FBI Subpoenas Alaska Senate Candidate in Election Probe

Gerald Heikes, a conservative candidate for U.S. Senate in Alaska, received a federal grand jury subpoena shortly before Election Day. The subpoena seeks electronic and paper records connected to Democratic candidate Mary Peltola’s campaign, the Elias Law Group and several political action committees. Heikes said FBI agents handed it to him as he was assisting a friend with drywall work in another part of the state.

Federal prosecutors are looking into claims that people associated with Peltola sought to enlist candidates who might siphon votes from Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan. The subpoena bore a date the day following a New York Times article that claimed a connection between Peltola’s campaign and the effort. Peltola has denied awareness of any recruitment, and the Justice Department declined to comment.

Heikes said an unnamed operative urged him to seek a Senate seat earlier in the year, after he had already been considering a run for office. He said he decided to pursue the Senate seat after the meeting but denied being recruited as an operative. He also said he had no knowledge of who funded newly formed PACs that spent millions attacking Sullivan and supporting his candidacy.

Heikes had about 2% of the vote and was in third place, with roughly a quarter of ballots still outstanding. The contest remained undecided on November 6. Alaska uses ranked-choice voting. Heikes said his aim was not to take votes from any candidate, while suggesting that he supports Sullivan over Peltola.

FBI Probe Puts Alaska Democratic Campaign Under Scrutiny

The federal inquiry into possible candidate recruitment in Alaska has reached Gerald Heikes, a conservative Senate hopeful who said an unnamed operative contacted him earlier this year. Shortly before Election Day, FBI agents gave him a grand jury subpoena seeking records connected to Mary Peltola’s campaign, a law firm representing her campaign and Democratic groups, and several PACs.

Prosecutors are looking into claims that people associated with Peltola sought to enlist candidates who could draw support from Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan. Peltola has denied knowing of any such attempt. The Justice Department declined to comment, and the subpoena alone does not establish that her campaign was involved.

Heikes said he had already been considering a run for office when the operative approached him, and that he chose to run for Senate afterward. He denied being recruited as an operative and said he did not know who was behind PAC spending that attacked Sullivan and backed his candidacy. He had about 2% of the vote, with roughly a quarter of ballots outstanding, as the race remained undecided on November 6.

FBI Subpoena Targets Candidate in Alleged Alaska Spoiler Scheme

A federal inquiry into an alleged effort to enlist spoiler candidates in Alaska’s Senate race has drawn in Gerald Heikes, a conservative longshot whose campaign received backing from PACs that attacked Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan. FBI agents gave Heikes a grand jury subpoena shortly before Election Day, seeking records tied to Democrat Mary Peltola’s campaign and several political groups.

Prosecutors are reviewing whether people connected to Peltola sought candidates who could pull votes from Sullivan. Heikes said an unnamed operative encouraged him to run earlier in the year. He denied being recruited as an operative, but said he decided to pursue the Senate seat after that meeting.

Peltola has said she was unaware of any candidate-recruitment push, and the Justice Department offered no comment. Heikes said he did not know who funded PACs that spent millions attacking Sullivan and supporting him. With about 2% of the vote, Heikes was in third place and roughly a quarter of ballots remained outstanding as the race stood undecided on November 6. The investigation puts a serious allegation about campaign tactics under federal scrutiny, while the available facts do not establish Peltola’s knowledge or involvement.