US Justice Department widens criminal probe into claims Democrats planted a 'decoy' namesake to siphon Alaska Senator Dan Sullivan's votes
Sen. Dan Sullivan and his Democratic-recruited namesake Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., whose presence on the ballot prompted the Justice Department to issue at least 40 grand jury subpoenas targeting Democratic officials.
Democrats in Alaska's Senate race stand accused of planting a retired teacher named Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. in the ballot to bleed votes from Republican incumbent Senator Dan S. Sullivan — a scheme dubbed 'Decoy Dan' that has triggered simultaneous federal and state criminal probes just days before Tuesday's midterm vote. The Justice Department has now issued at least 40 grand jury subpoenas targeting Democratic officials believed connected to the recruitment effort, while Alaska's Republican Governor Mike Dunleavy has separately ordered his state's Department of Public Safety to investigate whether criminal charges are warranted.
Democrat Mary Peltola's campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee deny any role in recruiting the decoy, but internal emails and texts reportedly suggest otherwise.
The DOJ has also amended its civil lawsuit to accuse Peltola's campaign of misleading a federal court, with prosecutors exploring charges of conspiracy to violate voters' rights.
Governor Dunleavy has raised the prospect that Alaska's election certification could be 'stopped or changed' if the probe finds wrongdoing before results are confirmed.
