FBI Launches Criminal Probe Into Alaska Senate Ballot Confusion Scheme

Federal prosecutors in Alaska confirmed on Friday that a criminal investigation is underway into an alleged scheme designed to confuse voters in the state's Senate race. The probe centers on the candidacy of Dan J. Sullivan, a challenger who shares the name of incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan. U.S. Attorney Michael Heyman stated that the department is deploying law enforcement resources to the state to address what he described as an intense and swift pursuit of credible information regarding voter deception.

The investigation has been active for several months but gained public visibility this week following reports by The New York Times. Those reports indicated that the campaign of Democratic candidate Mary Peltola was involved in recruiting the challenger. Heyman said the revelations triggered a significant surge in law enforcement assets to Alaska. He noted that the department is committed to pursuing information that suggests an effort to mislead the electorate. The prosecutor declined to specify the potential crimes under investigation or identify the targets of the probe.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Wilson filed documents in court seeking to preserve and segregate all ballots that ranked the challenger Dan J. Sullivan. The government aims to determine if these rankings resulted from voter confusion. Wilson argued that these precautionary measures must occur before Election Day, as they will be impossible to implement after the vote is cast. The filing describes the risk that the candidacy will mislead voters and result in an electoral process lacking integrity.

Parallel to the criminal probe, the Department of Justice is engaged in civil litigation to block the certification of the race if the incumbent loses. The department filed a list of proposed questions it intends to compel the Peltola campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee to answer. These questions focus on their reported role in recruiting the challenger. The civil case follows a lawsuit filed last week by the Justice Department seeking to prevent certification if Peltola defeats the senator.

Mary Peltola denied on Thursday that she was aware of any effort to recruit the other Sullivan. Speaking at a campaign rally in Juneau, she stated that she knew nothing about any other candidate on the ballot besides herself and the incumbent. Peltola said she had no interest in tricking voters. Dan J. Sullivan has similarly denied running at the behest of Democrats, claiming he had no contact with Peltola’s campaign. He described his previous interactions with the campaign as zero, none, and zilch.

The timing of the public confirmation is unusual for the Justice Department, which traditionally avoids public steps in the weeks leading up to an election to prevent perceptions of influencing political outcomes. This action follows a similar request in California, where the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the department's bid to set aside disputed ballots sent to approximately 20,000 people the administration believes may not be U.S. citizens. California officials argued that the list was unreliable and likely included many citizens.

Republican Governor Mike Dunleavy ordered a separate state investigation into Peltola. He cited the newspaper reporting as evidence of an organized effort to manipulate Alaska’s elections. Dunleavy stated that deliberately tricking voters strikes at the integrity of the elections. He noted that the reporting supports earlier findings by the state’s elections board. State attorneys have asked a court to rule on the Justice Department’s lawsuit by Monday, arguing the case casts a cloud over the election contrary to the public interest.

President Donald Trump cast doubt on whether Peltola would be seated in the Senate even if she won the election. Speaking to reporters in South Carolina, Trump said it is hard to believe she could be allowed to run. He directed his Department of Justice to sue to block certification if Peltola defeats the incumbent. The Alaska Senate race is among a handful of contests expected to determine control of the chamber.