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DOJ Ramps Up Investigation Into Alaska Senate Race Ballot Scandal
Confirmed
In Short: Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy has ordered an investigation into whether Peltola’s campaign recruited candidates to draw votes from Republican incumbent Senator Dan Sullivan.
The Department of Justice has amended its lawsuit to include reporting by The New York Times, which alleged that Peltola's campaign and senior aides at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) worked to recruit Dan J. Sullivan, a retired teacher, to run in the Senate race.
According to The New York Times, the investigation is based on interviews with 12 people, dozens of text messages, and documents prepared for a potential lawsuit against the campaign.
Mary Peltola has denied any involvement in the alleged scheme, stating that her campaign had no involvement with either Sullivan campaign.
The justice department has begun issuing subpoenas targeting Democratic officials allegedly connected to the effort to recruit Dan J. Sullivan.
The case has drawn significant attention, with Vice President JD Vance calling for an investigation into the allegations.
Alaska's ranked-choice voting system could have been affected by the confusion, potentially changing the election results.
The investigation is now focusing on whether the behind-the-scenes maneuvering to include Dan J. Sullivan's name on the ballot could violate federal conspiracy statutes.
Alaska's Supreme Court ruled that Dan J. Sullivan was qualified to run, adding another layer to the complexity of the case.
Some observers suggest that the investigation is a distraction, aimed at diverting attention from other issues.
The justice department's actions reflect a broader escalation of the criminal investigation into the matter, with calls for criminal prosecution of Peltola and her campaign.
What this adds
The investigation is expanding to include other potential targets, though the specific individuals or organizations remain unclear.
What's confirmed
- "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," he added.
- "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," Dunleavy noted in a post on X.
- "This is just another distraction. It's another diversion," Peltola said.
- The potential targets of the investigation are unclear, but President Donald Trump earlier this week called for the criminal prosecution of Peltola and her campaign.
- Republican governor Mike Dunleavy orders the inquiry into whether Mary Peltola’s campaign recruited candidates to draw votes from the Republican incumbent Sign up for the Breaking News US email Republican governor Mike Dunleavy orders the inquiry into whether Mary Peltola’s campaign recruited candidates to draw votes from the Republican incumbent Sign up for the Breaking News US email An investigation has been launched in Alaska into whether Democratic candidate Mary Peltola’s campaign for Senate should face criminal charges or civil penalties.
- The case went to the Alaska Supreme Court, which ruled he was qualified to run.
- "This is all stuff to sell newspapers. This is all stuff to get subscriptions."
What's still developing
- DOJ ramps up investigation into Alaska Senate race ballot scandal | Fox Business Video Menu Fox Business Home Watch Live Shows Topics Log In Avatar Join the conversation Log in to comment on videos and join in on the fun.
- The denial comes as the Trump administration continues to escalate a criminal investigation into the matter, according to US media.
- Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, discusses allegations his opponent, Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Mary Peltola, worked with operatives to recruit another Dan Sullivan to run for Senate on ‘Hannity.’ In the wake of a New York Times report detailing an alleged Democrat-linked election scheme by the campaign team of Rep. Mary Peltola that involved the recruitment of a candidate with nearly the exact same name as an incumbent GOP senator, Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy announced that he was ordering a probe into the matter.
- In a statement to Fox News Digital on Thursday, a Peltola campaign spokesperson said, "Mary got in this race because Alaskans deserve a champion who is fighting to lower their costs and put Alaska first, and no tweet or threat from any politician will keep her away from that fight. The Alaskans for Mary campaign has no involvement with either Sullivan campaign."
- "that not only did Ms. Peltola’s team work with people trying to recruit Mr. Sullivan to run for Senate, but the effort was much broader. The group worked to coax other would-be spoilers into the race, to dilute the incumbent’s support and help catapult the Democrat to victory."
- Sullivan could have changed the result, pending an investigation into whether voters mistakenly selected the wrong candidate.
- Home » Breaking: New York Times investigation ties Mary Peltola to Decoy Dan recruitment Oct. 28, 2026 – Mary Peltola’s campaign participated in a covert effort to recruit candidates who could draw votes away from Republican US Sen. Dan Sullivan.
- "And I think I'm bothered by shenanigans on either side," Bancroft said, especially actions intended "to confuse things or try to trick people."
- The justice department then sued California on 15 October to try and force the state to sequester the ballots and verify citizenship.
- The New York Times story quoted Elisa Rios — Peltola’s longtime aide who was fired amid a staff shakeup shortly before the August primary election — who told the Times that a Democratic operative from the Lower 48 had hunted for Dan Sullivans who could challenge the senator, according to the story.
- A source familiar with the investigation confirmed the latest development to Just the News, which is based in part on new revelations in The New York Times and other evidence that has surfaced of the Peltola campaign's involvement in recruiting retiree Dan J.
- WASHINGTON — The Justice Department is escalating a criminal investigation over an Alaska Senate candidate who shares a name with the Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan, issuing a raft of new grand jury subpoenas, a person familiar with the matter told the Associated Press on Thursday.