Dan Sullivan’s X Account Suspended, Then Restored Before Alaska Election

The X account of Alaska Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan’s campaign was temporarily suspended on October 30 after the platform said it had violated rules on inauthentic accounts. The account, @DanSullivan_AK, was restored by October 31, just days before voters choose a senator in Tuesday’s election.

Sullivan’s campaign and Chris Olmstead, who oversees political work in the region for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, accused Democrat Mary Peltola and her allies of reporting the account as an impersonator. Peltola’s campaign denied involvement, calling the claim “silly and unsubstantiated.”

The dispute comes amid scrutiny of a separate Dan Sullivan’s candidacy. Federal prosecutors are investigating whether efforts to recruit the other candidate to run violated federal conspiracy laws. The Justice Department has subpoenaed both campaigns, according to accounts of the case.

The other candidate, Dan J. Sullivan, is a retired schoolteacher. The alleged purpose of recruiting him was to draw votes from the incumbent under Alaska’s election system, which uses a top-four primary and ranked-choice voting in the general election. Peltola’s campaign has denied recruiting candidates; Peltola said she did not know whether someone on her campaign helped recruit the other Sullivan.

The allegations of a coordinated effort have been supported by statements and text messages recounted in accounts of the case, though a former Peltola campaign manager later tried to retract her account. The investigation into the recruitment effort is continuing.

Sullivan Campaign Turns X Suspension Into Another Charge Against Peltola

A temporary suspension of Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan’s campaign account on X has become another flashpoint in Alaska’s Senate race. The platform said the account violated rules on inauthentic accounts; it was restored by October 31, before Tuesday’s election.

Sullivan’s campaign and Republican National Senatorial Committee official Chris Olmstead accused Democrat Mary Peltola and her allies of reporting the account as an impersonator. Peltola’s campaign rejected the charge as unsubstantiated and denied trying to get the account suspended. The accusation itself is not proof of who made the reports.

The dispute unfolds as federal investigators examine a separate effort to recruit another Dan Sullivan to run. Prosecutors are investigating whether the effort violated federal conspiracy laws, and the Justice Department has subpoenaed both campaigns. Peltola’s campaign denies recruiting candidates, and Peltola has said she does not know whether someone on her team helped recruit the other candidate.

The other Sullivan is a retired schoolteacher. The alleged aim was to pull votes away from the incumbent in a state that uses a top-four primary and ranked-choice voting in the general election. The allegations draw on statements and text messages recounted in accounts of the case, although a former Peltola campaign manager later sought to retract her account. The investigation is ongoing.

Alaska’s Real Dan Sullivan Suspended as Voter-Confusion Allegations Grow

As Alaska voters approach Election Day, the real Sen. Dan Sullivan’s X campaign account was marked as inauthentic and suspended. It was restored by October 31. Sullivan’s campaign and Republican National Senatorial Committee official Chris Olmstead accused Mary Peltola’s allies of reporting the account; Peltola’s campaign denied involvement.

The suspension adds to concerns about a separate Dan Sullivan recruited to run against the incumbent. Federal prosecutors are investigating whether the effort violated conspiracy laws, and the Justice Department has subpoenaed the Peltola and Sullivan campaigns. The alleged purpose was to siphon votes from the Republican senator under Alaska’s primary, which advances four candidates, and its ranked-choice general election system.

The other candidate, Dan J. Sullivan, is a retired schoolteacher. Peltola’s campaign denies recruiting candidates, and Peltola said she did not know whether anyone on her campaign helped recruit him. But statements and text messages recounted in accounts of the case have been presented as evidence of a coordinated effort; a former Peltola campaign manager later tried to withdraw her account.

The allegations put the integrity of the election process at the center of the race. While Peltola’s campaign rejects the charges, the federal investigation into the recruitment effort continues.