DOJ files revised Alaska Senate complaint citing NYT report on second "Dan Sullivan"; 40+ subpoenas reported (update, Oct. 29, 2026)

Case

On Oct. 29, 2026, five days before the midterms, the Justice Department filed a revised lawsuit seeking to block Alaska from certifying its Senate result if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan narrowly loses. It leans on a New York Times report that Democratic operatives helped recruit a second candidate named Sullivan, which the Peltola campaign denies. Reuters reports more than 40 subpoenas and document requests; no court has ruled on the suit's merits.

What happened (Oct. 28-30, 2026)
On Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026, the Justice Department filed a revised complaint in its Alaska Senate suit, seeking to block the state's election results if Republican incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan narrowly loses. Election Day is Nov. 3.
The complaint relies on a New York Times report that Democratic operatives recruited a second candidate, Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., an unaffiliated retired teacher. DOJ lawyers wrote: "They orchestrated his sham campaign for the purpose of misleading Alaskan voters and getting Peltola elected."
Reuters reports, citing a person familiar with the matter, that the administration has issued more than 40 subpoenas and document requests in its investigation. Reuters said it could not independently verify the Times report.
AP reported on Oct. 28 that the Times obtained text messages among Peltola campaign members about recruiting people who share Sen. Sullivan's name, and that the story is partly based on interviews with Peltola's former campaign manager, Elisa Rios, who was fired in August. The Times said Rios tried to retract her comments the previous week.
Trump said of the Peltola campaign, "I think they should be prosecuted," and posted that Peltola "should suffer the Legal and Political consequences," per AP. Reuters quotes him saying it was "hard to believe that she could even be allowed to run."
Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy called for a state investigation and said any finding of illegality "may in fact impact whether someone is seated in the U.S. Senate."
The Alaska Supreme Court ruled in June that Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. could stay on the ballot, and Al Jazeera notes that ballot stacking is generally considered legal and has been used by both parties in Alaska.

Responses and open questions
Peltola's campaign said it "has no involvement with either Sullivan campaign," and Peltola called the Times report "another distraction." The DSCC said it "is not involved with Dan J. Sullivan."
Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. has denied that he is running to confuse voters or divert votes from the incumbent.
Loyola Law School election-law professor Jessica Levinson told Reuters that if his campaign did not conceal financial support it likely broke no laws, and that policing such conduct could mean heavy government intrusion into elections.
Former Biden-era DOJ official Justin Levitt said the subpoenas "sure makes it seem like the point of the investigation is to become the story," per Al Jazeera. Legal experts told AP the Times report will not affect the certification suit.
As of the reports reviewed (Oct. 30), no court had ruled on the merits of the revised complaint. The article sources reviewed did not name the court or report a new ruling by Judge Sharon Gleason, who was handling the original suit.

Perspectives

Official position — Justice Department, Trump and Gov. Dunleavy
DOJ's filing says the second Sullivan's candidacy was a sham orchestrated to mislead Alaskan voters and elect Peltola, and the Times reporting and the subpoenas are offered as support. Trump says Peltola's campaign should be prosecuted and that it is hard to believe she was allowed to run. Gov. Dunleavy says a state investigation is warranted because illegality could affect who is seated in the Senate. Sen. Sullivan urged Peltola on Fox News to \"come clean.\"

Critic — Peltola campaign and DSCC
The Peltola campaign says it has no involvement with either Sullivan campaign and calls the Times report a diversion. The DSCC denies involvement and accuses Republicans of backing candidates of their own in other races.

Legal view — Jessica Levinson (Loyola Law School) and Justin Levitt
Levinson says that absent concealed financial support the second candidacy likely broke no law, and that parties may mislead the public in ways the law tolerates. Levitt says the volume of subpoenas makes it seem the point of the investigation is to become the story. Al Jazeera adds that the Constitution assigns election administration to the states.

Note
Peltola's campaign and the DSCC deny any involvement with the second Sullivan, Reuters could not verify the Times report, and election-law experts question DOJ's authority; DOJ says the candidacy was a sham meant to mislead voters.

Sources
[1] Reuters via Cyprus Mail — Trump administration seeks to block Alaska Senate result if Republican loses (https://cyprus-mail.com/2026/10/30/trump-administration-seeks-to-block-alaska-senate-result-if-republican-loses) · 2026-10-30
[2] Al Jazeera — Trump administration renews bid to block Alaska election results (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/30/trump-administration-renews-bid-to-block-alaska-election-results) · 2026-10-30
[3] AP via News4Jax — Report: Peltola's campaign involved in effort to recruit second Dan Sullivan (https://www.news4jax.com/news/politics/2026/10/28/report-peltolas-campaign-involved-in-effort-to-recruit-second-dan-sullivan-for-alaska-senate-race/) · 2026-10-28

Connections

Cause and effect — DOJ asks court for preliminary injunction and expedited discovery in Alaska Senate suit; judge fast-tracks motions to dismiss (update, Nov. 1, 2026)
Follow-on to DOJ's Oct. 29 revised complaint: the Oct. 30 injunction and expedited-discovery motion and the court's fast-tracking of dismissal motions.

Cause and effect — DOJ sends target letters, including to Democratic election lawyer Marc Elias, in Alaska Senate "sham candidate" criminal probe (update, Nov. 3, 2026)
Follow-on: after the civil certification suit was dismissed, DOJ's parallel criminal probe escalated to target letters on Nov. 3.

Related — DOJ sues to block certification of Alaska Senate result if Sullivan loses; Trump says he ordered it (Oct. 22-23, 2026)
Update on the Oct. 22 suit: DOJ revised its complaint on Oct. 29 after the Times report.

Same context — Election denial and interference efforts before the Nov. 2026 midterms: pardons, the Tina Peters case, Georgia's federal-intervention letters and National Guard troops near a DC ballot box
Another federal action on election administration days before the Nov. 2026 midterms.

Cause and effect — Judge dismisses DOJ's Alaska Senate certification suit; DOJ says it will appeal (update, Nov. 1, 2026)
The court dismissed the revised complaint DOJ filed Oct. 29.