The federal investigation into Petersburg’s Dan J. Sullivan has advanced, with a federal grand jury issuing subpoenas last week to witnesses linked to his U.S. Senate campaign, according to an exclusive report from NBC News.
A law enforcement official told NBC that the subpoenas seek information connected to the candidacy of the retired Petersburg teacher, who shares a name with incumbent Sen. Dan S. Sullivan (R-Alaska). Investigators are examining whether Dan J. Sullivan’s entry into the race was part of a conspiracy to confuse voters and divert support from the incumbent. This marks a new phase in a probe involving the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska looking at possible wire fraud or a conspiracy to deprive Alaskans of a free and fair election process.
Dan J. Sullivan, a retired teacher from Petersburg, filed to run as a Republican in late May, just before the candidate deadline. The Alaska Division of Elections, under Director Carol Beecher, removed him from the ballot on June 15 after determining his candidacy was not filed in good faith and appeared intended to confuse voters—citing his recent party registration change, similarities to the incumbent’s campaign materials, and other factors. Anchorage Superior Court Judge Thomas Matthews ordered him restored to the ballot on June 26, ruling that the Division lacked legal authority to impose a “good-faith” requirement not found in the U.S. Constitution, Alaska law, or its own regulations. The Alaska Supreme Court affirmed that decision on June 29, just hours before ballots were set to be printed, allowing him to appear on the August 18 primary ballot (listed as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr.).
Federal grand juries in the District of Alaska consist of 16 to 23 ordinary citizens randomly selected from the community. These private citizens, not Department of Justice employees, hear evidence presented by prosecutors behind closed doors under the strict secrecy rules of Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 6(e). Their role is investigative: they decide whether probable cause exists to believe a crime occurred and may compel the production of documents or testimony through subpoenas. A simple majority is sufficient to approve a subpoena or, later, return an indictment. No judge is present during the presentation of evidence, and the target of the investigation generally has no right to appear or offer a defense at this stage. The identities of the specific grand jurors handling this matter remain confidential and are not publicly available; participants in the process are prohibited from disclosing what occurs inside the grand jury room.
This development follows earlier reporting, including Must Read Alaska’s July 1 coverage of a Wall Street Journal opinion piece by Michael Fragoso and Sean Cooksey. That piece argued that Dan J. Sullivan—sometimes called “Decoy Dan”—could face federal charges for conspiracy against rights under 18 U.S.C. § 241 if evidence showed coordinated efforts to place a same-name candidate on the ballot with the intent to deceive voters who support the incumbent. Dan J. Sullivan has denied any intent to confuse voters.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska has not publicly confirmed or denied the existence of the subpoenas or the broader probe. Dan J. Sullivan’s campaign has previously declined comment on related reports. An investigation does not automatically lead to charges, and any further developments remain protected by grand jury secrecy.
In the August 18 primary, “Decoy” Dan J. Sullivan placed third, receiving a mere 2.4% of the votes. He will advance to the general election ballot alongside Democrat Mary Peltola, who received 48% of the primary votes, and the incumbent Senator Dan S. Sullivan, who placed second with 42.8%.
