Justice Department sends criminal target letters in Alaska probe to people aligned with Democratic party

By Hannah Rabinowitz, Evan Perez, CNN

(CNN) — The Justice Department sent target letters to more than a dozen people it believes helped recruit a Senate candidate with the same name as the Republican incumbent, in Alaska — an indication that the department is working towards bringing federal charges, according to two sources familiar with the investigation.

The recipients include the leadership of the Elias Law Group, the law firm that represents both the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the Democratic candidate Mary Peltola’s campaign, the sources said.

In a statement posted online, its chairman Marc Elias said, “No one should be surprised that President Trump’s Department of Justice is targeting me and my law firm on Election Day.

“We will not be intimidated by a sham investigation,” Elias said. “We are going to keep working around the clock to support our clients and make sure President Trump and his party enjoy a well-deserved beating at the ballot box.”

The target letters, which were largely sent to individuals aligned with the Democratic Party, are a remarkable move so close to Election Day.

Typically, the letters are sent to warn individuals that they may imminently face charges

These letters also warn that the people must preserve documents, records, and communications while the investigation continues, a law enforcement official told CNN.

A New York Times report alleged that Peltola’s campaign worked with senior aides at the committee — which directs the party’s campaign strategy in Senate races — to find another Dan Sullivan to stave off votes from the Republican incumbent.

The incumbent is Dan S. Sullivan. The man running against him is Daniel J. Sullivan.

The Justice Department has dramatically accelerated the criminal probe since the report, CNN previously reported.

The story provided investigators new material, US Attorney Michael Heyman said in a press conference Friday.

Heyman and other department officials say their election-related efforts in Alaska and other states are intended to safeguard votes, not sway the election as critics have alleged.

The department has also issued more than 100 grand jury subpoenas and preservation letters, one law enforcement official said, and investigators have begun conducting witness interviews.

Among those interviewed is Matthew Salisbury, a one-time candidate for the US House of Representatives. Salisbury said an operative attempted to recruit him to run as a spoiler candidate against Sen. Sullivan. Salisbury told CNN that he reached out to the bureau and was subsequently interviewed at the local field office.

He provided agents with information on the political operative who approached him in December. The interview had “no pressure, no leading questions or allusions to what they were investigating,” Salisbury said.

Salisbury did not enter the race, telling CNN that “I just felt as if this was never intended to support me. It was intended to split the ticket, and I didn’t want to be a part of that because it just didn’t feel right. It felt unethical and it felt like it would be deceptive.”

FBI agents have also begun visiting the homes of Daniel J. Sullivan’s campaign donors in the remote Alaska island he lives on, CNN previously reported. The agents are asking people if they knew which Dan Sullivan they donated to.

CNN’s Curt Devine contributed to this report.

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