Federal officials on Friday announced they had increased the number of law enforcement assets in Alaska to investigate the state’s U.S. Senate election, both for an ongoing civil lawsuit and a potential criminal case.
Alaska U.S. Attorney Michael Heyman held a news conference at the Federal Building in Anchorage to say his office and the FBI were looking into “troubling new revelations.”
“We are aware of the recent New York Times reporting regarding the Peltola campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, that they orchestrated a sprawling conspiracy to prop up Daniel J. Sullivan as a sham candidate, and we are taking that extremely seriously.”
The news conference also included officials from the FBI and the Alaska State Troopers. Heyman delivered bold assertions but few specifics. He did not cite any laws that may have been broken, even when a reporter pressed him on what crime might be at the heart of his criminal investigation.
“I'm not making any assumptions on whether a crime has been committed or not,” Heyman said. “That's why we are conducting that thorough investigation.”
He referred repeatedly to a story the New York Times published Wednesday that outlined a Democratic operation to recruit spoiler candidates to run for Senate that might siphon votes from the Republican incumbent, Sen. Dan Sullivan and help Democratic challenger Mary Peltola. Heyman said the story prompted a “significant surge of law enforcement assets to Alaska.”
“And I have assigned several attorneys in my office to assist in the matter as well,” he said. “As we speak, law enforcement around the country are taking investigative steps with respect to a criminal investigation on these matters.”
Heyman said he had not been in touch with the White House about either the civil or criminal investigation.
Asked about the timing of Friday’s announcement, just four days before Election Day on Tuesday, Heyman referred to the Times story.
The Times story also says that such ballot-stacking tactics “are common in politics and generally considered legal — and have been employed by both parties in Alaska.”
The case has drawn reporters from around the country to Alaska in recent days. Many attended the Justice Department news conference.
So did Aubrey Wieber, who leads a progressive advocacy group called the 907 Initiative.
“It's incredible to pull all this national media together to then say nothing,” he opined afterward. Wieber said Heyman had, “on the eve of the election,” suggested the idea of criminality in the Senate race without citing a crime or a criminal statute.
“One could say it appears that they are trying to interfere in an election and put their thumb on the scale,” Wieber said.
