Alaska Governor Orders Criminal Probe of Peltola Campaign

Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy ordered a criminal investigation into the Senate campaign of Democrat Mary Peltola on Wednesday. The directive comes after reports indicated the campaign attempted to recruit a candidate named Dan Sullivan to run against the Republican incumbent, Dan Sullivan. For voters in the state, the move could lead to legal scrutiny of how the ballot was filled and whether the primary election process was altered by deliberate confusion.

Dunleavy issued the order via social media, stating he was directing the Department of Public Safety to determine if the scheme violated Alaska statutes. He specified that the department should assess whether criminal charges or civil action are warranted. The governor described the situation as a disturbing new evidence of an organized effort to manipulate Alaska’s elections.

The investigation follows a report by The New York Times, which cited interviews with Peltola’s former campaign manager and a longtime aide. The report also referenced text messages and documents reviewed by journalists. These materials indicated that Peltola’s staff and senior aides in the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee coordinated the strategy to encourage other individuals with the same name as the incumbent to enter the race.

Dan J. Sullivan, a former educator with no prior political experience, was the individual recruited to run against Dan S. Sullivan. Peltola’s campaign previously denied involvement in encouraging or soliciting Dan J. Sullivan for the race. That denial was reported by the Anchorage Daily News in May, prior to the recent findings.

President Donald Trump also responded to the developments, calling for Peltola to be removed from the ballot and prosecuted. The president had previously criticized the presence of two candidates named Dan Sullivan, accusing Democrats of placing an imposter on the ballot. Dunleavy echoed these concerns, noting that Alaskans have a fundamental right to vote for the candidate they intend to support.

The governor emphasized that deliberately tricking voters into casting ballots for someone else strikes at the integrity of elections. He stated that anyone or any organization found to have broken the law must be held accountable. The Department of Public Safety is now tasked with reviewing the evidence to determine if the actions taken by the campaign constitute a violation of state law.