CBS Staff Push Back on Weiss Over Alaska Senate Ballot Story
Weiss called the Alaska ballot controversy a major story during a CBS News editorial meeting Thursday morning, but several staffers questioned the emphasis, people familiar with the discussion said. Some described candidate-name confusion as a familiar feature of politics and noted that Republicans had used similar tactics, while others said the examples offered were context rather than an attempt to dismiss the issue. One staffer characterized the conversation as constructive, not contentious.
The controversy centers on retired teacher Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., who is running against Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan. A New York Times investigation alleged that people connected to Democratic candidate Mary Peltola’s campaign helped find and recruit another Dan Sullivan in hopes of diverting votes from the incumbent. Peltola’s former campaign manager said Peltola was not directly involved but knew about the effort. Peltola’s campaign has denied involvement, and Peltola called the allegations a distraction.
During the CBS meeting, Face the Nation moderator Margaret Brennan cited New Hampshire candidate John Sununu as a possible source of voter confusion because his brother, Chris, is a former governor. Political correspondent Ed O’Keefe had also said on CBS that the Alaska tactic could be a dirty trick but was not illegal, and pointed to a 2016 Alaska race involving another candidate named Dan Sullivan.
Weiss urged staff to pursue the story. Some CBS reporters were already traveling to Alaska to cover it. Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy has directed officials to examine possible crimes or civil violations. The Justice Department has taken the state to court, seeking to stop certification if the incumbent loses and ballots cast for the other Sullivan might have changed the outcome.
CBS Staff Resist Turning Alaska Ballot Allegations Into a Scandal
CBS staffers questioned editor-in-chief Bari Weiss’s call to treat Alaska’s ballot controversy as a major scandal, raising an important distinction between a troubling allegation and proof of illegal conduct. Some said candidate-name confusion is part of familiar political maneuvering and pointed to examples involving Republicans. A colleague said the discussion offered context rather than an effort to bury the story.
The dispute follows allegations that people connected to Mary Peltola’s campaign helped recruit retired teacher Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. to run against Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, potentially diverting votes. Peltola’s former campaign manager said Peltola was not directly involved but knew of the effort. The campaign denies involvement, and Peltola has dismissed the allegations as a distraction.
At Thursday morning’s meeting, Face the Nation moderator Margaret Brennan cited New Hampshire candidate John Sununu and the possibility voters could confuse him with his brother, former Gov. Chris Sununu. Correspondent Ed O’Keefe also noted a previous Alaska race involving another Dan Sullivan, and said the current tactic could be dirty without being illegal.
Weiss urged CBS to pursue the story, and some staff were already headed to Alaska. Gov. Mike Dunleavy has directed officials to investigate possible violations. Federal authorities have filed suit against the state, asking a court to withhold certification should the incumbent lose and ballots for the other Sullivan have affected the result. The allegations deserve scrutiny, but treating them as established wrongdoing risks turning coverage into a partisan verdict before the investigation is complete.
CBS Staff Push Back as Weiss Presses for Coverage of Alaska Ballot Scheme
CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss pressed her newsroom to pursue a serious allegation about Alaska’s Senate race, but several colleagues reportedly framed the issue as routine politics. The alleged effort involved enlisting another candidate named Dan Sullivan in a challenge to Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, potentially confusing voters and weakening the incumbent. If true, the stakes reach beyond a newsroom debate: Alaska’s governor has ordered an investigation, and the Justice Department has sued over certification of the result.
A New York Times investigation alleged that people connected to Democrat Mary Peltola’s campaign helped find and recruit retired teacher Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. Peltola’s former campaign manager said she was not directly involved but knew about the effort. Her campaign denies involvement, and Peltola has called the allegations a distraction.
At the Thursday morning editorial meeting, some staffers reportedly described name confusion as ordinary politics and cited examples involving Republicans. Face the Nation moderator Margaret Brennan raised New Hampshire candidate John Sununu and his brother, former Gov. Chris Sununu. Correspondent Ed O’Keefe pointed to a 2016 Alaska race involving another Dan Sullivan and said the current tactic could be dirty but not illegal.
Weiss urged staff to follow the story, and some CBS reporters were already traveling to Alaska. Context is relevant, but it should not be used to blur the specific allegations: that campaign-connected people sought a namesake candidate to divert votes. Investigators and the courts will address the legal questions.
Reported by Fox News, Raw Story, Townhall, New York Post, The Daily Beast, Twitchy.
