The Justice Department has sent letters to about 20 Democrats warning that they may be targets of its investigation into the recruitment of a candidate with the same name as Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK).
The New York Times reported, citing two people with knowledge of the move, that sending such notifications at the decisive moment of a close race between Sullivan and Democrat Mary Peltola is highly unusual.
Democrats accuse the administration of weaponizing the department for political purposes, and they say recruiting same-name candidates, a tactic known as ballot stacking, is common in campaigns and not clearly illegal under state law.
The intended recipients include Marc Elias, a prominent elections lawyer whose firm has represented Peltola and other Democrats, and at least one official at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, according to one source. The department is reportedly investigating possible donor fraud and conspiracy charges.
It is not clear when the letters were sent or whether all the intended recipients received them.
President Donald Trump has publicly pressed the department to act forcefully in Alaska. Over the weekend, he said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Elias should be held “criminally responsible.”
On Tuesday, Trump went further, telling “Fox & Friends” that Elias should be locked up.
“You had the Democrat Party headed up by Elias, their lawyer, who was a bad guy, very bad guy — should go to jail, in my opinion,” Trump said. “But you had the Democrat Party look all over Alaska for somebody named Sullivan.”
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