Peltola says she knew nothing of name-clone bid as DOJ ramps up probes

Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola stated on Thursday that she had no prior knowledge of a competing candidate sharing the name of her Republican opponent. The statement came as the Justice Department escalated its criminal investigation into the race.

Peltola spoke from a downtown bar in Juneau, Alaska. She said, “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.”

New grand jury subpoenas and records preservation demands were issued following a report. The report indicated Peltola's campaign was involved in recruiting Dan J. Sullivan Jr. A person familiar with the matter said the goal was to confuse voters. More subpoenas are expected, though the number and recipients are not yet public.

The investigation has focused on whether Dan J. Sullivan Jr. Entered the race to siphon votes from incumbent Sen. Dan S. Sullivan. President Donald Trump called for the criminal prosecution of Peltola and her campaign earlier this week. Attorney General Todd Blanche said on Wednesday that Democrats are “cheating” by using a candidate with the same name to take votes away from the incumbent.

Dan J. Sullivan has maintained he had no contact with Peltola's team. He described their connection as “zero, none, zilch” in June. State Attorney General Todd Blanche also noted that the Justice Department has been looking into the matter for months.

Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy ordered a separate state investigation into Peltola. He called the recent reporting “disturbing new evidence” of an organized effort to manipulate elections. Dunleavy said the claims “substantially support” earlier findings by the state’s elections board.

The Alaska Supreme Court previously ruled that Dan J. Sullivan Jr. Was qualified to run. On the ballot, Dan S. Sullivan will be identified as a registered Republican and incumbent, while Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. Will have no party affiliation. Trump told reporters on Thursday that he felt Peltola “should be removed from the ballot and prosecuted.”