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A Republican candidate sharing the same name as Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan has been removed from the state’s Senate primary ballot after election officials concluded that his campaign appeared intended to mislead voters and undermine the integrity of the election.

In a decision issued Monday, Alaska Division of Elections Director Carol Beecher ruled that Dan J. Sullivan’s candidacy could not proceed, determining that it appeared to have been filed for the purpose of creating confusion among voters. In a formal letter, Beecher wrote that the campaign seemed to be “filed with a purpose to confuse or mislead and to thereby compromise the ballot’s fairness or neutrality.”

Dan J. Sullivan, a retired educator who entered the race as a Republican despite having no previous ties to the party, retains the right to challenge the decision through the appeals process, according to Beecher’s ruling.

The move follows weeks of criticism from Republican officials, who alleged that the late-entry candidacy was orchestrated to deceive voters by placing another “Dan Sullivan” on the ballot shortly before the filing deadline. GOP leaders argued that the effort amounted to a political maneuver designed to siphon votes away from the incumbent senator.

Under Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system, both Dan S. Sullivan and Dan J. Sullivan could have advanced from the primary to the general election if they finished among the top four candidates in August.

The race has attracted national attention as Democrats seek to capture a seat they view as one of their few possible pickup opportunities in the upcoming midterm elections. Sen. Sullivan is seeking a third term and is expected to face former congresswoman Mary Peltola, a Democrat who entered the race with support from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

Beecher’s decision cited multiple factors that she said raised doubts about whether Dan J. Sullivan’s campaign was a legitimate effort conducted in “good-faith.”

According to the ruling, the candidate sought to appear on the ballot simply as “Dan Sullivan,” despite being registered to vote under the name “Daniel J. Sullivan, Jr.” Beecher also noted that at one point he attempted to use the same middle initial as the incumbent senator.

“‘S’ is Senator Sullivan’s middle initial, not yours,” Beecher wrote.

The elections director further pointed to the fact that Dan J. Sullivan was not registered as a Republican before launching his Senate campaign. She also said that the design and branding of his campaign website closely resembled that of the incumbent’s campaign.

Beecher additionally referenced the candidate’s ties to Amber Lee, a Democratic political consultant in Alaska who has previously worked in support of Peltola. Earlier reports noted that metadata associated with the campaign’s launch identified Lee as its author.

“This consultant’s work on your behalf is, in isolation, innocuous,” Beecher wrote. “Alongside the other facts I have catalogued in this letter, however, it suggests a determined effort and a deliberate attempt to use the similarity of your name to confuse Alaska voters in the upcoming primary election.”

Representatives for Dan J. Sullivan’s campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment following the ruling.

The incumbent senator has repeatedly accused his challenger of participating in a coordinated Democratic effort to manipulate the race, previously describing him as a “far-left liberal” involved in an attempt to “rig” the election.

“Is Schumer or Gillibrand and their staffs or the DSCC or the staff at the DSCC — were they aware? Were they coordinating, orchestrating?
I mean, if that’s the case, that would be a huge scandal,” Sullivan told Fox News Digital last week.

Democratic officials have denied having any role in Dan J. Sullivan’s candidacy.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee celebrated the ruling after previously urging state election officials to examine the circumstances surrounding the campaign.

“Alaskans saw right through Chuck Schumer and Mary Peltola’s tricks to confuse and deceive them with a sham candidate,” NRSC Regional Press Secretary Nick Puglia said in a statement. “Nobody delivers for Alaskans like Senator Dan Sullivan, which is why Alaska Last Democrats like Mary Peltola are stooping so low.”

The controversy has also drawn strong reactions from Senate Republicans, who view Sullivan’s seat as a key battleground and have vowed to defend it aggressively.

“Even by Chuck Schumer’s low standards, this was an outrageous attempt to trick Alaska voters and rig the election,” Senate Republican Conference Chairman Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said Monday.

{Matzav.com}

California Governor Gavin Newsom alleged Monday that President Donald Trump is weaponizing federal law enforcement against him, after federal agents reportedly questioned individuals connected to both the governor and his wife.

While the precise nature and scope of the federal inquiries remain uncertain, Newsom’s office said investigators have recently contacted a number of people within the couple’s personal and professional circles. According to aides, part of the scrutiny appears to involve Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the governor’s wife, with former staff members and individuals linked to her nonprofit organizations among those interviewed by federal agents.

A source familiar with the matter confirmed that several federal investigations involving the governor are currently active, including one examining financial matters related to Mrs. Newsom. However, the source rejected the governor’s accusation that the inquiries are politically driven, saying the investigations originated with federal law enforcement personnel in California rather than officials in Washington. The source spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

Newsom, a Democrat frequently mentioned as a possible 2028 presidential contender, portrayed the investigations as an effort to uncover wrongdoing where none exists. He claimed agents have been combing through extensive records and contacting people close to the family in search of evidence tied to an unspecified offense.

“Donald Trump isn’t just coming after me because of my mean tweets,” Mr. Newsom said in the video. “He’s coming after me because I am considering running for president.” He added, “To get me, he’s coming after my wife.”

According to the governor’s office, multiple individuals associated with the Newsoms have been approached by federal authorities over the past week. Newsom’s aides also suspect that investigators may have obtained banking records through subpoenas, although they acknowledged they have not seen any formal documentation confirming that action.

Federal officials have declined to discuss the matter publicly. Representatives for both the FBI and the Justice Department refused comment, while the White House directed all inquiries to the Justice Department.

The developments come as Newsom continues to emerge as one of the Democratic Party’s most prominent national figures, setting the stage for what could become a significant political and legal confrontation in the months ahead.

{Matzav.com}

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries faced pushback during a Monday morning television interview after criticizing President Donald Trump over rising fuel costs while discussing the administration’s recent agreement with Iran.

Appearing on “Good Day New York,” Jeffries argued that the conflict with Iran had imposed a financial burden on Americans and pointed specifically to fuel prices. “It was a reckless war of choice that has obviously cost the American people significantly, particularly as it relates to skyrocketing gas prices in an environment where the cost of living was already too high,” Jeffries said.

Jeffries then shifted the conversation toward domestic concerns, stressing the need for policymakers to focus on issues at home. However, co-host Rosanna Scotto responded by noting that gas prices had also climbed sharply during the administrations of Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

“Gas prices were up under Obama too. And Biden, right?” Scotto said.

As Jeffries began to respond, Scotto pressed further, asking, “Didn’t we have gas prices over $5?”

Attempting to explain the spike, Jeffries replied, “Well, there were gas prices in the immediate aftermath of the pandemic situation…”

Scotto then pointed to broader inflation concerns that affected consumers during that period. “And I remember eggs were like $12 a dozen,” Scotto said.

The discussion soon moved away from economic issues and turned to the New York Knicks’ NBA championship victory, with Scotto and Jeffries discussing the team’s title run.

Fox News Digital later sought comment from Jeffries’ office regarding the exchange but reported that it had not received an immediate response.

National gasoline prices reached a record average of $5.02 per gallon in June 2022 during the Biden administration.

At the time, many Democratic officials attributed the increase to economic disruptions following the COVID-19 pandemic and the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war, frequently referring to the surge as “Putin’s price hike.”

Gas prices under President Trump climbed above $4.50 per gallon last month but have declined in recent weeks as the administration continues negotiations with Iran.

{Matzav.com}