Alaska Election: Federal Criminal Probe Confirmed

U.S. Attorney Michael Heyman confirmed on Friday that federal prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into the Alaska Senate race. The probe focuses on an alleged scheme to confuse voters by placing a Democratic challenger named Dan J. Sullivan on the ballot alongside Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan.

Heyman stated that the investigation has been active for several months. He noted that recent reporting from The New York Times, which suggested Democratic candidate Mary Peltola’s campaign helped recruit the challenger, caused a surge in law enforcement resources. Heyman told reporters, "When credible information comes out, we are committed to pursuing that information to deceive voters and we will act on it. We are acting on it intensely and swiftly." He declined to identify specific targets or potential crimes.

In parallel civil litigation, the Department of Justice asked a court to preserve and segregate all ballots that rank Dan J. Sullivan. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Wilson filed documents stating the government wants to determine if those rankings resulted from voter confusion. The DOJ argues there is a substantial risk that the duplicate names will mislead voters and compromise the electoral process. They requested expedited consideration because the precautionary measures would be impossible to implement after Election Day.

The federal intervention follows a 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decision that rejected a Justice Department request for California to set aside disputed ballots from approximately 20,000 people. The administration contended those individuals may not be U.S. citizens, while California officials argued the list was unreliable. In Alaska, state attorneys argued that election officials already took steps to distinguish the two Sullivans and that the state's ranked-choice voting system mitigates confusion.

Peltola denied knowledge of the recruitment effort on Thursday. Speaking at a campaign rally in Juneau, she said, "I just want to clear the air.. I knew nothing about any other candidate on the ballot except for me and the incumbent. That is all I have ever known about. I am not interested in tricking voters." Challenger Dan J. Sullivan has also denied acting at the Democrats' behest, stating he had no contact with Peltola's campaign.

Republican Governor Mike Dunleavy ordered a state investigation into Peltola. He described the reporting as evidence of an organized effort to manipulate the election. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump cast doubt on whether Peltola would be seated if she won. The race is considered a key contest for control of the U.S. Senate.