Federal prosecutors confirm criminal probe into Alaska Senate race name dispute

Federal prosecutors in Alaska confirmed on Friday that a criminal investigation is underway regarding a scheme allegedly designed to confuse voters in the state's U.S. Senate race. U.S. Attorney Michael Heyman disclosed the existence of the probe during a press conference, noting that the investigation has been active for several months. The timing of the announcement coincided with new reporting suggesting that the campaign of Democratic candidate Mary Peltola was involved in recruiting Dan J. Sullivan Jr., who shares a name with the Republican incumbent, Senator Dan Sullivan.

Heyman stated that revelations from The New York Times regarding the recruitment of the challenger resulted in a significant surge of law enforcement assets to the state. He emphasized the department's commitment to pursuing credible information about efforts to deceive voters. The U.S. Attorney described the current action as intense and swift, though he declined to specify the particular crimes under investigation or the formal targets of the probe. He encouraged the public to provide tips to investigators to aid the ongoing work.

In parallel with the criminal probe, the Department of Justice filed court documents seeking to isolate and segregate all ballots ranking Dan J. Sullivan for the purpose of investigating potential voter confusion. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Wilson filed a motion on Friday to preserve these ballots should the investigation determine that specific rankings were the product of confusion. The government argued that these precautionary measures must be taken before Election Day, as they would be impossible to implement after votes are cast. The filing was part of a broader civil lawsuit filed last week to block certification of the race if the incumbent loses.

Democratic candidate Mary Peltola denied knowledge of the effort to place Dan J. Sullivan on the ballot. Speaking at a campaign rally in Juneau, she stated that she had no awareness of any other candidates on the ballot besides herself and the incumbent. She expressed a desire to clear the air, noting that she was not interested in tricking voters. Peltola’s denial comes as state attorneys argue that elections officials already took steps to distinguish the two candidates on the ballot and that the state’s ranked voting system addresses concerns about potential confusion.

Republican Governor Mike Dunleavy ordered a separate state-level investigation into the matter. He cited the recent newspaper reporting as evidence of an organized effort to manipulate the election by recruiting a candidate with the same name as the incumbent. The governor stated that the reporting supports earlier findings by the state elections board. Dan J. Sullivan, the challenger, has consistently denied running at the request of Democrats, stating in June that he had no contact with the Peltola campaign. The race is one of several Senate contests expected to determine control of the chamber, and the Justice Department has asked a court to rule on its lawsuit by Monday.