The Daily BS • Bo Snerdley Cuts Through It!
The Daily BS • Bo Snerdley Cuts Through It!

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More than 40 federal subpoenas and records demands follow Alaska’s second-Sullivan revelations

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THE DAILY BS: HOW MUCH CAN YOU HANDLE?

SPARE ME THE BS (I’ve got things to do)

  • The Justice Department escalated its Alaska Senate investigation with more than 40 grand jury subpoenas and records-preservation demands, according to reporting.
  • Investigators are probing efforts to recruit a candidate with a name similar to Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan’s.
  • Democrat Mary Peltola denies knowing about or participating in the reported recruitment strategy.

LAY IT ON ME (I’ve got time)

Alaska’s second-Dan-Sullivan election controversy has graduated from campaign intrigue to grand jury business. And that makes it a little harder to dismiss with a clever talking point.

Prosecutors reportedly issued dozens of subpoenas and preservation demands as an investigation into the recruitment of Daniel J. Sullivan intensified.

The New York Times had reported on alleged efforts by people connected to Democrat Mary Peltola’s political operation to recruit a candidate with the incumbent Republican senator’s name, potentially siphoning votes through confusion. Peltola and campaign officials deny involvement.

Peltola told supporters, “I knew nothing about any other candidates on the ballot except for me and the incumbent.” She added: “I am not interested in tricking voters. I know I can beat Dan Sullivan.”

The state Supreme Court allowed the other Sullivan on the ballot. The Justice Department is pursuing both a criminal investigation and separate civil litigation, while Alaska’s governor ordered a state inquiry.

The subpoenas are only the latest development. Reuters reported October 29 that more than 40 grand jury subpoenas and records-preservation requests had been issued, with more expected. That is a combined count, not 40 confirmed subpoenas alone. Sources said recipients included the campaigns of Democrat Mary Peltola and Dan J. Sullivan, the retired Petersburg teacher who shares the incumbent Republican senator’s name.

CBS News reported that several Democratic officials believed to be connected to the recruitment operation were targets of the new subpoenas. No one involved in the race had been criminally charged at the time of that reporting. The grand jury investigation is separate from the Justice Department’s civil election lawsuit.

How the second Sullivan was recruited. The New York Times reported October 28 that a Peltola staffer was told in summer 2025 to search Alaska voter records for people named Dan Sullivan. The reported aim was to recruit namesake candidates who might draw votes away from incumbent Sen. Dan S. Sullivan. The Times based its account on documents, messages and interviews, and reported involvement by operatives linked to Peltola’s campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

Among the names in subsequent reporting: Democratic operative Jerid Kurtz, former Peltola campaign manager Elisa Rios and former chief of staff Anton McParland. Rios, who had been fired from the campaign, told the Times: “Alaskan voters need to know.” She said voters should get the full picture. The Daily Caller News Foundation also reported that internal messages discussed creating a MAGA Party label, although that idea was not carried out.

The ballot fight did not begin this week. Alaska election director Carol Beecher challenged the second Sullivan’s filing, saying it appeared designed to confuse voters rather than represent a good-faith candidacy. After litigation, the Alaska Supreme Court allowed him to remain on the ballot. He later changed his party affiliation from Republican to undeclared. The court’s decision about ballot access did not resolve who recruited him or why.

Now the Justice Department has two tracks. Its amended civil complaint cites the Times investigation and calls the alleged recruitment a “conspiracy to undermine the integrity of the electoral process.” Prosecutors are seeking a way to contest certification if the incumbent loses and votes for the second Sullivan could have affected the outcome. Alaska officials have challenged the federal government’s authority and legal arguments. Separately, investigators are using subpoenas and preservation demands to seek records and testimony about the operation.

The Peltola campaign and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee have pushed back. In Friday court papers, they disputed the claim that they misled the court, calling it “nonsense,” as the Kyle Cheney post embedded above reports. Peltola says she personally knew nothing about the recruitment effort and denies trying to trick voters.

There is also a state investigation. Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy directed Alaska’s Department of Public Safety to investigate whether state criminal charges or civil action are warranted. The Alaska Bureau of Investigation began reviewing the allegations. In the Fox News video embedded above, Dunleavy called the operation orchestrated by the Democratic Party and questioned whether the second Sullivan was a legitimate candidate.

And House Oversight Chairman James Comer has entered the picture. Axios reported that Comer requested transcribed interviews with Rios and Kurtz on November 5 and 6, respectively, and warned that subpoenas could follow. That congressional inquiry is separate from both federal proceedings and the governor’s investigation.

DBS WIRE SOURCES (I have all day)

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