The Justice Department has escalated a criminal investigation into Alaska's U.S. Senate race by issuing new grand jury subpoenas, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. The subpoenas seek grand jury testimony or documents, along with records preservation demands. The person said more subpoenas were expected. Neither the recipients nor the number of subpoenas was immediately clear.
The subpoenas followed a New York Times report on Wednesday that Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola's campaign appeared to be involved in recruiting Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., a retired teacher, whose name matches that of Republican incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan. CBS News said the Times cited a former Peltola campaign manager and text messages. Spokespeople for Peltola's campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee have denied any role in recruiting him. Daniel J. Sullivan has said he had no contact with Peltola's campaign and is genuinely running.
Speaking to supporters in Juneau on Thursday, Peltola said: "I knew nothing about any other candidate on the ballot except for me and the incumbent... I am not interested in tricking voters." She called the claims a distraction. Sen. Sullivan told Fox News she is "still lying" and called the matter a scandal.
The Times account, as summarized by El País, says Peltola's campaign leadership asked a staffer in the summer of 2025 for a list of every Dan Sullivan in Alaska's voter records, in an effort called the "ballot composition project." It names Democratic operative Jerid Kurtz as a central figure. Those details are the newspaper's reporting and have not been independently confirmed in the sources reviewed.
Other actions are also under way. Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy ordered a state investigation into whether the alleged scheme violated Alaska law. He later said it could affect whether a winner is certified. Peltola's campaign accused him of threatening to overrule voters. The Justice Department has also sued to potentially block certification if Sen. Sullivan loses because of voter confusion. State attorneys asked a court to rule by Monday. Experts cited by El País and Newser say the suit is unlikely to succeed because states run elections, and Alaska courts let the second Sullivan stay on the ballot.
President Donald Trump said Peltola should be removed from the ballot and prosecuted. Attorney General Todd Blanche declined to discuss any criminal investigation but accused Democrats of cheating. In Congress, House Oversight Chair James Comer, a Kentucky Republican, is seeking transcribed interviews on Nov. 5 and 6 with Peltola's former campaign manager Elisa Rios and Kurtz. He has threatened subpoenas. The race is Tuesday, Nov. 3, and is considered key to control of the Senate.
