Alaska Senate Candidate Denies Knowledge of Plot to Add Second Dan Sullivan to Ballot
Democratic candidate Mary Peltola states she was unaware of efforts to recruit a namesake to potentially confuse voters in a closely contested race.
Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola has denied any knowledge of an alleged scheme that resulted in two men named Dan Sullivan appearing on the ballot for the Alaska Senate race.
Her denial follows reports that the Trump administration is escalating a criminal investigation into the matter, and the state's Republican governor has ordered an official inquiry. The incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan and his allies have accused Democrats of attempting to confuse voters with the presence of two candidates bearing the same name.
The Alaska Senate race is considered by analysts to be one of the tightest in the upcoming U.S. midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress.
"I just want to clear the air," Peltola stated to voters on Thursday. "I knew nothing about any other candidate on the ballot except for me and the incumbent. That is all I have ever known about. I am not interested in tricking voters."
Both Dan Sullivans had been running for the open Senate seat for some time. Controversy emerged earlier this week when The New York Times reported that individuals connected to Peltola's campaign, along with senior aides at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), allegedly worked to recruit Dan J Sullivan, a retired teacher, to enter the Senate race as a spoiler candidate.
The Times's report indicated it had reviewed text messages and interviewed 12 individuals involved in or informed about the plan, or who were potential candidates approached by the campaign. The BBC has not independently verified these claims.
Peltola's campaign has refuted these reports, and Dan J Sullivan has denied any links to the campaign. Despite these denials, the U.S. Department of Justice and Republicans have continued to scrutinize the situation.
According to CBS News, the BBC's U.S. news partner, the Justice Department has begun issuing subpoenas targeting Democratic officials reportedly connected to the effort to recruit Dan J Sullivan for the Alaska ballot. As of Friday morning, no charges had been filed.
Last week, the Trump administration filed a federal lawsuit seeking to prevent the certification of the election results if the Trump-backed Sullivan were to lose, arguing that the presence of two candidates with the same name could mislead voters.
On Wednesday, the Justice Department amended its lawsuit, citing significant portions of The New York Times's report and Governor Mike Dunleavy's announcement of an investigation. This legal action comes shortly before voters nationwide cast their ballots. The Cook Political Report currently classifies the Alaska race as a toss-up.