The DOJ is acting to "intensely and swiftly" escalate its probe, the top federal prosecutor in Alaska said.
Page B48From§Eachthe evening edition — 31 October 2026
THE CONDITION
Justice Department sues to block Alaska's certification, surges agents, then says it is not assuming a crime occurred
There is a crime in this somewhere, you would think, and the United States Attorney in Anchorage will not name it. Michael Heyman confirmed a criminal investigation and a civil one on Friday, and said he is "not making any assumptions on whether a crime has been committed or not." Hold that order. The suit asking a court to withhold certification of Alaska's Senate race was filed a week ago; the relief it asks for arrives only if Dan Sullivan loses. The ballots it challenged numbered zero. The grounds have been arriving since, in instalments: law enforcement surged, and a Friday filing asking that every ballot ranking Daniel J. Sullivan be segregated for voter confusion. Segregated, not counted. And how does setting a ballot aside establish that the voter who marked it was confused? The filing does not say. A condition precedent is the event a promise waits upon; until it occurs, nothing is owed. Here the event is not a finding ... it is a Republican defeat. The New York Times reported on Wednesday that Peltola's campaign recruited the second Sullivan; she denies knowing of "any other candidate" besides herself and the incumbent. On 27 August, two months before her campaign recruited anyone, a Washington Examiner column called the decoy Sullivan Democratic voter suppression. Alaska votes Tuesday.
At noon the fox walks the yard. A man has not mended the latch.
“They filed the lawsuit first and went hunting for the crime after — the U.S. attorney stood up Friday and said he's not assuming one happened. And look at the trigger: the certification only gets blocked if Sullivan loses, so if he wins, every one of those ballots is suddenly fine. Your vote doesn't get thrown out, it gets put in its own pile and left sitting there while a court in Washington decides whether Tuesday counted.”
“Nobody is prejudging anything here — the U.S. attorney said himself he's not assuming a crime, which is precisely why you'd want those ballots separated out, purely as a precaution. Did I say precaution? That doesn't sound like me. The point is if there's nothing to it the certification sails right through, and only if the Republican loses does anybody even need to look, so really the voters are the ones being protected.”
Earlier in this story
- Four federal and state probes into Alaska's two Dan Sullivans yield zero charges, zero ballots, one denial. By Mitch · the afternoon edition, 30 October 2026
- Alaska's four-agency probe into a same-name candidate has produced zero charges, one on-air clarification: not illegal. By Mitch · the morning edition, 30 October 2026
- Bolsonaro loses Brazil's election, flees to US with Trump's help, declares himself its leader. By The Lodgers · the evening edition, 29 October 2026
- Sullivan tells Alaskans to mark Decoy Dan, the candidate at the center of Thursday's grand jury subpoenas. By Sterling · the evening edition, 29 October 2026
- Governor opens criminal probe into the one Alaska candidate whose win a federal suit seeks to void By Sterling · the morning edition, 29 October 2026
- Peltola's campaign was 'definitely aware' of its decoy scheme; DOJ needs an anonymous analyst to prove it worked. By Lou · the evening edition, 28 October 2026
The receipts
The incumbent Republican running for re-election and allies have accused the Democrats of trying to confuse voters by recruiting a second Dan Sullivan to also stand in the race.
The top federal prosecutor in Alaska did not specify what crimes are being investigated by the Justice Department, saying he's "not making any assumptions on whether a crime has been committed or not."
The court filing, which cites the potential for “voter confusion,” did not spell out how segregating ballots would determine if a voter was confused.
Federal authorities are investigating whether Democrat Mary Peltola's campaign's reported effort to recruit a candidate in the Alaska Senate race with the same name as incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan (R) violated the law, the state’s top federal prosecutor announced Friday. U.S.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) called for the “truth” from former Rep.
The DOJ disbanded its crypto enforcement team in April 2025 and ordered inconsistent investigations closed - while the president's family runs a crypto business CNBC, 8 April 2025 (Blanche memo)
Feds ‘surge’ law enforcement to Alaska after ‘troubling new revelations’ in ‘Decoy Dan’ Senate scheme“As we speak, law enforcement around the country are taking investigative steps with respect to the criminal investigation,” the top federal prosecutor in Alaska said Friday.
Democrats are running an average of 11.5 points ahead of their 2024 baseline across 2026 special elections MultiState Elections, 2026 special-election tracking
With Marc Elias involved, you KNOW dirty tricks are afoot in Alaska raceMary Peltola campaigns as an anti-politician, yet her campaign was working with the ultimate Democratic political operative's firm to pull off a quintessential inside-baseball dirty trick.
Republicans' reconciliation package puts $70 billion into ICE's department NBC News, May 2026
Courts Reject Trump’s Attempt at Deploying ICE to Intimidate VotersA judge ordered Homeland Security to stop sending agents door to door in nine key states to hunt for “voter fraud.”
Mary Peltola denies knowledge as party accused of recruiting spoiler candidate with same name as sitting Republican Alaska Senate race: what to know about Democrats’ alleged ballot-stacking effort The top federal prosecutor in Alaska confirmed on Friday the existence of a criminal and a civil investigation into an alleged scheme by…
The move by the Justice Department to try and preemptively block Alaska’s Senate results if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan loses stunned officials in both parties.
A New York Times report alleges that Democrats launched a scheme to confuse voters in a race that could determine the power in Washington, D.C. Democrat Mary Peltola is running against incumbent Dan Sullivan. But there is a second Dan Sullivan on the ballot, and the report finds that Peltola's campaign was behind an effort to recruit the…
Republicans have condemned the presence of two Dan Sullivans on the ballot, calling it a ploy to split votes Alaska Democrat Mary Peltola’s campaign was behind an effort to recruit a challenger with almost the same name as the Republican US senator Dan Sullivan, both of whom will appear on the ballot in next week’s midterm elections, the…
· Democrats embrace voter suppression with decoy Dan Sullivan in Alaska from the morgue, 27 Aug 2026
· DOJ sues to block Alaska Senate certification if Sullivan loses from the morgue, 24 Oct 2026
· Alaska Election Gambit Shows Justice Dept. Has Bowed to Trump’s Demands from the morgue, 24 Oct 2026
· Donald Trump challenges Alaska Senate trace from the morgue, 24 Oct 2026
· Trump administration sues to block possible Democratic win in Alaska Senate race from the morgue, 24 Oct 2026
· The controversy surrounding convicted former election official Tina Peters from the morgue, 24 Oct 2026
· Alaska Senate race featuring two Dan Sullivans is ‘blatantly corrupt’: Joe Concha from the morgue, 24 Oct 2026
· Trump officials abandon effort to investigate election threats, experts warn from the morgue, 1 Oct 2026
· Tina Peters turns down job with California county's registrar of voters from the morgue, 1 Sep 2026
· Election deniers stoke Trump-driven ballot security fears before midterms from the morgue, 6 Oct 2026
· Justice Dept. Demands That California Counties Help Identify Noncitizen Voters from the morgue, 24 Oct 2026
· Sabato’s Crystal Ball shifts Alaska and South Carolina Senate races in favor of Democrats from the morgue, 6 Oct 2026
· Appeals Court Rejects 'Likely Unlawful' Trump Push to Undermine Mail-In Voting as Supreme Court Looms from the morgue, 10 Sep 2026
· US justice department sues California over alleged noncitizen voting from the morgue, 15 Oct 2026
· Trump knocks Alaska voting system: 'How stupid are we to do this?' from the morgue, 9 Oct 2026
· Corey Lewandowski Always Found His Way Back to Trump. Until Now. from the morgue, 23 Oct 2026
· Trump announces $6.6bn defense shipyard owned by top Republican donor’s firm from the morgue, 6 Oct 2026
· Companies Backed by Trump Sons Have Scored Over $6 Billion in Pentagon Contracts: Analysis from the morgue, 7 Oct 2026
· DOJ demands that California counties help identify noncitizen voters from the morgue, 24 Oct 2026
· DOJ demands that some California counties set aside alleged noncitizen ballots from the morgue, 25 Oct 2026
· California officials ordered by DoJ to set aside ‘likely’ noncitizen ballots from the morgue, 24 Oct 2026
· LA feds move to halt ballot counting over 20K suspected noncitizen voters from the morgue, 23 Oct 2026
· Trump 'Laying the Groundwork for Election Meddling' With DHS Hunt for Noncitizen Voters from the morgue, 2 Sep 2026
· California has no real safeguards for voting and voter registration from the morgue, 21 Oct 2026
· Federal efforts over alleged noncitizen voting escalate with California arrests from the morgue, 20 Oct 2026
· Federal voter fraud arrests intensify in California days after DOJ warning from the morgue, 19 Oct 2026
· Trump DOJ issues stark warning to California ballot counters after suing state over 20K suspected noncitizen voters from the morgue, 17 Oct 2026
· Intel Democrats on how they'll react if Trump alleges election meddling from the morgue, 23 Oct 2026
· Trump told DOJ to sue to block Alaska Senate results if Republican narrowly loses from the morgue, 26 Oct 2026
· Trump says he personally ordered DOJ lawsuit intervening in Alaska Senate election from the morgue, 23 Oct 2026
· Ramaswamy accuses Acton of ‘lying’ about attack ad, but court records contradict mother’s claim – live from the morgue, 24 Oct 2026
· DoJ sues to block certification of Alaska Senate results if Republican incumbent loses from the morgue, 23 Oct 2026
· Trump-Ordered DOJ Lawsuit in Alaska Seen as First Salvo in GOP Effort to Undermine Midterm Elections from the morgue, 23 Oct 2026
· Trump on the Alaska election lawsuit: 'I'm the one that said, "do it"' from the morgue, 23 Oct 2026
· Trump administration sues to block certification of upcoming Alaska election from the morgue, 23 Oct 2026
· DOJ files lawsuit to block results in Alaska Senate race after two Dan Sullivans land on November ballot from the morgue, 23 Oct 2026
· Trump previews trip to Alaska to campaign for Dan Sullivan, ripping into the other Dan Sullivan from the morgue, 2 Sep 2026
· Trump urges Alaskans to vote for the ‘real’ Dan Sullivan in tight midterms battle from the morgue, 14 Oct 2026
· Sullivan trails Peltola in Alaska Senate contest: AARP poll from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· Trump vows to probe other Dan Sullivan in alleged Dem plot to sabotage ‘real’ Alaska GOP senator from the morgue, 14 Oct 2026
· Trump administration sued over plans to send election monitors to voting sites from the morgue, 7 Oct 2026
· AGs v. Trump: How an AWOL Congress made hundreds of lawsuits possible from the morgue, 16 Oct 2026
· The Electoral College meets in the state capitals to officially elect the next President. Joe Biden, the presumptive president-elect, is officially elected president after securing California's 55 ele from the morgue, 14 Dec 2020
· US federal agents raid home of Democratic congresswoman and Trump critic Ilhan Omar from the morgue, 12 Oct 2026
· Ilhan Omar’s Home Raided by DHS Following Trump-GOP Deportation Threats from the morgue, 12 Oct 2026
· Federal Agents Search Home of Rep. Ilhan Omar from the morgue, 13 Oct 2026
· Rep. Ilhan Omar’s residence searched as part of ongoing criminal investigation: DOJ from the morgue, 13 Oct 2026
· Rep. Ilhan Omar's D.C. home searched by Homeland Security investigators from the morgue, 12 Oct 2026
· Rep. Ilhan Omar’s DC home raided by DHS as part of probe into Dem’s immigration paperwork from the morgue, 12 Oct 2026
· Homan confirms 'criminal' investigation involving Ilhan Omar, says he knows 'things are going on’ from the morgue, 13 Sep 2026
· WATCH: Ilhan Omar denies feds have contacted her after border czar Homan confirms 'criminal' investigation from the morgue, 18 Sep 2026
· Could Trump revoke Ilhan Omar's citizenship for alleged brother marriage? Ex federal prosecutor breaks it down from the morgue, 29 Sep 2026
· Did Ilhan Omar marry her own brother? The claims explained from the morgue, 22 Sep 2026
· Russia’s Lavrov blasts US, Western allies as “warmongers’ in fiery UN tirade from the morgue, 26 Sep 2026
· Russia and China unite against US over Iran and Cuba in UN speeches from the morgue, 26 Sep 2026
· U.S. military lays groundwork for potential action around Cuba from the morgue, 26 Sep 2026
· The United Nations Security Council has resoundingly rejected a United States bid to extend a global arms embargo on Iran. In a Security Council vote, United States only got support from the Dominican from the morgue, 14 Aug 2020
· U.S. Threatens New Economic War on Iran by Targeting China & Tehran's Other Top Trading Partners from the morgue, 25 Aug 2026
· In Defiant UN Speech, Iranian President Says US and Israel Are the Real Terrorists from the morgue, 23 Sep 2026
· Trump slams reporting on removal of his endorsements from GOP candidate's website from the morgue, 27 Sep 2026
· Donalds removes several Trump mentions from campaign website from the morgue, 22 Sep 2026
· GOP hopeful removes ‘Pro-Trump’ mention from campaign slogan in deep-red seat from the morgue, 23 Sep 2026
· Where Trump’s 2026 endorsement record stands after primary season from the morgue, 9 Sep 2026
· U.N. experts say U.S. may have committed war crimes with 2 Iran strikes from the morgue, 22 Sep 2026
· Trump Says 'Big Decision' Coming on Whether to 'Annihilate' Iran from the morgue, 18 Sep 2026
· Pentagon No. 3 frustrates senators in closed-door briefing on Iran war, Trump defense strategy from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· Senate Democrats, minus Fetterman, urge Hegseth to provide receipt for Iran war costs from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· Hegseth on "devastation" to Iran's capabilities from the morgue, 10 Sep 2026
· Trump admits Iran war will not end before midterms from the morgue, 9 Sep 2026
· Iran War Trump Said Would Be Quick Has Now Lasted 6 Months With 'No End In Sight' from the morgue, 28 Aug 2026
· CBO Finds Trump's Iran War Has Already Cost Nearly $40 Billion—And That's a 'Conservative' Estimate from the morgue, 15 Sep 2026
· Tillis supports Hegseth impeachment resolution: 'He needs to go' from the morgue, 18 Sep 2026
· Massie Files Impeachment Articles Against Hegseth for Illegal Iran War, Boat Murders from the morgue, 15 Sep 2026
· Massie launches effort to impeach Hegseth from the morgue, 15 Sep 2026
· Tillis urges Trump to fire Hegseth over 'inept management' of military from the morgue, 2 Sep 2026
· Tillis renews calls for Hegseth’s firing after Driscoll’s departure: ‘I have never witnessed more inept management’ from the morgue, 2 Sep 2026
· Farmer who voted for Trump says farmers are "all just in survival mode" from the morgue, 18 Sep 2026
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· Massie says he’s convinced enough Republicans to pass Epstein Files II discharge petition from the morgue, 18 Sep 2026
This page is a back-issue: the story as it ran, receipts as they were. The current edition is at the front. The byline is a pen name for a column drafted by a machine and checked by the editor: how this is made.