The Trump administration is sending additional federal law enforcement resources to Alaska following what the state’s top federal prosecutor called “troubling new revelations” about an alleged Democratic effort to divert votes from incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) in the midterm election.
The criminal investigation into the purported “Decoy Dan” operation has been underway for “several months.” But Michael Heyman, the U.S. attorney for the District of Alaska, said Friday that authorities are deploying additional personnel after a bombshell New York Times report alleged that former Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola’s campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) were connected to the effort.
“This new information has resulted in a significant surge of law enforcement assets to Alaska,” Heyman told reporters at a press conference in Anchorage.
“As we speak, law enforcement around the country are taking investigative steps with respect to the criminal investigation,” he added. Heyman said he could not disclose details because the probe remains active.
Heyman said several attorneys from his office have also been assigned to the case, adding that authorities are treating the allegations detailed by The New York Times “extremely seriously.”
“We are acting on it intensely and swiftly,” he said.
Fox News reported earlier this week that the Justice Department had issued at least 30 subpoenas within 24 hours of the new allegations emerging.
“Every Alaskan deserves a fair election and they’re going to get one,” Heyman said, warning that “anyone who tries to illegally deceive voters and interfere with the election will answer for it.”
Former Peltola campaign manager Elisa Rios and other sources told The New York Times that campaign aides had been directed to find people named “Dan Sullivan” who might enter the Senate race. The alleged goal was to confuse voters intending to support the Republican incumbent.
Rios said Peltola, a former congresswoman, did not take part directly in the recruitment effort but was “definitely aware” of it.
In her first public comments since the allegations surfaced, Peltola told Alaskans that she “knew nothing about any other candidate on the ballot except for me and the incumbent.”
“I am not interested in tricking voters,” she said at a campaign event Thursday.
President Trump has called on Peltola to leave the race and face criminal prosecution following the report.
Heyman said the criminal investigation is proceeding alongside a separate civil case involving the alleged scheme.
The Justice Department filed a lawsuit before The New York Times report was published, seeking to delay certification of the Alaska Senate election results.
“The department is not asking the court to declare a winner or loser or change the votes in any way,” Heyman said of the lawsuit. “It’s simply to preserve those ballots.”
He added that the Justice Department plans to ask the judge overseeing the case to authorize expedited discovery by Monday.
Heyman said he had been recused from the investigation until recently because the White House was considering him for a judicial nomination.
“The White House has nominated someone else for that position and so, therefore, the facts and circumstances have changed, and they have decided to rescind … that recusal,” he said.
