The Justice Department (DOJ) asked a judge on Oct. 30 to order Alaska election officials to isolate ballots cast for Senate candidate Daniel J. Sullivan—whose name resembles that of incumbent Sen. Dan S. Sullivan (R-Alaska)—while a criminal investigation into his candidacy is underway.
Alaska U.S. Attorney Michael Heyman said the probe into the legitimacy of retired teacher Daniel J. Sullivan’s candidacy has been ongoing for months, but a New York Times report published Oct. 28 alleging that Democratic candidate Mary Peltola’s campaign may have been involved in recruiting him has now resulted in a “significant surge of law enforcement assets to Alaska.”
In a motion filed with the U.S. District Court in Alaska, the DOJ asked a federal judge to issue an order by Nov. 2 requiring state officials to set aside all ballots ranking Daniel J. Sullivan for an investigation into whether “such ranking was the product of voter confusion.” Alaska uses ranked-choice voting.
“These modest precautionary measures will be impossible after Election Day, so there is good cause for expedited consideration,” government lawyers said in the filing.
The department also sought a court order allowing expedited discovery of “internal and external conversations” within Peltola’s campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) related to “efforts to recruit Daniel J. Sullivan to run for office,” according to the filing.
In another filing on Oct. 30, the DOJ asked the federal judge to block Alaska from certifying its Senate election if Peltola wins, saying that ballots mistakenly cast for Daniel J. Sullivan could divert votes for the incumbent and potentially affect the election outcome.
The DOJ alleged in its lawsuit that Daniel J. Sullivan was brought into the race “to confuse voters,” and that the sole purpose of his candidacy “is to benefit the Peltola campaign by reducing the number of votes for Senator Sullivan.”
Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy had separately launched a probe into the allegations surrounding Daniel J. Sullivan’s candidacy.
Dunleavy told NTD News on Oct. 29 that the Division of Elections had initially rejected the candidate’s request in June, but the Alaska Supreme Court later ruled that he could appear on the ballot.
In an interview with News Nation on Oct. 29, Dunleavy said the state may withhold certification of its Senate election results due to the ongoing probe.
“We’re going to investigate if we find out there’s wrongdoing. And if that means that the certification then is stopped or changed, then that’s what happens,” the governor said.
Peltola’s campaign, the DSCC, and Daniel J. Sullivan have denied any wrongdoing.
In an emailed statement to The Epoch Times, a spokesperson for Peltola’s campaign accused Dunleavy and his allies of “trying to steal this election from Alaskans before votes are counted.”
Alaska residents have begun casting ballots early in the Nov. 3 midterm congressional elections. Republicans currently hold 53 seats in the Senate; Democrats and independents who caucus with them hold 47 seats.
Matthew Vadum contributed to this report.
