ANCHORAGE — Federal prosecutors and the FBI said on Friday that they are sending more law enforcement resources to Alaska as they investigate claims about how an independent candidate named Daniel J. Sullivan was recruited to run in the state’s United States Senate race.
At a press conference on October 30, Michael J. Heyman, the United States Attorney for Alaska, publicly confirmed that a criminal investigation is under way. He stood alongside Matthew Schlegel, the special agent in charge of the FBI office in Anchorage, and Colonel Mo Hughes of the Alaska State Troopers.
Heyman said several attorneys have been assigned to the work and described the move as a significant surge of resources to Alaska. He did not announce any criminal charges, and he declined to identify any targets of the investigation, the steps investigators are taking, or the laws that may be involved.
The case has drawn attention because Alaska voters will see two candidates with a very similar name on the ballot. One is the incumbent Republican senator, Dan Sullivan. The other is Daniel J. Sullivan, an independent candidate who is also registered as a Republican and who has been called “Decoy Dan” by critics.
According to reporting by The New York Times, the campaign of Mary Peltola and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee were alleged to have orchestrated the recruitment and support of the independent candidate as a sham or spoiler candidate. Peltola has denied the claim, according to earlier reporting. The allegations have not been proven, and no charges were announced on Friday.
Heyman said the investigation had already been under way for several months and was being led by First Assistant United States Attorney Tom Bradley. He said the Times report added new information and sped up the work, but he stressed that the inquiry did not begin with that report.
The announcement also came one day after a change in Heyman’s own role. On October 29, the Justice Department rescinded an earlier recusal by Heyman, according to officials at the press conference. Heyman spoke in his role as the United States Attorney for Alaska when he confirmed the investigation on Friday.
There is also a separate civil case linked to the same dispute. Heyman said the Justice Department has amended its civil complaint to add an allegation under the Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution. The department plans to file a motion for a preliminary injunction and to seek expedited discovery by Monday, November 2. The civil case is before United States District Judge Sharon Gleason.
Reporters at the press conference challenged officials on the legal basis for the action and on its timing, so close to Election Day on November 3. Heyman did not answer those questions in detail. He said the issues would be addressed in court filings.
Officials asked anyone with information to contact the FBI. Tips can be sent through tips.fbi.gov or by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI, which is 1-800-225-5324. The investigation is continuing, and officials said they would not provide further details about targets or next steps at this stage.
