Alaska Election: Federal Probe into Spoiler Candidate

US Attorney Michael Heyman confirmed on Friday that federal authorities are conducting both criminal and civil investigations into the Senate race in Alaska. The probe focuses on an alleged scheme by Democrats to recruit a spoiler candidate named Daniel J Sullivan to confuse voters during the general election.

Heyman made the announcement at a news conference in Anchorage. He cited reporting from The New York Times, which suggested that the campaign of Democratic nominee Mary Peltola and national party officials orchestrated the effort. Heyman described the actions as a sprawling conspiracy to recruit and prop up the challenger, a retired schoolteacher with no prior political experience.

The Department of Justice filed a separate legal motion asking a federal judge to order state officials to isolate all ballots ranking the challenger. Assistant US Attorney E. Bryan Wilson stated in the filing that the government seeks to preserve and segregate these votes to investigate whether they were cast due to voter confusion. The department also requested a preliminary injunction to block Alaska from certifying the Senate result if the incumbent loses to Peltola because of the presence of the second candidate.

It is highly unusual for federal prosecutors to publicly confirm an open criminal investigation. Heyman did not specify which potential crimes are under review. He noted that the civil lawsuit, filed last week, is focused on preserving the ballots. He added that a surge of law enforcement assets has been deployed to Alaska, with investigative steps being taken across the country.

Peltola denied having prior knowledge of the effort. Speaking to supporters in a downtown bar in Juneau on Thursday, she stated that she knew nothing about any other candidate on the ballot besides herself and the incumbent. She told the crowd, I am not interested in tricking voters. She added that she just wanted to clear the air regarding the situation.

Subpoenas seeking grand jury testimony and documents were issued following the media report, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke to the Associated Press. Records preservation demands were also part of the legal action. More subpoenas are expected, though the recipients and total number were not immediately clear.

The race is central to determining control of the US Senate in next week's midterm elections. Democrats currently hold 47 seats to the Republican party's 53. Recent polls show Peltola leading the two-term Republican senator, Dan Sullivan. Alaska is one of the few states with a Senate contest this year that Democrats are targeting to regain a majority.

Election authorities previously attempted to disqualify the challenger before the August primary. The state supreme court ruled that he could remain on the ballot. He was one of the top four vote-getters in the non-partisan primary. On the general election ballot, the incumbent will be listed as Sullivan, Dan S. (Registered Republican) Incumbent, while the challenger appears as Sullivan, Daniel J. Jr.

Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy announced plans for a state criminal investigation on Friday. He called the situation disturbing new evidence of an organized effort to manipulate elections. Dunleavy said the reporting substantially supports earlier findings by the state elections board. President Donald Trump cast doubt on whether Peltola would be seated if she won, telling reporters in South Carolina that it is hard to believe she could even be allowed to run.