Alaska’s governor ordered state police to find out whether Mary Peltola’s Senate campaign broke the law by helping recruit a second “Dan Sullivan” to pull votes from GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan.
Story Highlights
- On Wednesday, October 28, Gov. Mike Dunleavy told the Alaska Department of Public Safety to investigate whether the effort broke state law.
- A newspaper investigation published the same day reported that people working with Peltola’s campaign and national Democrats helped recruit retired teacher Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. to run.
- Peltola’s campaign denies any role, and Peltola called the report “another diversion.”
- President Trump said of the people behind it, “I think they should be prosecuted.”
- The Justice Department has also sued to block certification if the senator loses by a margin the other Sullivan’s votes could explain.
Governor Orders Probe After Explosive Recruitment Reports
Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy posted his order late Wednesday night, October 28. He directed the Department of Public Safety, which runs the Alaska State Troopers, to investigate whether the scheme violated Alaska law and whether criminal charges or a civil case are warranted. “Deliberately tricking voters into casting their ballots for someone else strikes at the integrity of our elections,” Dunleavy wrote. He added, “The evidence will determine what happens next.”
Peltola’s campaign denies the charge. “The Alaskans for Mary campaign has no involvement with either Sullivan campaign,” it said, adding that it “did not recruit any candidates into the race.” At a campaign stop in Soldotna, Peltola, a Democrat and former congresswoman, called the report a distraction. “It’s another diversion,” she said. “This is all stuff to sell newspapers.” The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the national party’s arm for Senate races, also denies any role.
What the Report Says
According to the report, Peltola campaign staff, campaign lawyers and senior aides at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee worked to find candidates who could draw votes away from the senator. The report said a Democratic operative from Ohio approached Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., a retired teacher from Petersburg, and that he said he was open to running if it would help Peltola. The report was based on interviews, text messages and documents prepared for a possible lawsuit, and it said the effort reached beyond one candidate.
Elisa Rios, a former Peltola campaign manager who was fired in August, told the reporters that Peltola was not directly involved but was “definitely aware” of the effort. Rios later asked the paper to take back all of her comments. The paper refused, noting that her interviews were on the record. No payments to any recruit have been reported.
Why the Name Matters on Alaska’s Ballot
Alaska uses an open primary, where the top four finishers move on no matter their party, and a ranked-choice general election, where voters rank the candidates in order. Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. made it through the primary. On the ballot, the senator appears as “Dan S. Sullivan,” a registered Republican and the incumbent. The other man appears as “Daniel J. Sullivan Jr.” with no party listed.
Earlier this year, the state’s elections director removed Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. from the ballot, ruling that his filing aimed “to confuse or mislead.” The Alaska Supreme Court reversed her, ruling the state can judge only basic requirements like age and residency, not a candidate’s motives. He denies being a sham candidate. In June he said he had no contact with Peltola’s campaign: “Zero, none, zilch.” Dunleavy said the new report “substantially supports” the elections office’s earlier findings.
Trump, the Senator and the Federal Lawsuit
President Trump weighed in on Wednesday, October 28, writing “ELECTION FRAUD” and “The Democrats cheated!” Asked by reporters, he said, “I think they should be prosecuted.” Sen. Sullivan has called his same-name rival a “sham candidate,” and his campaign spokesman, Nate Adams, said “Alaskans deserve the truth.”
The Justice Department sued the state on Thursday, October 22, asking a federal judge to bar certification if the senator loses by fewer votes than the other Sullivan receives. Alaska’s Department of Law says the federal government has no authority to step into a state election and has asked the court to dismiss the case. Early voting is at a record pace: more than 60,000 Alaskans had voted as of Wednesday, October 28, ahead of Election Day on Tuesday, November 3.
Sources:
nytimes.com, alaskapublic.org, juneauindependent.com, cnbc.com, thehill.com, alaskapublic.org
