WASHINGTON — Dan J. Sullivan, a retired teacher nicknamed “Decoy Dan,” faces accusations from a watchdog group suggesting he secretly collaborated with a liberal organization to undermine his namesake, Alaska’s senator Dan S. Sullivan.
This alleged connection arises from Amber Lee, an experienced Democratic strategist who was involved in Sullivan’s campaign while also serving on the board of the 907 Initiative, which promotes government transparency. This group has reportedly spent around $1.5 million on advertisements targeting the incumbent senator, as documented in certain disclosures.
Caitlin Sutherland, executive director of the watchdog group Americans for Public Trust, which filed the complaint, stated, “It’s definitely against federal election law for someone to have dual roles.” She expressed her concern to The Post, emphasizing the conflict of interest involved.
Sutherland pointed out, “You can’t be part of the campaign and also work for an outside group that’s pouring millions into ads that support your campaign.” According to the complaint, about $575,000 of the 907 Initiative’s recent expenditures aimed at Sen. Sullivan occurred in the last 90 days leading up to the primary, shortly after “Decoy Dan” entered the race on May 29.
Just a day before “Decoy Dan” made his official candidacy announcement, the 907 Initiative launched an advertisement that criticized Sen. Sullivan titled “Stop Raising Costs.” The complaint noted that Lee’s agency billed the campaign over $4,000 for services.
The complaint highlighted that Lee’s work for Sullivan — while she was on the board of 907 Initiative and it was spending heavily against his opponent — illustrated a clear breach of coordination rules in election law.
Moreover, the complaint asserted that Lee assisted Sullivan in organizing his candidacy and contributed to his campaign materials while her organization was already planning ads against his primary challenger.
Lee’s support for “Decoy Dan” was initially uncovered by an August article in the New York Times, although Sullivan claimed they had severed ties by that point. There’s also a report of a federal investigation into his campaign, questioning whether there was a conspiracy to confuse voters by placing a candidate with a similar name on the ballot to benefit Democrat Mary Peltola.
Sutherland commented that often, when people engage in questionable schemes, it can be hard to pinpoint what’s going on. But in this case, it seems like a clear example of coordination.
Following “Decoy Dan’s” entry into the highly contested race, accusations arose suggesting he was running a disingenuous campaign aimed at confusing voters with his name. Oddly, he registered as a Republican even though he had collaborated with a Democratic strategist, doing so mere days before he filed.
Carol Beecher, the Director of the Alaska Division of Elections, cited these concerns when she initially decided to remove him from the ballot, suspecting his campaign was intended to mislead Republican voters. However, courts later overturned that decision, allowing him to remain on the ballot, where he advanced to the general election last month.
Beecher also noted the color scheme of “Decoy Dan’s” campaign website, which closely resembled that of Sen. Sullivan’s, and pointed out an instance where he mistakenly referenced Sullivan’s initial in a private email, though he later corrected this.
In response to these allegations, 907 Initiative executive director Aubrey Wieber stated, “This claim is completely unfounded. The 907 Initiative has never hired or compensated Amber Lee. She is simply a board member. The fact that Americans for Public Trust can’t differentiate between these roles reveals everything you need to understand.”
Wieber also maintained that 907 Initiative had no involvement in any arrangements between Dan J. Sullivan and Amber Lee and learned of their connection through news articles.
Meanwhile, the retired educator describes himself as a moderate Republican and has openly acknowledged voting Democratic in the last three presidential elections. He has participated in protests and supported Peltola in her congressional campaigns.
Sen. Sullivan’s battle against Peltola is one of the most challenging Senate races currently. In a recent jungle primary, Peltola garnered 49.5% of the votes while Sen. Sullivan received 41.4%. The system in Alaska allows all candidates to compete in a primary, with the top four proceeding to the general election.
Peltola currently leads in polls, with the latest aggregate showing her ahead of Sen. Sullivan by 2 percentage points.
APL has called for the Federal Election Commission to investigate potential illegal coordination between “Decoy Dan” and the 907 Initiative through Lee.
