By SUZANNE DOWNING
June 11, 2026 – The National Republican Senatorial Committee has filed a second complaint with the Federal Election Commission against Petersburg Senate candidate Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., known now as “Decoy Dan,” alleging that he accepted excessive and potentially unlawful in-kind contributions from Anchorage Democratic strategist Amber Lee.
The complaint, filed this week, asks the FEC to investigate and sanction Decoy Dan Sullivan and Lee over campaign services that Sullivan acknowledged receiving but has not yet paid for. The NRSC argues that the arrangement may violate federal campaign finance laws governing contributions to federal candidates.
In related news, Decoy Dan Sullivan sent a letter to Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom, challenging her right to ask him for documentation that would demonstrate he was not attempting to trick voters.
Decoy Dan strikes back, says lieutenant governor’s investigation is not legitimate
The latest filing follows an earlier NRSC complaint that accused Decoy Dan and Amber Lee of participating in a scheme designed to confuse Alaska voters by placing a second “Dan Sullivan” on the ballot against incumbent Republican US Sen. Dan Sullivan. That complaint also alleges coordination intended to benefit Democratic challenger Mary Peltola.
According to the newest complaint, Decoy Dan Sullivan admitted in a June 8 interview with a reporter that Lee helped create his campaign logo and other campaign materials, but said he had not yet paid her.
“We’re still working on those details,” the Decoy Sullivan told the reporter regarding compensation for Lee’s services, according to the complaint.
The NRSC contends that Lee’s work went far beyond volunteer activity and included professional campaign consulting services, website development, branding, communications work, and assistance with federal campaign registration.
The complaint notes that metadata embedded in Decoy Dan’s campaign launch press release identified Amber Lee as the document’s author. It also points to Decoy Dan’s admission that Lee helped create campaign materials and references his statement that unnamed individuals were assisting with establishing the campaign. The meta data shows the news release was “version 3,” indicating that the work went through various iterations before being approved.
Federal records show Lee’s consulting firm, Amber Lee Strategies, has received payments from Vote Alaska Before Party PAC, a super PAC that spent heavily supporting former Congresswoman Mary Peltola. The complaint states that Lee’s firm has also worked for Democratic legislative candidates and progressive organizations in Alaska.
Lee is a known Anchorage Democrat operative. In 2018, she was the Democratic candidate for the Alaska House of Representatives in District 28 (covering parts of Anchorage, including Hillside to Girdwood). She advanced unopposed from the primary but lost the general election to incumbent Republican Jennifer Johnston. She established a campaign company to assist Democrat candidates. Her work with Democrats goes back to being an intern with Juneau Democrat Rep. Beth Kerttula in the 1990s, and a legislative aide to Rep. Kim Elton, another Juneau Democrat.
At issue is whether Lee’s services constituted an in-kind contribution exceeding federal limits or, if her company is organized as a corporation for tax purposes, which would make the gift an impermissible corporate contribution altogether.
The NRSC argues that political consulting firms normally require written agreements and payment terms before beginning campaign work and typically bill clients on a regular basis. The complaint cites examples of Lee billing other campaign clients monthly for campaign management services.
Based on public information, the NRSC estimates the value of the services provided to Sullivan’s campaign exceeded $5,000, surpassing the federal contribution limit of $3,500 per election for individuals and certain business entities.
“Mary Peltola and her minions continue to show they don’t think the rules apply to them. The FEC must immediately investigate and sanction Fraud Dan Sullivan and Amber Lee for breaking federal law,” NRSC Regional Press Secretary Nick Puglia said in a statement.
The complaint asks the FEC to determine whether Decoy Dan Sullivan and his campaign committee knowingly accepted excessive or impermissible contributions and whether Amber Lee Strategies made prohibited contributions. The NRSC is requesting that all parties be sanctioned “to the fullest extent of the law” if violations are found.
The filing adds to mounting scrutiny surrounding Decoy Dan Sullivan’s candidacy.
On Monday, Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom announced a formal state investigation into whether Decoy Dan Sullivan’s candidacy was filed in good faith and whether his appearance on the ballot could create voter confusion. Dahlstrom cited what she described as credible allegations that the Petersburg resident’s campaign may be intended to mislead voters because he shares the same name as Alaska’s incumbent U.S. senator.
The NRSC’s complaint also references criticism from prominent Alaska election attorney Scott Kendall, the architect of ranked-choice voting in Alaska, who called the candidacy “pathetic” and said it represented politics at its worst by attempting to confuse voters rather than compete on ideas.
Decoy Dan Sullivan has denied allegations that his campaign is coordinated with Peltola or Democratic political operatives and has said he is lawfully running for office under his legal name.
Background:
8 thoughts on “NRSC lodges second complaint with FEC over Decoy Dan’s Senate candidacy”
A second Complaint …What Politics…The question Alaskans should be asking is not whether voter confusion matters. Of course it matters. The real question is this:
Is Alaska’s election office acting as a neutral protector of voters, or did the State of Alaska just allow an incumbent U.S. Senator and national Republican operatives to trigger an official investigation against a lawful challenger?
That is the part that should trouble every Alaskan, Republican, Democrat, Independent, or undeclared.
Daniel J. Sullivan is not barred from running simply because his legal name is similar to incumbent Senator Dan S. Sullivan. No incumbent owns a name. No party committee owns a ballot. And no national campaign arm should be able to convert political panic into state investigative power without full public disclosure.
Lt. Governor Nancy Dahlstrom’s backstory makes this even more serious. She is not just a neutral office clerk. She is a Republican lieutenant governor who controls and supervises Alaska’s Division of Elections. She was recently a Republican candidate for Congress. She received major national Republican support. She addressed the Alaska Republican Convention and was introduced by top D.C. Republican leaders. She also benefited from national Republican campaign attention during her own run.
Now, after a complaint from the National Republican Senatorial Committee — the national Republican Senate campaign arm — her office opens an investigation into a candidate whose presence on the ballot may inconvenience the incumbent Republican senator.
That may not prove wrongdoing, but it absolutely creates an appearance of conflict.
The June 8 letter from Lt. Governor Dahlstrom does not merely ask how to make the ballot clearer. It questions Mr. Sullivan’s political intent, his prior Republican affiliation, his website and logo, and whether he had contact with Democrats or other campaigns. She even asks whether he would object to being listed as “non-incumbent” or appearing without the Republican designation.
That sounds less like neutral ballot administration and more like the State testing whether a citizen’s candidacy is politically acceptable.
If the concern is voter confusion, then fix the ballot neutrally: use full legal names, middle initials, hometowns, occupations, and clear voter pamphlet information for both candidates. Treat both men equally. Do not use state power to interrogate one candidate because the incumbent complains.
The Lt. Governor should immediately release the NRSC complaint, all communications with Senator Sullivan’s campaign, all communications with the NRSC, RNC, Alaska Republican Party, Attorney General’s office, and Division of Elections regarding Daniel J. Sullivan. That includes emails, texts, call logs, meeting notes, and calendar entries.
If there were no improper contacts, release the records and clear the air.
If there were contacts from national Republican operatives or the incumbent’s campaign urging the State to act, Alaskans deserve to know that too.
The ballot belongs to the people, not to incumbents. Election integrity does not mean protecting powerful officeholders from competition. It means protecting every qualified citizen’s right to run, every voter’s right to choose, and every Alaskan’s right to know whether state election power is being used fairly or politically.
Lt. Governor Dahlstrom should either provide full transparency or recuse herself and appoint a truly independent reviewer.
Anything less looks like state power being used to protect an incumbent.
— Liberty Ed
I love you, Ed. I think you are wrong here. What makes you think that Petersburg Dan is a lawful challenger? Precisely: what makes you think a guy trading on his similar name, using poorly crafted copies of Senator Dan’s campaign logos, and changing his party registration a few months before filing is doing anything other than throwing a bucket of brown stuff into the process? I await your learned response. Cheers –
Democrat Party tricks. Another form of election theft. Just trying to see what they can get away with. No response or legal challenge means they keep doing it. Democrats love it. Joe Biden. Mary Peltola. Lisa Murkowski.
.
And look what it ends up costing us:
18 million illegal aliens. Soaring inflation. More election theft. LGBTQ.
Boys in girls sports. High Crime rates.
IRS harassment. Global warming fanaticism. Trade imbalance. Opioid drug trade killing our youth.
.
You good with all of that, Liberty Ed Martin?
You know Ed, in principle I agree that ever US citizen should be allow to run a campaign for public office. My concerns lie with the path Dan J. has chosen.
What is the one thing all candidates for office strive for and work hard to achieve?
To be different.
To stand out from the crowd.
To have a personal message and agenda items appealing to voters.
To distinguish themselves from their opponents.
Yet Dan J. has gone out of his way to make himself the same as our current US Senator Dan with a website that looks identical. He provides no plans or goals other than a nebulous “As Alaska’s next U.S. Senator, Sullivan says he will focus on delivering the kind of transformative change needed to get Alaska back on track.” (I am always leery of “transformative change”)
Copying his opponent to a T is indicative of the a lack of original ideas and motivation to represent Alaskans, instead it speaks to at the very least attempting to ride coat tails for votes.
If the man had an original website and campaign to actually reflect himself and his agenda, I would be more inclined to believe that he is actually interested in the job.
Ed,
You are correct when you say “Daniel J. Sullivan is not barred from running simply because his legal name is similar to incumbent Senator Dan S. Sullivan.” This investigation and the one by the FEC aren’t interested in barring anyone because of their name.
At first I thought maybe you haven’t been following this story but then you wrote “It questions Mr. Sullivan’s political intent, his prior Republican affiliation, his website and logo, and whether he had contact with Democrats or other campaigns.” So it appears you know why he is being investigated, you just chose to disregard the very reason for it. “If the concern is voter confusion” according to this article and others, “a formal state investigation into whether Decoy Dan Sullivan’s candidacy was filed in good faith and whether his appearance on the ballot could create voter confusion”
The FEC investigation that will occur will be more indepth than the Lt. Governor, since it appears that Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. might very well be in violation of Federal Election laws that the Lt. Governor has no jurisdiction over.
Decoy Dan is getting a reputation about as good as Tampon Tim!!! And Amber Lee, I believe, is using tactics quite similar as Nancy Pelosi. And Scott Kendall has some similarities like Barack Obama. But I just can’t put my finger on it. Cheers!!
Looks like 12 gauge buckshot hit him square in the face. Or is that how he looks in the morning?
Would it be ok if Marty Pelota ran as,A Democrat?