The federal government is ramping up law enforcement efforts in Alaska in response to unsettling new claims about a Democratic strategy aimed at diverting votes from incumbent Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) during the upcoming midterm elections.
This investigation into what has been labeled “Decoy Dan” Sullivan’s alleged phony Senate campaign has been in the works for several months. But the recent report from the New York Times detailing possible connections to Mary Peltola’s campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) has prompted an increase in federal resources, according to the top federal prosecutor in Alaska.
Michael Heyman, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Alaska, addressed reporters in Anchorage, emphasizing that the new developments have caused a notable increase in law enforcement presence in the state.
“This new information has resulted in a significant surge of law enforcement assets to Alaska,” he stated. Heyman mentioned that steps are being taken across the country regarding the ongoing criminal investigation but did not go into specifics.
He indicated that several attorneys from his office are also focused on this case, taking the claims in the New York Times report “extremely seriously.”
“We are acting on it intensely and swiftly,” he affirmed.
Just a few days ago, reports surfaced that the Department of Justice had issued at least 30 subpoenas within a short period following the revelations.
“Every Alaskan deserves a fair election and they’re going to get one,” he insisted, warning that “anyone who tries to illegally deceive voters and interfere with the election will answer for it.”
According to Peltola’s former campaign manager Elisa Rios and other sources, campaign workers were reportedly told to find individuals named “Dan Sullivan” who could enter the Senate race, likely as a tactic to confuse potential voters who intended to support the incumbent senator.
Peltola herself was not directly part of this recruiting effort but was “definitely aware” of it, Rios claimed.
In her first comments regarding the controversy, Peltola asserted to Alaskans that she “knew nothing about any other candidate on the ballot except for me and the incumbent.”
During a campaign event, she added, “I am not interested in tricking voters.”
President Trump has called for Peltola to exit the race and face criminal charges in light of the allegations.
At the press conference, Heyman clarified that the criminal investigation parallels a civil inquiry into the alleged scheme.
The Justice Department had already filed a lawsuit aimed at postponing the certification of the Alaska Senate election results prior to the New York Times report.
Heyman explained that “the department is not asking the court to declare a winner or loser or change the votes in any way,” but rather to preserve the ballots.
He mentioned plans to request expedited discovery from the judge overseeing the case by Monday.
Heyman acknowledged that he had been recused from the investigation for a while because he was under consideration by the White House for a judicial nomination. However, since another nominee has been put forward for that role, he has now been cleared to take part in the investigation again.
