Justice Department rushes Alaska election probe after fresh reporting gives it new fuel
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Federal prosecutors in Alaska have fired off dozens of grand jury subpoenas as they pursue allegations that Democratic operatives tried to use a decoy Senate candidate to confuse voters, with the effort gaining momentum after a New York Times report.
The Justice Department has sharply escalated a criminal investigation into alleged efforts by Alaska Democrats to recruit a Senate candidate designed to split the Republican vote. After a New York Times report gave investigators material they did not previously have, federal prosecutors issued more than 40 grand jury subpoenas and record-preservation notices on the same day, with more subpoenas expected.
The probe centers on Daniel J. Sullivan, a candidate nicknamed “Decoy Dan,” whose place on the ballot was challenged by Republican officials but ultimately upheld by the state supreme court. The investigation, which had been slowed by the recusal of U.S. Attorney Michael Heyman, is now being handled by career prosecutors and officials from the Civil Rights Division.
Department officials said the actions are routine, time-sensitive law-enforcement work intended to protect the integrity of the vote, not to shape the election outcome. They also said civil-rights charges, including a deprivation-of-rights count, are under consideration.
“I think they should be prosecuted,” President Donald Trump said, describing the alleged scheme as “voter fraud at the highest level.”
Separately, the Justice Department filed a lawsuit seeking to delay certification of the Senate race results if the ranked-choice votes for the decoy candidate could affect the outcome. The filing cites excerpts from the Times report and alleges that the Peltola campaign and a national Democratic Party office submitted misleading arguments about the recruitment effort. Alaska’s Republican-led elections office has moved to dismiss the suit, arguing it is meant to cast doubt on the contest.
Critics have called the lawsuit political maneuvering, while Attorney General Todd Blanche said the department is conducting its own research and declined to comment on conversations with the president. Some officials view the suit as a “preservation” measure that could allow challenges to the election results if necessary.