The US Justice Department is investigating allegations that Democrats recruited potential spoiler candidates in Alaska’s US Senate race, according to the Straits Times. The department has asked a judge to prevent certification if Republican Sen. Daniel S. Sullivan loses narrowly.
The Straits Times, citing a New York Times report, said aides to Democratic candidate Mary Peltola worked with campaign lawyers and senior staff at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee to recruit retired teacher Daniel J. Sullivan, who shares the incumbent’s name. The New York Times original report was not available to Reuters, CBS News or the BBC, so these claims rest on secondary reporting.
US Attorney Michael Heyman said the office is pursuing civil and criminal investigations and has issued subpoenas targeting several Democratic officials, according to CBS News. He did not specify which crimes are under review. No charges have been filed as of the latest reporting, and the Justice Department has not confirmed a specific criminal statute.
Peltola said she "knew nothing about any other candidate on the ballot except for me and the incumbent" and is "not interested in tricking voters," the BBC reported. The Peltola campaign denied the reports, according to the BBC, and did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment. The DSCC denied involvement, and Daniel J. Sullivan denied coordinating with Peltola’s campaign.
Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy has ordered a state investigation into the alleged scheme, according to the Straits Times. Trump has called for Peltola to be prosecuted. Reporting does not detail the scope or timeline of the state inquiry.
The Justice Department has asked for a preliminary injunction to preserve and segregate ballots that rank Daniel J. Sullivan, and it wants a ruling by Monday, CBS News reported. The department says the ballots can be segregated to investigate voter confusion. The state of Alaska opposed the request, calling the lawsuit "without any merit." Alaska says votes are commingled in the ballot box, so segregation would violate ballot secrecy, and that it already keeps ballots for 22 months.
State election officials first ruled Daniel J. Sullivan ineligible for the ballot, but state courts reinstated him, finding that Alaska law has no specific good-faith requirement for candidates. Legal experts say the Justice Department’s civil case is weak because the Constitution assigns election administration to the states. They also say a federal conspiracy-against-rights criminal case could face First Amendment challenges.
The Cook Political Report rates the race a toss-up, and it could decide control of the Senate in the Nov. 3 midterms. Judge Sharon Gleason could rule on Peltola’s motion to dismiss as soon as Oct. 31, though the timing is uncertain. Whether a judge has ruled on the preliminary injunction is not yet reported.
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This article was written with AI assistance from the published reporting listed above. It is part of the World Brief daily news podcast.