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State Probe Targets Campaign Recruitment Tactics
Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy has ordered an investigation into the Senate campaign of Democratic candidate Mary Peltola, citing newspaper reporting that revealed what he described as "disturbing new evidence of an organized effort to manipulate Alaska’s elections."
The governor stated that the reporting showed an attempt to recruit candidates, including one with the same name as incumbent U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan, to "deliberately confuse voters and misdirect their votes." Dunleavy said the reports "substantially support" earlier findings by the state’s elections board regarding the controversy.
In a statement regarding the probe, Dunleavy emphasized that "deliberately tricking voters into casting their ballots for someone else strikes at the integrity of our elections."
Federal Scrutiny and Legal Challenges Mount
The state investigation coincides with escalated federal scrutiny. The Justice Department has issued new grand jury subpoenas and records preservation demands in a criminal investigation into allegations that Dan J. Sullivan Jr. entered the race to siphon votes from incumbent Republican Sen. Dan S. Sullivan.
This escalation followed reporting by The New York Times indicating that Peltola’s campaign appeared involved in recruiting Dan J. Sullivan Jr. for the Senate seat.
Simultaneously, state attorneys have asked a court to rule on a Justice Department lawsuit seeking to block the certification of the Senate race should Peltola defeat Sen. Dan Sullivan. In their request, state officials argued that the federal case could "cast a cloud over Alaska’s election that is contrary to the public interest." The attorneys specifically asked the court to issue a ruling by Monday.
Attorney General Todd Blanche accused Democrats of "cheating" by putting up a person with the same name to take votes away from the incumbent. However, Blanche declined to discuss specific details of the criminal investigations.
Denials and Political Reactions
Mary Peltola has denied any knowledge of the effort to place another candidate on the ballot with the same name as the Republican incumbent. She stated, "I knew nothing about any other candidate on the ballot except for me and the incumbent... I am not interested in tricking voters."
Dan J. Sullivan has also denied running at the behest of Democrats. He stated he had no contact with Peltola’s campaign, saying, "Zero, none, zilch."
President Donald Trump cast doubt on whether Peltola would be seated in the Senate even if she won the election. Telling reporters it is "hard to believe that she could even be allowed to run," Trump later stated he felt Peltola "actually should be removed from the ballot and prosecuted."
Trump had previously directed his Department of Justice to sue to block certification of the Senate race should Peltola defeat Sen. Dan Sullivan.
Peltola dismissed the controversy as a distraction and an attempt to intimidate her because opponents "can’t win on their record." She added that the focus on the spoiler candidate avoids answering for the "skyrocketing cost of living."
