In addition to securing a spot on Alaska’s Senate ballot in an obvious attempt to dupe voters meaning to vote for incumbent Republican Senator Daniel S. Sullivan, Daniel J. Sullivan tried to be listed using his opponent’s middle initial, instead of his own, Governor Mike Dunleavy (R-Alaska) reported Thursday.
Amid the growing scandal exposed Wednesday by The New York Times, in which the campaign of Democrat Senate candidate Mary Peltola sought out and recruited Daniel J. Sullivan to enter the race, Gov. Dunleavy detailed the fake initial scheme to Fox News:
“When we did our initial investigation in late Spring, early Summer, the Dan Sullivan from Petersburg, Alaska, his initial emails to the Division of Elections wanted him put on the ballot as Daniel S. Sullivan
“His middle initial is not ‘S’ - that’s the initial of our incumbent state U.S. senator.”
“And so, we knew that the intent was questionable then,” Gov. Dunleavy recalled, adding “We really, really believe it is incredibly questionable, very questionable now.”
At the time, the governor said, Dan J. was questioned, but refused to testify under oath.
The fake-initial ploy wasn’t Dan. J. Sullivan’s only scheme to confuse voters, however – he also tried to be listed on the ballot as a Republican, The Alaska Beacon reports:
“According to records kept by the Alaska Division of Elections, Sullivan switched from a Republican to an undeclared party affiliation when he requested an absentee ballot for the August primary election.
“Sullivan’s status as a Republican was one of the reasons the division initially rejected his candidacy, claiming that he was not running in good faith. The division’s decision was reversed upon appeal to the Alaska Supreme Court.”
Dan J. Sullivan ultimately ended up running in the general election as an undeclared voter.
“This could snowball quickly as staffers seek safe harbor,” renowned George Washington University Law Professor Johnathan Turley explained Wednesday in his analysis of the scheme by Alaska Democrats to deceive voters in the midterm elections.
