The RNC said Democrat-linked efforts to place a second Dan Sullivan on Alaska’s Senate ballot were meant to confuse voters, rejecting claims that spoiler tactics are used equally by both parties.
The dispute escalated after the New York Times reported that Mary Peltola’s campaign, DSCC aides and others worked to get retired teacher Dan J. Sullivan onto the ballot.
The Justice Department last week sued to delay certification if votes for the second Sullivan could have altered the result, and a senior official said investigators are examining possible civil-rights violations under 18 U.S.C. §§ 241 and 242.
An aggressive criminal investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Alaska has been underway for months and is expected to continue beyond Election Day, while Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy has also ordered a state probe.
Peltola’s campaign and DSCC officials deny recruiting the second Sullivan to mislead voters, even as Republicans including JD Vance and John Thune cast the episode as an attempt to steal a Senate seat.