Alaska journalists report conversations with 'bait Dan' and federal investigation into candidacy that used the senator's name

Alaskan journalists who spoke with the candidate known as "Decoy Dan" say the episode is unprecedented in the state and that the federal investigation advanced after a New York Times report published this week. In an interview with Fox Business, they described contact with the candidate and the consequences for voters and Senator Dan Sullivan.

According to the channel, almost one in ten voters in the state had already voted before the New York Times report was made public. The controversy involves two candidates named Dan Sullivan in the Senate race: the incumbent senator and Dan J. Sullivan, whose candidacy is called a "sham campaign" by Governor Mike Dunleavy.

Contact with the candidate

James Brooks, a reporter for the Alaska Beacon, said the newsroom communicated several times via email with Dan J. Sullivan, the most reliable form of contact. According to him, the candidate presented himself as someone dissatisfied with Senator Dan Sullivan and said he was running because of that.

Brooks stated that only with the New York Times investigation did the local press learn something different. Dan J. Sullivan had specifically said that no one had asked him to run and that he was acting on his own. In the reporter's opinion, if this was not a direct lie, it was at least misleading.

The journalist said that the team even organized a trip to Petersburg to interview him in person, and that the candidate had agreed. Brooks said he told him he wanted to ask how he ended up with the same name as the senator and on the ballot. The next day, according to the report, the candidate canceled the interview, and the team abandoned the trip.

Investigation and electoral uncertainty

Brooks reported that, in speaking with the federal prosecutor in Anchorage, he heard that the Department of Justice had been looking into the case for months. According to the prosecutor, the New York Times report would have caused the agency to increase the sending of agents and investigators to Alaska.

Governor Dunleavy, when asked whether he would certify the result, did not answer yes or no. He said he does not intend to be evasive, that the state is investigating and gathering evidence, and that he does not know if this will be ready in time for the election. He further stated that he will use every tool available to assure Alaskans that their votes were counted and that the election was real, but that there are "real concerns."

Alex DeMarban, also a journalist from Alaska, said there was no precedent for the situation. According to him, the federal government wants to see all of Dan J. Sullivan's ranked ballots, and it remains to be seen whether they will be able to do so in court. He did not detail the fate of the approximately 60 thousand voters who have already voted, a topic raised by the presenter.

DeMarban added that FBI agents have been knocking on doors in Southeast Alaska to ask residents if they really intended to contribute to Daniel J. Sullivan, and that this exposes the confusion surrounding the name. In his opinion, the approach of agents in the houses is usually poorly received by the public and tends to harm Senator Sullivan.

What to watch out for

The transcript does not provide information about effects on the stock market, interest rates or exchange rates, and Fox Business did not project scenarios for the result. For those who follow the market, the case is a reminder that uncertainties about certification and vote counting can prolong the definition of a seat in the US Senate. This reading is from the newspaper and is not included in the interview.

Automatically translated from Portuguese.