Fired campaign manager says Peltola was "definitely aware" of an alleged plan

Peltola campaign and DSCC deny recruiting Republican challenger Sullivan

Elisa Rios, Mary Peltola’s former campaign manager and aide who was fired from the campaign in August, said Peltola, the Democratic candidate for Alaska’s U.S. Senate seat, was not directly involved in the alleged plan but was “definitely aware” of it. Rios was a major source for a New York Times report Wednesday that staff members and other operatives for Peltola allegedly recruited candidates to take away votes from Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan, including finding those with the same name.

The Times reported that the effort brought Sullivan Jr. into the race and that he qualified for the general election by finishing in the top four in the primary. Sullivan Jr. is a Republican but is listed without a party affiliation on ballots. The original Sullivan is labeled as the incumbent Republican on the ballot.

The Peltola campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee have denied recruiting the other Sullivan. “The Alaskans for Mary campaign has no involvement with either Sullivan campaign,” said a spokesperson for Peltola’s campaign. “Like Mary, our campaign is focused on lowered costs and fixing the rigged system in D.C.”

President Donald Trump called the alleged action “Voter Fraud at the Highest Level” in a social media post Wednesday and said Peltola and the other candidate, Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., should be prosecuted. “Nothing else will do!” he wrote. “This behavior in our Elections cannot be allowed to continue.” Trump is calling for Peltola to be removed from the ballot in the upcoming midterm elections after the report that her campaign arranged for a spoiler candidate in the race.

Last week, the U.S. Justice Department filed a lawsuit preemptively calling on courts to block the certification of Alaska’s Senate race if Peltola wins, saying the second Sullivan’s candidacy is meant to confuse voters. Trump later said he was behind that lawsuit.

The incumbent Sullivan received 68,726 votes in Alaska’s Republican primary in August. The other Sullivan received 4,107.