Peltola Says 'I Knew Nothing' About the Second Dan Sullivan, and the Incumbent Answers That She Is 'Still Lying'
In a Juneau speech, the Alaska Democrat said she knew of no candidates on the ballot besides herself and the incumbent. Sen. Dan Sullivan told Fox News the plan was 'the biggest scandal in Alaskan electoral history.' The accusations are unproven.
Alaska Democrat Mary Peltola addressed the second-Dan-Sullivan controversy directly, and the Republican she is trying to unseat shot back, Fox News reports.
The denial. Speaking to supporters Thursday in Juneau, Peltola said: "I just want to clear the air. I knew nothing about any other candidates on the ballot except for me and the incumbent. That is all I have ever known about. I am not interested in tricking voters. I know I can beat Dan Sullivan."
The answer. In an interview with Fox News correspondent Matt Finn, Sen. Dan Sullivan said her campaign "demonstrated the most corrupt action you could take." He described a plan hatched with Democratic advisers in Washington and Alaska and worked on "for over a year," and said "everybody in between lied about this directly to the Alaskan people," naming Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Sen. Chuck Schumer. "Heck, Peltola is still lying about it, right?" he said. He called it "the biggest scandal in Alaskan electoral history by far" and said Peltola's campaign and Democrats in Washington and Alaska "think the Alaskan people are dumb. We're not dumb," before predicting a win.
The background. Fox says the New York Times reported Wednesday that Peltola's campaign and senior aides at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee carried out the plan, hoping voters would be confused by two Dan Sullivans and that support for the incumbent would be split. The incumbent is listed as "Sullivan, Dan S." The other man, a retired schoolteacher, is listed as "Sullivan, Daniel J. Jr." and is called "Decoy Dan" by critics. Fox adds that the Justice Department is moving to delay certification of Alaska's Senate results because of the two similar names.
Note for readers: the charge that her campaign was behind the second candidate comes from the Times report and from Sullivan, her opponent. Peltola denies it, and Fox reports no charge against her. Our earlier stories on the Times report, the governor's probe and the federal investigation are on the site.