FBI and Congress widen scrutiny of Alaska 'Decoy Dan' scheme as ex-lawmaker details mystery recruiter

The investigation into the alleged 'Decoy Dan Sullivan' ballot scheme in Alaska's U.S. Senate race has widened. Former Republican state lawmaker David Eastman says the FBI interviewed him after an apparent Democratic operative posed as a conservative recruiter and tried to persuade him to enter the race.

Eastman said the operative claimed to represent conservative donors and encouraged him to run for federal office, none of which, he says, was true. He said he was approached through a constituent and sat down with the man in April in Wasilla, in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley.

Eastman identified the operative as Jerid Kurtz, who was named in the New York Times report. He alleged Kurtz pretended to represent conservative donors and used a false name, but never mentioned either Sullivan or disclosed an intention to confuse voters during their meeting.

Alaska's ballot ultimately included Democratic nominee Mary Peltola, incumbent Republican Sen. Dan S. Sullivan, Republican Gerald Heikes and retired Petersburg teacher Dan J. Sullivan. Whether the similarly named candidate diverted votes or affected the outcome remains unproven.

The allegations centre on a reported scheme to stack the ballot with other 'Dan Sullivans' to siphon votes from Senator Sullivan, with former campaign staff for Peltola speaking to the New York Times about their knowledge of the reported effort.

Article III Project attorney Will Chamberlain argued the alleged operation could violate 18 U.S.C. Section 241, the federal conspiracy-against-rights statute, if prosecutors establish participants conspired to interfere with voters' constitutional rights. He said the right to vote for the candidate of your choice is one of those rights, and the offence can carry up to 10 years in prison.

Chamberlain cited historical cases involving ballot manipulation, while acknowledging that recruiting a same-name candidate has not previously been addressed in an identical case. He said slanted electoral messaging is not by itself illegal, but conspiring to put two people with the exact same name on the ballot to trick voters is different.

Eastman also said he received several 'fake mailers' suggesting 'Decoy Dan' Sullivan was the real or only Sullivan in the race. The mailers, framed in a 'meet the candidates' format, omit Senator Sullivan.

The controversy has also reached Capitol Hill. In an October 29 letter, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman James Comer requested that Kurtz appear for an in-person transcribed interview on November 6. Comer wrote that Kurtz has information that will assist the committee's investigation and warned that if he does not voluntarily appear, the committee will be forced to evaluate the use of compulsory process.

Comment was sought from the DSCC, Peltola's campaign and Wingspan Strategies, where Kurtz is named in congressional documents as a co-owner. Dan J. Sullivan reportedly 'vanished' as investigators began knocking on doors in his remote community, according to the Wall Street Journal. The FBI was also asked for comment.