Alaska prosecutor confirms criminal and civil probes into alleged Democratic effort to recruit a second Dan Sullivan

Summary

US attorney Michael Heyman confirmed at a news conference in Anchorage on Friday that there is a criminal and a civil investigation into an alleged Democratic scheme to recruit a spoiler candidate who shares a name with Republican senator Dan Sullivan. Heyman cited New York Times reporting that suggested the Senate campaign of Democrat Mary Peltola and national Democrats had orchestrated a sprawling conspiracy to recruit and prop up Daniel J Sullivan as a sham candidate. Peltola denies knowledge of the alleged effort, according to The Guardian. NPR reports that the Justice Department is seeking to isolate Alaska ballots amid the criminal probe over the Senate candidate, in a toss-up race where the allegations were first reported by the New York Times.

Timeline

1. The Guardian

   30 Oct 2026, 22:35 UTCSource ↗

   The Guardian reports that Alaska's top federal prosecutor confirmed on Friday a criminal and a civil investigation into an alleged Democratic scheme to recruit a spoiler Senate candidate who shares a name with Republican senator Dan Sullivan, citing New York Times reporting, and that Mary Peltola denies knowledge of the effort.

2. NPR

   31 Oct 2026, 13:50 UTCSource ↗

   NPR reports that the Justice Department is seeking to isolate Alaska ballots amid a criminal probe over a Senate candidate, following allegations first reported by the New York Times that Democrats recruited a spoiler candidate in the toss-up race.