US President Donald Trump reacts as he speaks to reporters before boarding Air Force One for travel to Mississippi from Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, US, October 26, 2026. REUTERS Jonathan Ernst
Sources say the politicized Trump Justice Department is in the process of sending 20 target letters as part of its investigation into the Dan J. Sullivan campaign in Alaska, according to two sources familiar with the investigation.
“A target letter is an official notification from prosecutors informing an individual or entity that they are a primary focus of a criminal investigation,” reports NBC News. “A subpoena is a court order that demands documents or testimony in a criminal case.”
“Last month, the Trump administration filed a lawsuit to block certification in the Alaska Senate race arguing that the presence of Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. on the ballot could mislead supporters of the Republican senator, Daniel S. Sullivan,” said NBC. “The administration also asked last week that a judge issue an order to segregate ballots for the purposes of an investigation, if it becomes necessary.”
President Donald Trump's administration argues that if Republican lose, the race shouldn't be certified because two Dan Sullivans were on the ballot. That case was dismissed, with the court saying the administration had no standing. The issue had already been litigated over the summer and decided by the Alaska Supreme Court with requirements for how the names would appear on the ballot to distinguish them.
However, the department civil suit is underway, and the letters being sent are part of the separate, earlier criminal probe that NBC News first reported on over the summer.
NBC adds that “receiving a letter does not mean the individual will be charged,” not is it the entirety of who the department is investigating. But the precise timing of the sending of the target letters is unclear.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office for Alaska, as well as Brandon Wrobleski and Robert Keenan of the Civil Rights Division, are a part of the investigation, according to a person familiar with the matter,” reports NBC, adding that the Justice Department has “already issued 120 subpoenas for information as part of its investigation,” according to sources.
The Justice Department traditionally avoids taking overt actions related to political candidates close to an election, but that was before President Donald Trump politicized the department for his own ends and hired personal defense attorneys to run the agency.
“The Trump administration has departed from those norms,” reports NBC.
ANd the DOJ’s efforts are not always so polished. Legal analysts were recently scratching their heads over the Justice Department's filing a notice of intent to appeal in the Alaska Senate race case, with some experts saying the DOJ may have messed up its case if it doesn't act quickly to fix it.
"DOJ's notice of appeal, filed a few hours ago, in US v. Alaska is not worded as a Notice of Appeal is normally worded. It does not say the court to which the ruling is being appealed (the Ninth Circuit)," said Chris Geidner, who runs the "Law Dork" Substack.
