Alaska Election Dispute: DOJ Issues New Subpoenas
Federal investigators are targeting Democratic officials linked to the recruitment of a second candidate named Daniel J. Sullivan in the state's U.S. Senate race.
By James Brooks ·
The Justice Department has begun issuing a new set of subpoenas related to a criminal investigation of Alaska's U.S. Senate race. Multiple sources familiar with the matter told ABC News that the move targets Democratic officials connected to efforts to recruit a candidate with the same name as Republican incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan.
The action escalates the Trump administration's involvement in the race just days before the midterm elections. The subpoenas focus on individuals believed to be tied to the recruitment of Daniel J. Sullivan, a retired teacher, to appear on the ballot alongside the incumbent. This follows a New York Times report released Wednesday that detailed alleged efforts by Democrats and members of the Mary Peltola campaign to find a spoiler candidate.
The Times article relied on 12 sources, text messages, and documents. It alleged that members of Peltola's campaign, her lawyers, and senior aides at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee pushed to include a candidate who could siphon votes from Sen. Sullivan. Attorney General Todd Blanche described the recruitment of Sullivan as "cheating" and "fraud" in a Fox News interview on Wednesday.
Blanche indicated that further action was imminent. "I expect you're going to hear more from the Department of Justice this week as we learn more information," he said. The DOJ is separately probing whether the behind-the-scenes maneuvering violates federal conspiracy statutes. This investigation proceeds despite the Alaska Supreme Court affirming that Dan J. Sullivan's candidacy was legal, even if not in good faith.
The federal legal actions come after the administration filed a civil lawsuit last week. That suit seeks an injunction preventing the state from certifying election results if Sen. Sullivan narrowly loses. A federal judge is expected to rule on that matter in the next few days. President Donald Trump has publicly demanded that Peltola herself face prosecution, a call he has made for other prominent Democrats in recent instances.
State officials have moved in parallel to the federal investigation. Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy ordered the state's Department of Public Safety to investigate whether the recruitment effort violated Alaska law. He directed the department to determine if criminal charges or civil action are warranted. Dunleavy stated that the New York Times report revealed new evidence of an organized effort to manipulate the elections.
In a statement, Dunleavy said the evidence would determine the next steps. "Alaskans have a fundamental right to vote for the candidate they actually intend to support," he said. "Deliberately tricking voters into casting their ballots for someone else strikes at the integrity of our elections." He added that anyone found to have broken the law must be held accountable.
The campaign committee for Peltola, Alaskans for Mary, denied involvement in the matter. A spokesperson said on Wednesday that the group has no involvement with either Sullivan campaign. The DSCC also told ABC News in a statement that it was not involved with Dan J. Sullivan. The Alaska Division of Elections investigated similar concerns in June, and Dunleavy said the new reporting substantially supported the division's previous findings.
The Justice Department has historically avoided overt investigative steps within 60 days of an election in politically sensitive cases. Attorney General Blanche downplayed the relevance of that practice in comments to reporters last week. The subpoenas represent a new phase in the federal government's legal scrutiny of the race's integrity.
