Justice Department Subpoenas Peltola Campaign Over Alaska 'Fake Dan' Election Ploy

The Justice Department has issued grand jury subpoenas to Democrat Mary Peltola’s Senate campaign and the campaign of a second Dan Sullivan running in Alaska, following reports that operatives recruited the challenger to confuse voters and siphon support from Republican incumbent Sen. Dan S. Sullivan.

A U.S. official told NBC News that investigators issued at least three dozen subpoenas and document preservation requests, though the exact count was undisclosed. ABC News reported that prosecutors are examining whether the effort violated federal conspiracy statutes.

Alaska Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy also ordered a state investigation, saying the outcome could affect whether a winner is seated in the Senate. The subpoenas follow a New York Times investigation tracing the effort to Democratic operatives working with Peltola staffers and national Democrats.

Peltola’s campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee denied involvement, and Peltola dismissed the report as a distraction. Fired campaign manager Elisa Rios, the Times’ primary source, later sought to retract her statements.