DOJ Lawsuit Alleges Democratic Campaign Recruited Candidate with Similar Name to Disrupt Alaska Senate Race
A New York Times report alleges that aides to Democratic Senate nominee Mary Peltola and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) participated in efforts to recruit a candidate named Daniel J. Sullivan to run in the Alaska Senate race. The strategy was reportedly intended to create voter confusion and dilute support for the incumbent Republican, Senator Dan S. Sullivan. The Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit seeking to block the certification of the election results pending an investigation into whether votes cast for the non-incumbent Sullivan were actually intended for the incumbent. President Donald Trump claimed responsibility for ordering the legal action. The Peltola campaign and the DSCC have denied involvement in recruiting 'spoiler' candidates, while Alaska state officials and advocacy groups are seeking to have the lawsuit dismissed.