DOJ Seals Alaska Ballots to Test If Dan J. Sullivan Confused Voters

U.S. Attorney Michael Heyman confirmed on Friday that a federal criminal investigation is underway regarding the Alaska Senate race. The probe focuses on an alleged scheme to place a candidate named Dan J. Sullivan on the ballot to create confusion with the Republican incumbent, Sen. Dan Sullivan. Heyman stated that the department is acting intensely and swiftly after credible information surfaced this week.

The Justice Department filed court documents seeking to isolate and segregate all ballots ranking the challenger, Dan J. Sullivan. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Wilson argued that preserving these votes allows investigators to determine if the rankings resulted from voter confusion. The filing described these as modest precautionary measures that would be impossible to implement after Election Day.

This legal action runs parallel to a civil lawsuit filed last week. The department seeks to block the certification of the race if the incumbent loses, citing a substantial risk that the duplicate name misleads voters. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals recently rejected a similar request regarding disputed ballots in California, where officials argued the list of non-citizens was unreliable. The state of Alaska argues its ranked voting system and ballot distinctions already address potential confusion.

Heyman noted that a significant surge of law enforcement assets has arrived in Alaska. He declined to specify the potential crimes under investigation or name the targets but encouraged the public to provide tips. It is highly unusual for the Justice Department to publicly confirm a criminal probe so close to an election, given the agency's longstanding practice of avoiding public steps that could influence political outcomes.

Democratic candidate Mary Peltola denied knowledge of the recruitment effort. Speaking at a rally in Juneau on Thursday, she stated she knew nothing about any other candidate on the ballot besides herself and the incumbent. Peltola said she is not interested in tricking voters. Her campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee are now facing proposed questions in the civil litigation regarding their reported role in recruiting the challenger.

Dan J. Sullivan has long denied running at the behest of Democrats. In June, following his announcement, he stated he had zero contact with Peltola's campaign. Federal prosecutors issued dozens of grand jury subpoenas and record preservation requests this week. A person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press that these legal tools are part of the ongoing inquiry.

Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy ordered a state investigation into Peltola on Thursday. He said the recent reporting reveals an organized effort to manipulate elections by recruiting candidates with the same name as an incumbent to misdirect votes. Dunleavy added that the reporting substantially supports earlier findings by the state's elections board.

President Trump cast doubt on whether Peltola would be seated if she won the election. He told reporters in South Carolina on Thursday that it is hard to believe she could be allowed to run. State attorneys have asked a court to rule on the Justice Department's lawsuit by Monday, arguing the case could cast a cloud over Alaska's election contrary to the public interest.