Sen Dan Sullivan brands Peltola’s alleged ballot scheme a ‘scandal at the highest order’
Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, told Fox News that Democrats will do "anything" to gain power while addressing reports that the campaign of his Democratic challenger Mary Peltola secretly participated in a months-long process to recruit people with his name to run in the Alaska U.S. Senate race.
The New York Times reported Wednesday that Peltola’s campaign, as well as senior aides at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, carried out the alleged election scheme in hopes that voters would be confused by two Dan Sullivans and therefore draw support from the incumbent Republican senator.
"This is a scandal at the highest order," Sen. Sullivan said during an interview on "Hannity" Wednesday.
"She and her team, and at the highest levels of the DSCC, spent over a year scheming in a secret operation to trick Alaskans to get them to throw away their vote," Sullivan said. "It's remarkable. The Democrats will do anything to gain power."
The Justice Department is moving to delay certification of Alaska’s U.S. Senate election results since two individuals by the name of Dan Sullivan appear alongside each other on the ballot. Listed on the ballot as "Sullivan, Dan S.," is the state’s incumbent U.S. senator, while "Sullivan, Daniel J. Jr.," is a retired schoolteacher.
"They've been lying for almost a year about it, and now they're caught," Sullivan told Fox News host Sean Hannity.
Peltola has dismissed reports of the alleged election scheme as "just another distraction," arguing that The New York Times’ report was solely purposed to "sell newspapers."
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Her campaign also continues to assert innocence, previously telling Fox News in part that the Alaskans for Mary campaign "has no involvement with either Sullivan campaign."
Republican Sen. Sullivan called out what he described as Peltola’s hypocrisy, saying the alleged election scheme shows her "total contempt" for the people of Alaska.
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"She's run a campaign about supposed corruption. She's the corrupt one working with D.C. insiders to trick Alaskans," he said.
"[Peltola and the DSCC] think so little of Alaskans that they thought they can trick them," he added.
The Alaska senator argued that Peltola made a concerted effort to trick voters with another Dan Sullivan because her campaign had "nothing to run on."
"This is what happens when you have a candidate like Peltola — far-left — who's got nothing to run on," Sullivan said. "I have a much stronger record… We have a vision for Alaskans that the Alaskan people want, and when they recognize that, they're like, ’Shoot, I guess we've got to cheat.’"
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Sullivan also noted that the alleged ballot scheme does not just apply to Alaska, but to the entire country as the state’s Senate race holds significant power in determining which party will hold a majority in the Senate.
"This goes to the highest levels of the government," he said on "Hannity." "The seat in Alaska could determine who controls the United States Senate. This isn't just about Alaska — this is about America."
Federal prosecutors are conducting an "aggressive criminal investigation" into how the second Sullivan secured a spot on Alaska's ballot, two sources familiar with the matter told Fox News.
Sullivan told "Hannity" he will do his best to inform every single Alaskan of the scheme.
"We're going to make sure every single Alaskan knows about this," Sullivan said.
"We are campaigning 24/7, and we're telling every Alaskan, ‘Don't let your vote be stolen.’"
Fox News Digital reached out to the Peltola campaign for comment.
Fox News Digital's Robert Schmad and Olivia Palombo contributed to this report.