Chuck Schumer Accused of Secret Plot to ‘Trick’ Voters

A bizarre election controversy involving two candidates with the same name has erupted into a full-blown political firestorm, with one of the Senate’s top Republicans accusing Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of helping orchestrate a yearlong scheme to deceive Alaska voters and potentially swing a crucial Senate race.

Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., leveled the explosive allegations against Schumer after a New York Times investigation uncovered evidence that Democratic operatives worked behind the scenes to recruit a candidate named Dan Sullivan to challenge Republican Sen. Dan S. Sullivan.

The alleged goal was simple but potentially consequential: put another Dan Sullivan on the ballot, confuse Republican voters and siphon away enough support to help Democratic challenger Mary Peltola win a race that could determine control of the U.S. Senate.

“This is criminal behavior to steal the Alaska Senate race, it’s now been fully exposed,” Barrasso told Fox News Digital.

The Wyoming Republican went further, directly accusing Schumer of participating in the operation.

Barrasso claimed Schumer had “schemed and colluded” with Peltola’s campaign for more than a year to recruit a decoy candidate. However, the New York Times investigation did not establish that Schumer personally directed or participated in the effort, and his alleged involvement remains an accusation by Barrasso.

The controversy intensified after the Times reported Wednesday that members of Peltola’s campaign and Democratic political operatives had worked to recruit potential spoiler candidates. According to the investigation, which relied on interviews, text messages and other documents, a campaign staffer was instructed as early as the summer of 2025 to search Alaska voter records for people named Dan Sullivan.

Eventually, a retired teacher named Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. entered the race, creating the unusual situation of two Dan Sullivans competing for the same Senate seat.

The timing could hardly be more explosive. Alaska voters head to the polls November 3, and Republicans are fighting to protect their Senate majority as Democrats look for opportunities to flip seats.

The scandal has now moved beyond political accusations. Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy has ordered state investigators to examine whether the alleged recruitment operation violated election laws, while the Justice Department has launched a criminal investigation and issued subpoenas connected to the controversy.

President Donald Trump has also weighed in, accusing Democrats of election fraud and calling for Peltola to face criminal prosecution. No criminal charges against Peltola or Schumer have been announced, and recruiting candidates for political advantage is not automatically illegal.

Making the situation even more unusual is Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system, which allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference. The ballot includes incumbent Republican Dan S. Sullivan, Democrat Mary Peltola, unaffiliated candidate Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. and Republican Gerald Heikes.

Republicans argue that the nearly identical names could lead some voters to accidentally support the wrong Sullivan, potentially changing the outcome of an exceptionally close race.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, joined the criticism, declaring that “ballot-stacking should have no place in our electoral process.”

She also demanded answers from Peltola’s campaign, accusing those involved of fostering a culture of deception.

Peltola, however, has forcefully denied knowing about any effort to recruit another Sullivan.

“I knew nothing about any other candidates on the ballot except for me and the incumbent,” she told supporters Thursday in Juneau. “I am not interested in tricking voters. I know I can beat Dan Sullivan.”

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has similarly denied participating in the recruitment effort. Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. has also denied coordinating with Peltola’s campaign.

Adding another twist, Peltola’s former campaign manager, Elisa Rios, reportedly told the Times that the Democratic candidate was aware of the recruitment operation, although she was not directly involved. Rios later attempted to retract her statements.

Meanwhile, the legal fight over the second Sullivan has already reached Alaska’s highest court, which allowed him to remain on the ballot. Federal prosecutors are now pursuing additional measures related to ballots cast for the similarly named candidate.

Whether investigators uncover evidence of criminal wrongdoing remains uncertain. Political operatives from both parties have previously used spoiler candidates to influence elections, and courts have not determined that the alleged Alaska operation constituted election fraud.

But with Election Day just days away, the controversy has handed Republicans a potent political issue and placed renewed scrutiny on Peltola’s campaign and the Democratic Party’s national leadership.

For Alaska voters, the immediate question is whether the two Dan Sullivans will create confusion at the ballot box. For investigators, the bigger question is who was behind the recruitment effort, what they intended to accomplish and whether any laws were broken.

And for Schumer, Barrasso’s accusation has brought his name directly into a rapidly escalating election controversy, even as evidence of his personal involvement has yet to emerge.

Editorial note: I verified the underlying reporting against The New York Times, Reuters, Associated Press and FactCheck.org, including developments from October 30. The headline deliberately attributes the alleged plot rather than presenting Schumer’s involvement or criminal conduct as established fact. The strongest new reporting angle is the criminal investigation and subpoenas, which give the story greater urgency without relying on unsupported claims. Inquirer.com+3