New York Times Report Sparks Justice Department Probe Into Alaska "Dan Sullivan" Ballot Case

The US Justice Department has sent target letters to more than a dozen people and entities in an expanded criminal and civil probe into how a second candidate named Dan Sullivan came to appear on Alaska's Senate ballot, according to people familiar with the investigation. The recipients include leaders of the Elias Law Group, which represents the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and Democratic candidate Mary Peltola's campaign. The probe follows a New York Times report alleging that Peltola's campaign worked to recruit another Dan Sullivan to run. The campaign has denied any involvement.

What the New York Times reported

According to the New York Times, a Peltola campaign staffer was asked in the summer of 2025 to find as many people named Dan Sullivan in Alaska as possible. The Times reported that the goal was to identify a candidate whose name could draw votes from the Republican incumbent, Dan S. Sullivan, on the state's four-person ballot.

The Times said a retired teacher from a small fishing village in the Alaska Panhandle, Daniel J. Sullivan, announced his Senate candidacy this spring. The newspaper said its reporting, based on interviews, text messages and documents prepared for a potential lawsuit, showed that the effort was broader than recruiting one candidate. The Peltola campaign has repeatedly denied any involvement in his candidacy.

Scale of the Justice Department investigation

A law enforcement source told USA Today that the department has sent at least 20 letters to individuals or entities, informing them they are investigative targets or must preserve records. CNN, citing two sources, reported that the letters were largely sent to people aligned with the Democratic Party. The department has also issued more than 100 grand jury subpoenas and preservation letters, one official said, while USA Today's source put the number of subpoenas at at least 120. The two figures differ, and neither has been officially confirmed.

US Attorney Michael J. Heyman said at an October 30 press conference that the department is pursuing both civil and criminal inquiries into how the second Dan Sullivan was recruited. He said the story gave investigators new material. Heyman and other officials have said the election-related work in Alaska and other states is meant to protect votes, not to influence the outcome. Critics have argued the opposite.

Witness accounts and reactions

Investigators have begun witness interviews. Matthew Salisbury, a former candidate for the US House of Representatives, told CNN that an operative had tried to recruit him as a spoiler candidate against Senator Sullivan. He said he contacted the FBI and was interviewed at its local field office. Salisbury said he declined to run because the effort "felt unethical" and deceptive.

Marc Elias, chairman of the Elias Law Group, received one of the letters. In a statement he said he and his firm were being targeted by a Justice Department that he described as weaponized against the president's political opponents, and he said, "We will not be intimidated by a sham investigation." The Justice Department said it cannot discuss ongoing investigations.

The ballot itself marks the Republican incumbent as "Sullivan, Dan S.," with the label "(Registered Republican) Incumbent." The other candidate is listed as "Sullivan, Daniel J. Jr." Alaska's Supreme Court ruled in June that both names would remain on the ballot.

What we know so far

A federal district court in Alaska dismissed a Justice Department lawsuit filed on November 1 that sought to block certification of election results in the state over concerns about voter confusion. The department has appealed that ruling. The criminal and civil investigations are continuing, and no charges have been announced. The Peltola campaign's denials and the New York Times findings remain the central points of dispute.

Reporting by Chopal Unfiltered, drawing on coverage from CNN, USA Today and The New York Times.