Alaska governor orders investigation into Peltola's Senate campaign

Alaska's Republican Governor Mike Dunleavy ordered an investigation into Democrat Mary Peltola's Senate campaign after allegations that her team helped recruit candidates to draw votes away from her Republican opponent. The alleged recruitment included a candidate with the same name as that opponent.

Peltola is challenging Republican Senator Dan S. Sullivan in the Nov. 3 election. Another candidate, Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., a retired teacher from Petersburg, has denied running at Democrats' request. Alaska's Supreme Court upheld his eligibility to appear on the ballot earlier this year.

Dunleavy said newly published information provided evidence of an effort to mislead voters. He also said it supported state election officials' earlier findings about Daniel J. Sullivan's candidacy.

Peltola's campaign, Alaskans for Mary, denied involvement with either Sullivan campaign. It also said it had made no assertions in federal court about how Daniel J. Sullivan's candidacy originated or who was involved in his decision to run. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee separately denied involvement with him.

At President Donald Trump's direction, the Justice Department had already sued to block certification under certain conditions if Senator Sullivan loses. It wants the results recalculated as though votes for Daniel J. Sullivan had gone to the incumbent, with certification blocked if that calculation would change the outcome.