Justice Department Asked to Probe Alaska Senate Ad Groups

The American Accountability Foundation has asked the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate how money moved in the 2026 Alaska Senate race. The request focuses on whether independent groups running ads against Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan illegally coordinated with a minor candidate. The group also wants prosecutors to look at whether funds were routed through other organizations to hide the true donors.

The referral specifically names the 907 Initiative and Majority Forward. It also includes two other Alaska-based groups. Majority Forward is a Washington, D.C. nonprofit tied to Senate Majority PAC. The 907 Initiative is based in Anchorage and has spent more than $1 million on advertisements targeting Sullivan since the August primary. These independent expenditure groups have spent more than $83 million in the race so far. Unlike super PACs, these 501(c)(4) nonprofits are not required to report their donors to the public.

A Federal Election Commission complaint filed in September accused the 907 Initiative of coordinating with Amber Lee. Lee was a Democratic consultant who worked for a candidate sharing Sullivan’s name while serving on the 907 Initiative board. She has denied wrongdoing. Federal prosecutors are already examining whether that same-name opponent entered the race to confuse voters. The FEC has not ruled on the complaint because it lacks a quorum.

The money trails also connect to Alaska’s fishing industry. The 907 Initiative launched a campaign called Alaskans Against Big Trawl. This effort targets Sullivan’s ties to the commercial fishery. A key voice in that campaign is SalmonState. SalmonState describes itself as a sponsored project of New Venture Fund, a Washington-based progressive nonprofit. AAF argues that projects like SalmonState appear independent but fold their finances into the sponsor's tax filings, which limits public disclosure.

AAF has asked the IRS and the Alaska Department of Law to investigate New Venture Fund, SalmonState, and the Alaska Venture Fund. The complaint notes that New Venture Fund spent more than $1 million on the 2016 automatic voter registration measure. It also provided more than $263,000 to the 2018 Yes for Salmon campaign. The Alaska Influence Pipeline site has traced hundreds of thousands of dollars from New Venture Fund and Sixteen Thirty Fund to local groups working on environmental and political issues.

Outside spending supports both sides of the race. Women Vote, the independent-expenditure arm of EMILY’s List, is putting $2.7 million behind Democratic nominee Mary Peltola. President Donald Trump’s super PAC has spent about $3.6 million on ads supporting Sullivan since early September. Both of these groups disclose their donors. The 907 Initiative case stands out because it spends heavily without naming funders while facing allegations of crossing coordination rules.

Early voting for the 2026 general election is currently underway in Alaska.