Tim Scott Claims Vindication as DOJ Subpoenas Target Alaska 'Decoy Dan' Scheme

National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chair Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., stated he feels "vindicated" following reports that the Department of Justice has issued numerous subpoenas in Alaska related to an alleged Democratic scheme to field a "decoy" U.S. Senate candidate. Republicans had previously warned of such an effort for months.

Speaking on "Saturday in America," Scott accused Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., a candidate running without party affiliation, of copying campaign logos, colors, and materials of incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan. "The truth is that the fake Dan, the 'Decoy Dan,' his one objective is to confuse voters," Scott said. "Number two, if there's a second point, it's the collusion that occurred to recruit this candidate. That is a criminal offense. It is immoral, frankly, to lie to the public about who you are, but it is actually illegal to collude with others in order to confuse the voters."

The New York Times reported that the campaign of Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mary Peltola, along with senior aides at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, were allegedly involved in an effort to recruit a candidate with the same name as the Republican incumbent. The purported aim was to confuse voters and divert support from Sen. Dan Sullivan.

Peltola's campaign has denied any involvement, stating, "The Alaskans for Mary campaign has no involvement with either Sullivan campaign." Peltola herself has said she "knew nothing" about the alleged scheme, a claim that Sen. Dan Sullivan disputes, telling Fox News she is "still lying."

The incumbent Republican senator is listed on the ballot as "Sullivan, Dan S.," while Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. is listed as "Sullivan, Daniel J. Jr." In an interview with The Associated Press in June, Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. denied being a spoiler candidate and stated he entered the race independently.

Scott pointed to Federal Election Commission filings as evidence of what he described as a "sham candidacy," asserting that Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. had made little effort to run a genuine campaign. "On his FEC forms, federal election forms, what does he show? Nothing," Scott said. "He's actually done nothing trying to achieve the goal of being the senator. He's done one thing, which is to put his name on the ballot to confuse the voters."

Scott also warned that the alleged decoy candidate could face legal consequences for lying to federal investigators. "I would be shaking in my boots if I was 'Decoy Dan,' and frankly, no one wants to go to jail for something they didn't do," Scott said. "So he'd be very careful as he talks to the federal Department of Justice about what happened and what didn't happen. Lying to the prosecutors — that's a felony."