“Donald Trump claims that Democrats recruited a candidate named Dan Sullivan to confuse voters in the Alaska Senate race.” — Donald Trump. Our verdict: Partly True.

What we found

The evidence

• Background

  ABC News reported that Trump publicly claimed Democrats recruited a candidate named Dan Sullivan to confuse voters in the Alaska Senate race. [1]

• Supports the claim

  CNN reported that two men named Dan Sullivan are on the Alaska Senate ballot, and that Democratic officials deny recruiting the challenger. [2]

• Background

  The Guardian reported that federal authorities are investigating allegations that Democrats recruited a spoiler candidate to confuse voters. [3]

• Background

  The Alaska Lt. Governor opened an investigation into Dan J. Sullivan's candidacy based on allegations that he filed in coordination with another campaign or the Democratic Party with intent to confuse voters. [4]

• Supports the claim

  The official Alaska Division of Elections results page lists two candidates with the surname Sullivan: 'Sullivan, Daniel J. Jr.' and 'Sullivan, Dan S. (REP)'. [5]

• Supports the claim

  The Federal Election Commission lists an individual named Daniel J. Sullivan as a registered Republican candidate for the Alaska Senate. [6]

What we could not confirm

• Whether the Democratic Party actually recruited Dan J. Sullivan to run.
• Whether the purpose of his candidacy was to confuse voters.
• The outcome of the investigations by the Alaska Lt. Governor and federal authorities.

How we checked

We looked at official Alaska election results and Federal Election Commission records to confirm who is on the ballot, and at news reports from ABC News, CNN and The Guardian, plus statements from the Alaska Lt. Governor's office, to check what Trump said and what is known about the recruitment allegations. We reviewed 8 relevant sources.