DoJ tells Democrats in letters they could be targets of Alaska ballot investigation

Top election lawyer and lawmakers received notes over alleged scheme to confuse voters with two Dan Sullivans

The justice department has sent letters to a top Democratic election lawyer and other Democrats informing them they could be targets in a federal investigation into efforts to get an Alaska man with the same name as Republican senator Daniel Sullivan on to the ballot.

The decision to send the letters is very unusual. The justice department has long avoided taking actions that could affect an election close to election day. It is also not common to send out target letters so early in an investigation; receiving a target letter does not mean that a person will be charged with a crime.