Alaska U.S. Attorney Michael Heyman said Friday that new reporting about a same-named Senate candidate prompted a surge of law enforcement assets to Alaska as investigators assess whether a crime occurred.
At a news conference, Heyman said investigators had not reached a conclusion and declined to discuss the possible offenses. He said the matter had been under quiet investigation for several months. Heyman said the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) was increasing its work in response to the new coverage, adding, “We’re not escalating anything except to the extent that a new article came out.”
The candidate at the center of the inquiry, Daniel J. Sullivan, shares his first and last names with Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan and is set to appear on the ballot Tuesday, Nov. 3. The New York Times reported that people connected to Democratic candidate Mary Peltola’s campaign were involved in bringing the second Sullivan into the race.
Republicans have alleged that the candidacy was intended to confuse voters and benefit Peltola. She and national Democrats deny involvement. Peltola said Thursday she was “not interested in tricking voters.”
Heyman said he was taking the reporting seriously. CBS News reported that Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy ordered a state investigation and that the Justice Department had issued subpoenas targeting several Democratic officials. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has argued that Republicans were linked to separate efforts to shape Alaska’s ballot in favor of candidates they preferred, including in this year’s Senate primary and other elections.
Election officials initially rejected Daniel J. Sullivan’s candidacy, accusing him of trying to confuse Alaska voters. State courts later restored him to the ballot, ruling officials could not disqualify him under their interpretation of a “good faith” requirement.
In a separate civil case, the DOJ complaint seeks a conditional pause in certification if the incumbent loses, as described in EconoTimes’ earlier report on the certification case. Heyman said DOJ would file a motion for a preliminary injunction and request expedited discovery by Nov. 2, the day before the election.
