DOJ Intensifies ‘Aggressive Criminal Investigation’ into Alaska’s Second Dan Sullivan

Federal prosecutors are investigating how Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. landed on Alaska’s U.S. Senate ballot alongside Republican incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan, with grand jury subpoenas expected as investigators examine whether voters’ rights were violated, according to Fox News. Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin, relaying reporting from colleague David Spunt, wrote Wednesday on X that the criminal investigation has been underway for months and has gained urgency following a New York Times investigation into efforts by Democrat operatives to recruit the senator’s namesake. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Alaska is handling the inquiry, according to Spunt’s reporting. Investigators were preparing to seek preservation of communications held by phone companies and expected to issue subpoenas in the hours and days ahead. Prosecutors want to establish the sequence of events that brought Sullivan into the race and are examining possible offenses involving the deprivation of Alaska voters’ rights, the report said. The investigation is expected to continue beyond Election Day. The inquiry predates Wednesday’s revelations. ABC News previously reported that federal authorities were examining possible wire fraud or a conspiracy involving the fairness of the election process. At the time, it was unclear who could face charges. The candidate under scrutiny is a retired teacher from Petersburg, a small community in Southeast Alaska. He is a separate person from the Republican senator seeking reelection. The latest developments followed a New York Times report describing a months-long effort involving people working with Democrat Senate nominee Mary Peltola’s campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee to recruit additional candidates. The Times based its account on interviews with 12 sources, text messages, and documents. The reported effort included searching for Alaska residents who shared the incumbent senator’s name. Elisa Rios, Peltola’s former campaign manager, told the Times that voters should know about the recruitment effort. Peltola’s campaign again denied involvement after the story appeared. “The Alaskans for Mary campaign has no involvement with either Sullivan campaign,” the campaign said in a statement reported by Alaska Public Media. “Like Mary, our campaign is focused on lowering costs and fixing the rigged system in DC.” The DSCC has also denied participating in the recruitment. Sullivan has previously maintained that his candidacy was independent of Peltola’s campaign. The dispute over his candidacy began well before the general election. Alaska election officials initially sought to exclude Sullivan from the ballot, concluding that his filing was intended to mislead voters. He challenged that decision in court, and the Alaska Supreme Court upheld his eligibility to run. Trump also called for Peltola and the second Sullivan to be taken off the ballot and prosecuted, accusing Democrats of recruiting the challenger to mislead voters. “This is Voter Fraud at the Highest Level, and the Dumocrat Candidate, who was involved in the scheme, Mary Peltola, should be removed from the Ballot and prosecuted — So should the FAKE Dan Sullivan. Nothing else will do! This behavior in our Elections cannot be allowed to continue,” Trump wrote.