Justice Department Issues Subpoenas in Probe of Same-Name Candidate in Alaska Senate Race

The U.S. Justice Department issued new grand jury subpoenas Thursday in a criminal probe of an alleged effort to put a second candidate named Dan Sullivan on Alaska's U.S. Senate ballot, a source told the Associated Press. The subpoenas seek testimony or documents and demand records preservation, and more were expected. They followed a New York Times report that Democrat Mary Peltola's campaign appeared to have helped recruit Dan J. Sullivan Jr. to run against Republican Sen. Dan S. Sullivan. Peltola said in Juneau she knew nothing about any other candidate. Gov. Mike Dunleavy ordered a state criminal inquiry, and the Alaska Bureau of Investigation has begun work. Trump said he ordered a DOJ lawsuit to block certification if Sullivan loses. The election is Tuesday, and the race is key to Senate control.

Left-leaning outlets HuffPost and The Guardian US treat the subpoenas as reported by sources. HuffPost leads with Peltola's denial and her quoted vow not to trick voters, and notes that recipients, numbers and targets are unclear. The Guardian uses "allegedly" and "reportedly" and calls the subpoenas an aggressive move, noting the department has historically avoided overt steps against candidates just before elections. Right-leaning Daily Caller headlines a "ballot scheme" and leads with at least three dozen subpoenas, which it says went to the Peltola and Sullivan Jr. campaign offices. It cites the DOJ's amended lawsuit calling the matter a conspiracy against election integrity, and features Dunleavy and state official Austin McDaniel. The excerpt omits Peltola's denial. Both sides agree on the Times trigger, Dunleavy's inquiry and the certification lawsuit. Reuters, on the alternative side, offers an explainer on whether recruiting spoiler candidates is legal.