Justice Department sends target letters to about 20 Democrats in Alaska Senate ballot probe

Target letters go to Democrats

The Justice Department has sent letters telling a group of Democrats that they are considered targets of a criminal investigation into the Alaska Senate race, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity. Among the recipients is Marc Elias, a Democratic election lawyer whose firm has represented Mary Peltola and other Democratic candidates. The count varies by report: Politico described more than 20 letters, which also include requests to preserve documents, The New York Times reported about 20 Democrats, and Axios said as many as 20. It is not clear when the letters were sent or whether every intended recipient received one. Target letters are sometimes sent to people the department intends to indict, but receiving one does not by itself mean a person will be charged.

How the probe grew

The investigation has been running for months but gained new momentum after a report in late October said allies of Peltola appeared to have been involved in recruiting Dan J. Sullivan, a retired teacher who shares the name of the Republican incumbent, Sen. Dan Sullivan. The report also said lawyers for Peltola's campaign and for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee were involved. Peltola and her campaign denied any involvement, and Democrats have repeatedly denied running a campaign trick. Democrats argue that recruiting candidates, known as ballot stacking, is a common campaign tactic that is not clearly illegal under state law. Peltola has said she knew nothing about the effort to put Dan J. Sullivan on the ballot.

“I am not interested in tricking voters.”

Scale of the investigation

According to one person briefed on the probe, the Justice Department has issued more than 100 subpoenas and sent letters ordering people to preserve records. FBI agents made home visits to donors of Dan J. Sullivan over the weekend of 31 October and 1 November. According to reports, a federal grand jury in Alaska is investigating possible conspiracy and donor fraud. Alaska U.S. Attorney Michael Heyman told reporters in Anchorage that recent revelations had led to a significant surge of law enforcement resources in the state, but he declined to say which specific crimes authorities were investigating. He has said he is not drawing conclusions yet.

“I'm not making any assumptions on whether a crime has been committed or not.”

Political reaction

President Donald Trump has publicly urged the department to act forcefully in Alaska. Over the weekend he said Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader in the Senate, and Elias should be held "criminally responsible" for the episode. On Tuesday he again named Elias in a call-in interview on Fox & Friends, saying the lawyer should go to jail and that Democrats had searched all over Alaska for someone named Sullivan. In a statement, Elias said the department had "zero evidence of wrongdoing" and framed the move as a direct attack on him and his firm.

“No one should be surprised that President Trump's Department of Justice is targeting me and my law firm on Election Day.”

Democrats have accused the administration of weaponizing the Justice Department for political purposes. The Justice Department and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee did not return requests for comment.

What comes next

The letters surfaced at the decisive moment in a close race between Sen. Dan Sullivan and Peltola, a step The New York Times described as highly unusual. The Guardian noted that the department has long avoided actions that could affect an election close to voting day, and that sending target letters this early in an investigation is not common. Axios framed the probe as part of the administration's broader push to investigate what it says is widespread voter fraud. Whether anyone will be charged remains unclear, and Heyman has not said which crimes are under examination.