DOJ Subpoenas Peltola, Sullivan Over Alleged Ballot Scheme
DOJ issues subpoenas in probe into alleged ballot scheme in Alaska Senate race.
3 min read
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has issued at least three dozen subpoenas as part of its investigation into the Alaska Senate race, according to a source familiar with the case. The subpoenas were sent to the campaign offices of former Democratic Alaska Rep. Mary Peltola and former schoolteacher Dan J. Sullivan as part of a probe into the Democrats’ alleged ballot scheme.
Alleged Coordinated Effort to Boost Peltola
A source told the Daily Caller News Foundation that Peltola’s campaign aides and members of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) reportedly coordinated to recruit other Republican candidates to boost Peltola’s chances of beating Republican Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan. The DOJ amended its lawsuit seeking to block the certifications of the results if Sullivan loses to include details from a New York Times report, calling the situation a “conspiracy to undermine the integrity of the electoral process.”
Today’s New York Times reporting reveals disturbing new evidence of an organized effort to manipulate Alaska’s elections by recruiting candidates—including one with the same name as an incumbent U.S. Senator—to deliberately confuse voters and misdirect their votes. The Alaska Division of Elections investigated these very concerns in June of this year. The new reporting substantially supports the Division’s findings. I am therefore directing the Department of Public Safety to investigate whether this scheme violated Alaska’s laws and whether criminal charges or civil action are warranted. The evidence will determine what happens next. Alaskans have a fundamental right to vote for the candidate they actually intend to support. Deliberately tricking voters into casting their ballots for someone else strikes at the integrity of our elections. Anyone or any organization found to have broken the law must be held accountable.
Open Voting System Facilitates Scheme
Republican Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy directed the Department of Public Safety to investigate whether any crime took place. Alaska’s Department of Public Safety Deputy Commissioner Austin McDaniel said the Alaska Bureau of Investigation had begun looking into the matter. Multiple grand jury subpoenas will be issued in the coming days, and preservation orders regarding text messages and emails are being prepared for cell phone companies to help build the case, sources told Fox News.
Recruiting Other Candidates
Aides from the DSCC reportedly introduced Democratic operative Jerid Kurtz to former Peltola campaign manager Elisa Rios and former chief of staff Anton McParland. Kurtz reportedly traveled to Alaskan communities to recruit residents to run as Republicans. The other Sullivan, who supported Peltola’s candidacy, agreed to run.
Alaska’s Open Voting System
Alaska’s open voting system made this scheme possible, given that candidates can claim any party affiliation on the ballot without being vetted by parties themselves. Republicans backed an effort to help a candidate serving time in a New York prison stay on the ballot when Peltola ran for reelection to the House in 2024.
Text Messages Reveal MAGA Party Plan
Text messages showed that members of the DSCC and Peltola’s campaign considered creating a MAGA Party, although the plans never came to fruition, according to the Times. Peltola’s campaign denied any involvement with Sullivan’s campaigns, stating she is the only Democrat who will appear on the ballot.
Other Sullivan Changes Party Affiliation
The other Sullivan changed his party affiliation from Republican to unaffiliated Monday, eight days before the general election, according to the Alaska Beacon, a local outlet. Democratic strategist Amber Lee authored a press release announcing the other Sullivan’s candidacy, metadata reviewed by the DCNF showed. Lee told The Hill in January that she believed there was a good chance Peltola could defeat Sullivan and previously hoped Peltola would run for governor.
Source: Daily Caller
