Trump Demands Prosecution of Peltola in Alaska Senate Race
President Donald Trump said on October 28 that Mary Peltola, the Democratic contender for Alaska’s Senate seat, should withdraw and face criminal prosecution. He also said people involved in recruiting a second candidate named Dan Sullivan should face charges. The effort has become a flashpoint in the contest between Peltola and Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, with both candidates named Sullivan on the November 3 ballot alongside Peltola and another candidate.
The second Sullivan, Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., is a retired schoolteacher from Petersburg. Text messages and interviews described an effort involving people connected to Peltola’s campaign to recruit him and other potential candidates. Peltola’s campaign said it had no involvement with either Sullivan campaign. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee also denied involvement; the investigation described discussions between its staff and campaign aides.
Trump accused Democrats of trying to confuse voters and said Peltola should be removed from the ballot. He has also accused campaign figures of lying under oath in court. Peltola’s campaign rejected his criticism, saying she is running to lower costs and put Alaska first. Dan J. Sullivan has denied running at Democrats’ behest, saying in June that he had no contact with Peltola’s campaign.
An Alaska elections official previously ruled Daniel J. Sullivan ineligible for the primary, but the state Supreme Court found he qualified to run. Legal experts said the allegations would not affect a separate federal lawsuit seeking to block certification if Peltola wins. One law professor called the recruitment effort a dirty campaign tactic but said the decision now rests with voters. More than 46,000 ballots had been cast in Alaska as of October 26.
Trump Seizes on Alaska Ballot Dispute to Threaten Peltola
President Donald Trump is using allegations about a second Dan Sullivan on Alaska’s ballot to demand that Democratic candidate Mary Peltola quit the race and face prosecution. He also called for the other Sullivan to be removed, even though Alaska’s Supreme Court ruled he qualified to run.
The claims stem from an investigation describing campaign-connected people working to recruit Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. and other possible candidates. Peltola’s campaign says it had no involvement with either Sullivan campaign, and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee denies involvement. Daniel J. Sullivan has said he had no contact with Peltola’s campaign and was not recruited by Democrats.
Trump has accused Democrats of election fraud and perjury, while calling for Peltola’s removal from the November 3 ballot. The allegations are serious, but legal experts say they would not affect the federal lawsuit seeking to block certification if Peltola wins. The Supreme Court’s ruling leaves the dispute to voters, not another attempt to remove a candidate through litigation.
The controversy is unfolding days before an election that could help determine control of the Senate. Peltola says she is running to lower costs and put Alaska first. More than 46,000 ballots had been cast by October 26. Trump’s demands risk turning an unresolved political accusation into pressure to exclude a candidate after the state’s courts have allowed her opponent to remain on the ballot.
Alaska Candidate Scheme Demands Accountability, Trump Says
Alaska voters deserve answers about an effort described as involving people connected to Mary Peltola’s campaign who sought to recruit a second Dan Sullivan. On October 28, President Donald Trump demanded that Peltola leave the Senate race and face prosecution, and said others involved should be charged.
The investigation described messages and conversations involving Peltola campaign aides and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee staff about recruiting Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. and other potential candidates. Sen. Dan Sullivan’s campaign accused Peltola and her advisers of coordinating an effort to confuse voters. Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski also called for the campaign to provide the truth.
Peltola’s campaign denies involvement with either Sullivan campaign, and the DSCC says it was not involved with Daniel J. Sullivan. He has denied contact with Peltola’s campaign. But those denials sit alongside accounts of campaign-related discussions, leaving voters to judge the explanation as well as the alleged tactics.
The state Supreme Court ruled Daniel J. Sullivan qualified for the ballot after an elections official had found his candidacy intended to mislead voters. Legal experts say the allegations will not change the federal lawsuit over certification if Peltola wins; one said the matter is now in voters’ hands. The November 3 election will test whether Alaskans accept the campaign’s denials or see the recruitment effort as a breach of trust.
Reported by The Daily Wire, Breitbart, New York Post, The Daily Beast, PBS NewsHour, Daily Kos, Daily Mail US, PJ Media, MSNBC.
