Federal prosecutors open criminal probe into Alaska Senate race ballot confusion

Alaska is among a small number of Senate races that could decide which party controls the chamber this year.

U.S. Attorney Michael Heyman confirmed on Friday that a criminal investigation is underway regarding a scheme to place a Senate candidate on the ballot with the same name as the Republican incumbent, Dan Sullivan.

The probe has continued for several months, but Heyman stated that a recent New York Times report alleging Democratic candidate Mary Peltola’s involvement in recruiting Dan J. Sullivan Jr. caused a surge in law enforcement assets in the state.

“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,” Heyman told reporters.

Federal prosecutors issued dozens of grand jury subpoenas and records preservation requests this week, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke to The Associated Press.

In a separate civil filing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Wilson asked the court to preserve and segregate all ballots ranking Dan J. Sullivan. The government wants to determine if such rankings resulted from voter confusion.

The Justice Department filed a list of proposed questions to compel answers from the Peltola campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee regarding their role in recruiting the challenger.

Peltola denied knowledge of the recruitment effort at a campaign rally in Juneau on Thursday.

“I just want to clear the air,” Peltola said. “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.”

Dan J. Sullivan has consistently denied running at the behest of Democrats and stated he had no contact with Peltola’s campaign.

“Zero, none, zilch,” Sullivan said in June when he announced his candidacy.

State attorneys argued that Alaska elections officials already took steps to distinguish the two Sullivans on the ballot and that the state’s ranked voting system addresses potential confusion concerns. They asked a court to rule on the Justice Department’s lawsuit by Monday, noting the case could cast a cloud over the election contrary to the public interest. The Justice Department previously sought to block certification of the race if the incumbent loses. It also sought to set aside disputed ballots in California, a request the 9th Circuit rejected after officials called the citizen list unreliable. Governor Mike Dunleavy ordered a state investigation into Peltola, saying the reporting reveals an organized effort to manipulate the election. President Donald Trump cast doubt on whether Peltola would be seated if she won, telling reporters in South Carolina, “Well, you’re going to have to see what happens.”