Justice Dept. Sends Target Letters to Democrats in Alaska Inquiry

The Justice Department has sent target letters to Democrats as part of its investigation into the Alaska Senate race, according to The Hill, which cited a New York Times report published Tuesday. The Hill reported that the letters went to 20 Democrats and informed them that they were being looked at in an investigation into ballot-stacking in Alaska. DOJ officials told recipients that they may be targets of the investigation or asked them to preserve records.

The New York Times, in a report by Glenn Thrush, described the move as a "highly unusual action" taken at a decisive moment in a close race between the incumbent, Dan Sullivan, and his Democrat rival, Mary Peltola. The summary of that report does not state how many Democrats received letters.

ABC News reported, citing sources, that the Justice Department has continued moving at an "aggressive clip" in expanding its criminal investigation into the Alaska U.S. Senate race. ABC's headline describes the expansion as target letters and new subpoenas. The summary does not say who received the subpoenas or how many were issued.

The accounts differ in emphasis and detail. The Times described the step as unusual and tied it to the closeness of the race, while ABC described an escalation involving subpoenas that the Times summary does not mention. The Hill gave the only figure, 20, and neither summary confirms that number.

None of the summaries reports a public statement from the Justice Department about the letters, and none identifies a person who has been charged. The sources do not say what steps the department will take next.

Sources: The New York Times: Justice Dept. Sends Target Letters to Democrats in Escalation of Alaska Inquiry; ABC News: DOJ ramps up probe of Alaska Senate race with target letters, new subpoenas: Sources; The Hill: DOJ sends target letters in Alaska probe to 20 Democrats.