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PREPARING FOR WAR: All midterm eyes on Alaska's 'Decoy Dan' uproar – Transcript
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- The Justice Department and state officials are investigating allegations that a sham campaign for a candidate named Daniel J. Sullivan was orchestrated to confuse Alaska voters in the Senate race.
- Reports from the New York Times claim that former staffers of Democrat candidate Mary Pelto helped recruit the alternative candidate, though Pelto has firmly denied any knowledge or involvement.
- Federal and state law enforcement agencies are conducting parallel civil and criminal proceedings to preserve election integrity and investigate the ballot controversy in Alaska.
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It is the final Friday before midterm election day. Republicans are fanning out across battleground states fighting to keep control of the US Congress. They are pushing hard against letting America fall into the hands of far-left candidates intent on radically dismantling the foundation of our country. Fox News is on the ground covering the most critical races across America, from California to Minnesota to Maine and in between. We're watching
Republicans versus socialists and far-left Democrat candidates. A whopping 56 total socialists this cycle are on the ballot for Democrats. Many are already plotting extremist action once in office. And if they do make it perhaps to the US House, they're calling themselves the block. The Faulner Focus hit the streets for the voters voices on why they see Tuesday, November 3rd, is
critical. We are not changing our beautiful, amazing flag that stands for all the people that died to help us keep our freedoms. >> I think the Democrats um they're posing a very dangerous um threat.
>> I think uh our republic's at stake. I think there's a lot of uh socialism and making a big move and it's kind of scary right now. >> Everything. Everything. It's like crazy or normal. That's it.
>> I'm Harris Faulner. You are in the Faulner focus. Control of Congress could hinge on six toss up races, including now scandalridden Alaska, the Senate race there. The Justice Department is escalating its investigation into an alleged attempt to rig the ballot in Alaska. operatives linked to Democrat candidate Mary Pelah reportedly worked to get another Dan Sullivan on the ballot. You know, to make it really
confusing, like, oh my goodness, there are two Dan Sullivans which to you vote for. Well, one of them is the incumbent Republican Dan S. Sullivan. The other man is Daniel J. Sullivan with no title.
He says he was never a politician, which would mean if you voted for him, he has no intention of representing the people. What a mess. This is all playing out after 10% of Alaska's population has already voted in early voting. And here is Senator Alaska's governor, Senate Alaska's Governor Mike Dunlevy.
>> This is not a good thing for Alaska. This is not a good thing for this election. Quite frankly, this is this is not a good thing for the Democrat party. Um, and the, you know, the fear is that this is just a precursor of some of the activities that we may see in the future in elections, not just here in Alaska, but across the country.
>> And again, that's the governor. Uh, former Utah Congressman Jason Chaffitz will be with me in moments in focus. First, I want to go to Matt Finn, who's in Anchorage at this hour. Matt, >> hi Harris. Early voting is well underway here in Alaska, but at the same time, there is a federal and state investigation into the alleged sham campaign of Daniel J. Sullivan. Now, back in June, the director of the Alaska
divisions of elections determined that Dan J. Sullivan was not qualified to run for Senate and was running to confuse voters based on a series of factors, including that he tried to run as Dan S. Sullivan, even though he's Daniel J.
Sullivan. also that he had never been affiliated with the Republican party before, but Sullivan appealed and found his way onto the ballot here in Alaska. The New York Times reports former staffers of Mary Pollah's Senate campaign claim that her campaign helped recruit Decoy Dan, as he's being called, but Pollah has firmly denied that.
>> I just want to clear the error. I knew nothing about any other candidates on the ballot except for me and the incumbent.
That is all I have ever known about. I am not interested in tricking voters. I know I can beat Dan Sullivan. Now, here in Alaska, I spoke one-on-one with Senator Sullivan yesterday in Wasilla and asked him about Pollah's claim that she is running to quote unrig the system.
No, her campaign did rig something and her campaign demonstrated the most corrupt action you could take. Pelah sat down with her advisers, Democrats from DC and Alaska in their first order of business was how do we cheat? How do we make sure Alaskans throw away their votes?
>> And Senator Sullivan also told me there that he thinks that Democratic leadership in the Senate was also involved in this alleged scam. Harris, >> wow, this goes deep and wide. Uh, good to see you. Thank you. Great reporting as always, Matt. I want to show you a quote from one media outlet summing up the Alaska controversy like this.
The Times, meaning the New York Times, exposes behavior that simply has no place in any election. Both sides want big wins next week. And a scheme carried out to this magnitude successfully carried out, we should add, reflects poorly on everyone involved in Pelah's campaign, no matter how much they knew or didn't know about it. In focus with me now, former Republican Congressman
Jason Chaffitz of Utah, also a Fox News contributor. Uh, your topline thoughts about this and every hour we learn more. >> Yeah, you just had the Alaskan governor saying this is a tip of the iceberg and I would venture to say the the governor of Alaska knows icebergs. So, uh, this has a has a long ways to go. Um, and it it is so scandalous. She's also now out
there saying she never knew anything about it. She never participated in anything. Uh this has been going on for months and months and months. Her credibility on this issue is almost zero. I also hope that people long-term look at rank choice voting because that's rank choice voting. The way Alaska set it up, it makes these things prone to this type of manipulation. Um I I the Department of Justice is doing the right thing. dozens of subpoenas going
out the door and we'll see what the truth is. But Alaskans got to pay attention when they go to the v the ballot the vote this year. >> Yeah. Actually, it could really work against her at this point to say anything but take responsibility. Even Mowski, who is a Republican but sometimes votes Democrat too, Lisa Murowski up in Alaska, senator, uh has said she needs to come clean about this.
By the way, Mowsky has been supporting Mary Pelah. Um, but there are 12 sources for the New York Times and one of them comes out in in name in that very long deep look detailed with interviews and text messages. One of them was on her staff. This is going to be tough for her. Uh, Pelah's own words are coming back to haunt her though on the subject of election integrity. Here's what she
said just in August. >> It should be a criminal offense to lie or mislead the electorate. Yes. Yes. Let's work for that. Yes. >> Critics were quick to respond. Florida Republican Senator Rick Scott wrote, "Well, that's ironic." Former White House Deputy Press Secretary Hogan Gidley added, "Amen, Mary." And another
user wrote, "Your terms are acceptable." Jason, what do you make of it? >> Yeah, integrity is not something you can mess around with when you're going to have a representative for a state. such an an important state like uh Alaska, it it is absolutely stunning to me that this person can go up there and say, "Oh, let's let's vote for election integrity." Well, again, this issue has been out there for months. U hats off to
the New York Times. Um I for actually going out and doing some real journalism and doing the country a service. I I tip of the hat to them on this one. But Alaska has got to do the right thing. They've got to figure this out. and um you know prayers that people actually get out there and vote for the real person that they want to vote for.
>> Yeah. And if for some reason Dan S. Sullivan, the incumbent Republican uh does not win here, I mean, this just gets a deeper look. I've had a guest and I'm reading deeper on the fact that the Senate could just not seat whoever wins until this is shaken out. So, it's it's a critical mass up there for the truth to come out. Uh Jason, good to see you.
Thank you. Tonight, President Trump takes his massive midterm blitz to Florida. One of which is Alaska. >> This is not a good thing for Alaska. This is not a good thing for this election. Quite frankly, this is this is not a good thing for the Democrat party.
The fear is that this is just a precursor of some of the activities that we may see in the future in elections, not just here in Alaska, but across the country. Well, he is referencing the governor that so-called decoy Dan scheme that is threatening to upend Alaska's critical Senate race there. The DOJ issuing dozens of subpoenas now to Democrats linked to allegations of manipulating the ballot.
>> The Justice Department looking into whether to bring charges alleging a conspiracy to violate the rights of Alaska voters. Federal officials want to know, how did a retiree from a fishing village who has no major campaign footprint find himself on a Senate ballot? And breaking just moments ago, the NRSC reportedly calling on the FEC to investigate the Pelah campaign.
>> We will speak to Alaska's own Kim Strael in moments on all of that. Our Fox reporting team is all over the country as we kick off this hour bringing the latest news and updates from all the major races impacting your vote. But first, we're going to begin with Matt Finn. He's live now on the ground in Anchorage, Alaska for us. Matt >> Sandra, early voting is well underway here. The state says it's received 72,000 ballots so far, but at the same
time, there is a federal and state investigation into the alleged sham campaign of Daniel J. Sullivan. Now, back in June, the director of Alaska's divisions of elections determined that Dan J. Sullivan was not qualified to run for office and was running to confuse voters based on a series of factors including trying to run as Dan S.
Sullivan, that's the senator's name, even though he's Daniel J. Sullivan. Also, that he had never been affiliated with the Republican party before. But Sullivan appealed and found his way onto the ballot here in Alaska. The New York Times reports former staffers of Mary Pollah's Senate campaign claim her campaign helped recruit Decoy Dan, as he's being called. Pollah has firmly denied that >> this is just another distraction. It's