ANCHORAGE — The top federal prosecutor in Alaska confirmed on Friday that criminal and civil investigations are under way into an alleged Democratic effort to confuse voters by putting a second Dan Sullivan on the US Senate ballot.
“There is both a civil investigation and a criminal investigation that are ongoing,” US Attorney Michael Heyman told reporters, citing New York Times reporting that Democrat Mary Peltola’s campaign and national Democratic aides recruited a retired schoolteacher, Daniel J Sullivan, to run against the Republican incumbent of the same name.
In court filings, the Justice Department asked a federal judge to order state election officials to “preserve and segregate” all ballots ranking Daniel J Sullivan, and sought an injunction that would block Alaska from certifying the result if Senator Sullivan loses to Peltola because of the second candidate’s presence on the ballot, the Guardian reported.
Peltola denied any knowledge of the alleged scheme. “I just want to clear the air,” she said. “I am not interested in tricking voters.”
Governor Mike Dunleavy has ordered a state inquiry. No charges had been filed as of Friday evening, and Heyman declined to say what potential crimes were being examined.
Sources: BBC News, The Guardian
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