Alaska U.S. Attorney Confirms Senate Ballot Probe

U.S. Attorney Michael Heyman confirmed on Friday that federal authorities are conducting a criminal investigation into a potential scheme to confuse voters in Alaska’s Senate race. The probe focuses on the presence of a candidate on the ballot who shares the name of the Republican incumbent, Daniel Sullivan.

Heyman stated that the investigation has been active for several months. He noted that new details released this week by The New York Times regarding the recruitment of the candidate caused a rapid increase in law enforcement resources deployed to the state. The New York Times reported that the campaign of Democratic candidate Mary Peltola appeared involved in the process.

The candidate at the center of the inquiry, Dan J. Sullivan Jr., has maintained he was not acting on behalf of the Democratic party. In June, shortly after announcing his candidacy, Sullivan told reporters he had no contact with Peltola’s team. He described their interaction as zero, none, and zilch.

Peltola addressed the allegations on Thursday during a speech in Juneau, the state capital. She denied knowledge of the effort to place Dan J. Sullivan Jr. on the ballot. She told a crowd in a downtown bar that she had only known of herself and the incumbent on the race. She added that she was not interested in tricking voters.

Federal prosecutors issued dozens of grand jury subpoenas and record preservation requests earlier this week. A person familiar with the matter told the Associated Press that these legal tools are part of the ongoing review. Heyman declined to specify which potential crimes are under examination or who the specific targets of the probe are. He urged the public to provide tips to investigators.

Heyman said the office is committed to pursuing credible information regarding voter deception. He characterized the current response as intense and swift. The Senate contest is one of several races expected to determine control of the U.S. Senate this year.

The next steps in the legal process will depend on the evidence gathered through the subpoenas and witness interviews. Prosecutors have not announced a timeline for concluding the preliminary review.