The US Department of Justice has expanded its investigation into the alleged ‘Decoy Dan’ scheme surrounding Alaska’s Senate election, sending approximately 20 letters to prominent Democrats and attorneys on Election Day, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The letters, which were reportedly dispatched on Tuesday, November 3, informed recipients that they were targets of a criminal investigation into the alleged effort to influence the closely contested Senate race.
According to The New York Times, those contacted included prominent election lawyer Marc Elias and at least one official from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
The investigation is examining potential donor fraud and conspiracy offences, sources told the newspaper.
Alleged Candidate Recruitment Scheme Under Scrutiny
The controversy centres on allegations that Democrats recruited a candidate with a name similar to that of Republican Senator Dan Sullivan to enter the Alaska Senate race.
Daniel J Sullivan, described by the Trump administration as ‘Decoy Dan’, is accused of potentially confusing voters who might mistake him for the incumbent Republican senator.
A New York Times investigation previously reported that individuals working for Democratic challenger Mary Peltola’s campaign had approached other people named Dan Sullivan about running in the election.
The alleged strategy was intended to draw votes away from the Republican incumbent and improve Peltola’s chances of defeating him.
Republican Governor Orders Separate Investigation
The federal investigation follows a move by Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy to order an inquiry into Peltola’s Senate campaign over the alleged recruitment operation.
Peltola has rejected claims that her campaign attempted to mislead voters, insisting that she does not need such tactics to defeat Sullivan.
Speaking to supporters, she said: “I’m not interested in tricking voters, I know I can beat Dan Sullivan.”
Alaska Voter Raises Concerns Over Possible Confusion
The controversy has also drawn attention to the possibility that voters could confuse the two candidates with similar names.
Greg Martone, an Alaska resident, was filmed expressing uncertainty about which Dan Sullivan he had selected after casting his ballot.
Speaking to NewsNation, Martone said he could not remember encountering a second candidate with the same name.
“I just might be having a brain freeze, but I don’t remember the second Dan Sullivan,” he said.
He acknowledged that he might have accidentally voted for Daniel J Sullivan instead of Republican Senator Dan S Sullivan.
“There is a slight possibility I voted for the wrong Dan Sullivan. I mean there is a slight possibility — I’m hoping I’m just kinda getting paranoid,” Martone said.
He added that he wanted to check a sample ballot to establish where the candidates appeared on the list.
Federal Judge Rejects Trump’s Attempt to Separate Ballots
The expanding criminal investigation comes after a federal judge rejected the Trump administration’s attempt to secure special treatment for ballots cast in Alaska’s Senate election.
US District Judge Sharon Gleason dismissed the Justice Department’s lawsuit on Sunday, November 1, ruling that the administration lacked standing to bring the case.
The lawsuit sought to require Alaska election officials to segregate ballots in the event that Republican Senator Dan Sullivan lost his re-election contest to Peltola.
The Justice Department had argued that Daniel J Sullivan entered the race as a frivolous candidate whose presence was intended to confuse voters.
In its filing, the department described the alleged arrangement as an attempt to mislead Alaskans and manipulate the election outcome.
“Alaskan voters deserve a fair election, not to be misled in an attempt to rig outcomes,” the DOJ stated.
Judge Cites Voter Privacy in Ballot Segregation Ruling
The Justice Department argued that the second candidate’s participation could deceive voters into believing they were selecting the incumbent Republican senator.
It asked the court to require election officials to separate ballots containing votes for the two candidates if Peltola emerged victorious.
However, Gleason said the government had failed to present a workable method for distinguishing the ballots without compromising the secrecy of voters’ choices.
The judge also said the proposed arrangement could violate fundamental privacy protections.
“The absence of any explanation from the United States as to how its requested relief could redress its alleged injury while simultaneously maintaining the secrecy of the ballot is telling,” Gleason said.
She added: “Simply, the Court cannot grant the United States the relief it seeks.”
Justice Department Appeals Election Ruling
The Trump administration’s Justice Department has appealed Gleason’s decision, although it remained unclear whether the appeal would produce any significant action before Tuesday’s election.
The legal dispute unfolded as Alaska’s Senate contest emerged as a closely watched race, with polls indicating that Peltola could potentially become the state’s first Democratic senator since 2008.
Alaska has traditionally supported Republican candidates, but Peltola’s challenge has brought Sullivan into a competitive contest.
With control of the Senate potentially dependent on the outcome of the Alaska race, the alleged candidate recruitment operation has become a central issue surrounding the election.
