Alaska Federal Prosecutor Confirms Criminal Probe Into Senate Ballot Confusion

U.S. Attorney Michael Heyman confirmed on Friday that a criminal investigation is underway in Alaska regarding an alleged scheme to confuse voters in the state’s Senate race. The probe focuses on the placement of Democratic candidate Mary Peltola’s opponent, Dan J. Sullivan, on the ballot alongside Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan. Heyman told reporters in Anchorage that credible information has emerged suggesting the campaign may have played a role in recruiting the challenger with the same name as the incumbent.

The investigation has been active for several months, but Heyman noted that a surge in law enforcement resources arrived this week following reports by The New York Times. "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 said. He declined to specify which crimes are under scrutiny or who the primary targets of the probe are, urging the public to provide tips to investigators.

In parallel with the criminal inquiry, federal attorneys filed documents seeking to isolate and preserve all ballots that rank Dan J. Sullivan. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Wilson wrote on Friday that the government wants to segregate these votes to determine if the rankings were the product of voter confusion. Wilson stated that these precautionary measures would be impossible to implement after Election Day, making expedited court consideration necessary.

The Department of Justice also submitted a list of proposed questions for the Peltola campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. These questions address their reported involvement in recruiting Dan J. Sullivan. This civil litigation runs alongside the criminal probe and follows a lawsuit filed last week to block the certification of the race if the Republican incumbent loses.

Mary Peltola denied any knowledge of the recruiting effort during a campaign rally at a downtown bar in Juneau on Thursday. "I just want to clear the air," she 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 similarly maintained he was not running at the behest of Democrats, describing his contact with Peltola’s campaign as "zero, none, zilch" in June.

Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy ordered a separate state investigation into Peltola on Thursday. He said the recent reporting reveals an organized effort to manipulate the election by recruiting candidates with the same name as incumbents. "Deliberately tricking voters into casting their ballots for someone else strikes at the integrity of our elections," Dunleavy said, adding that the findings support earlier reports from the state’s elections board.

State attorneys have asked a court to rule on the federal lawsuit by Monday. They argue the case could cast a cloud over Alaska’s election that is contrary to the public interest. President Donald Trump, who directed his department to sue if Peltola defeated the incumbent, expressed doubt on Thursday about whether she would be seated even if she won. "Well, you’re going to have to see what happens," the president said to reporters in South Carolina. "It’s hard to believe that she could even be allowed to run."

Federal prosecutors issued dozens of grand jury subpoenas and record preservation requests this week, according to a person familiar with the matter. It is unusual for Justice Department officials to publicly confirm a criminal investigation, especially in the weeks leading up to an election. The race is one of several Senate contests expected to determine control of the chamber this year.