Former Alaska Rep. says FBI interviewed him over 'Decoy Dan' recruiter
Congress has summoned a former campaign co-owner for questioning on November 6 as investigators probe whether a fake conservative recruiter helped confuse voters in the state's Senate race.
By Salma Farouk ·
The Federal Bureau of Investigation interviewed former Alaska State Representative David Eastman after he identified a Democratic operative who allegedly approached him under false pretenses to recruit him for the U.S. Senate. Eastman, a Republican from the Matanuska-Susitna Valley, told Fox News Digital from Wasilla that the FBI contacted him regarding the incident. The interview occurred amid a widening congressional inquiry into the ballot tactics used during the state's recent election.
The core of the controversy involves a plan to place a second candidate named Dan Sullivan on the ballot. Former staff for Democratic Senate nominee Mary Peltola told the New York Times that operatives sought to stack the four-person ballot with similarly named individuals to divert votes from incumbent Republican Sen. Dan S. Sullivan. The final ballot listed Peltola, Sen. Sullivan, Republican Gerald Heikes, and retired Petersburg teacher Dan J. Sullivan. While the scheme aimed to confuse voters, no data has yet proven that the additional candidate changed the vote count.
Will Chamberlain, an attorney with the Article III Project, argued that the actions could violate 18 U.S.C. Section 241, a federal statute covering conspiracies against rights. He stated that if prosecutors can prove participants conspired to interfere with voters' constitutional rights, the operation could constitute a federal felony. Chamberlain noted that the right to vote for a specific candidate is a protected right that can be harmed by deception.
Chamberlain said the legal theory relies on the idea that placing two people with the exact same name on the ballot to trick voters is a distinct act from standard political messaging. He acknowledged that while no identical case has previously been tried, historical precedents involving ballot manipulation support the argument. He warned that the conduct could carry a penalty of up to 10 years in prison if proven.
Eastman described the approach he received in April in Wasilla. He said the operative, identified in a blog post as Jerid Kurtz, sat down with him and claimed to represent conservative donors looking for candidates for federal office. Eastman stated that none of these claims were true. The operative used a false name during the meeting and did not mention either Dan Sullivan or the intent to confuse voters at that time.
Eastman also reported receiving several mailers framed as a candidate introduction that omitted Senator Sullivan. He shared these documents with Fox News Digital. He said the mailers suggested the 'Decoy Dan' was the primary or only Sullivan in the race. Eastman said he questioned the operative's intentions only after later reporting connected Kurtz to the recruitment effort.
The issue has moved to Capitol Hill. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman James Comer, a Republican from Kentucky, sent a letter on October 29 requesting that Kurtz appear for an in-person transcribed interview on November 6. Comer wrote that Kurtz, who is named in congressional documents as a co-owner of Wingspan Strategies, possesses information that would assist the committee's investigation. Comer warned that if Kurtz does not appear voluntarily, the committee will evaluate the use of compulsory process.
Federal investigators are currently examining whether Democratic operatives improperly recruited Dan J. Sullivan to confuse voters. According to the Wall Street Journal, the candidate reportedly disappeared from his remote community as investigators began visiting his neighbors. Fox News Digital reached out to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Peltola's campaign, and Wingspan Strategies for comment. The bureau also received requests for comment from the FBI.
