documents in court on Friday seeking to isolate all ballots that rank Dan J. Sullivan. The government wants to preserve these votes to determine if the ranking resulted from voter confusion. Wilson noted that these precautionary measures must happen before Election Day passes.

The Department of Justice is also pursuing civil litigation in parallel. The department filed a list of questions it wants answered by the Peltola campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. These questions focus on their reported role in recruiting the challenger. The lawsuit aims to block certification of the race if the incumbent loses.

This legal push follows a recent loss in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. The court rejected the Justice Department’s request to set aside disputed ballots in California. Those ballots were sent to people the administration suspected might not be citizens. Alaska state attorneys argue the state already took steps to distinguish the two Sullivans on the ballot. They also point to the state’s ranked voting system as a safeguard against confusion.

Peltola denied knowledge of the recruiting effort during a rally in Juneau on Thursday. She stood in a downtown bar and told supporters she knew nothing about any other candidate on the ballot. “I just want to clear the air,” she said. “I am not interested in tricking voters.”

The challenger, Dan J. Sullivan, has maintained he ran independently. In June, he said he had zero contact with Peltola’s campaign. Federal prosecutors issued dozens of grand jury subpoenas this week to preserve records. Heyman did not specify the potential crimes under investigation or name the targets.

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy ordered his own investigation into the matter. He said the reporting reveals an organized effort to manipulate the election. “Deliberately tricking voters into casting their ballots for someone else strikes at the integrity of our elections,” Dunleavy said.

President Donald Trump cast doubt on whether Peltola would be seated if she wins. He told reporters in South Carolina on Thursday that it is hard to believe she could even be allowed to run. State attorneys have asked a court to rule on the Justice Department’s lawsuit by Monday. They argue the case could cast a cloud over the election.

The Senate race in Alaska is expected to help determine control of the chamber. The timing of the prosecutor’s announcement is unusual as the Justice Department typically avoids public steps near an election. Heyman encouraged the public to come forward with tips that could aid investigators.