Peltola asks when The New York Times became 'The National Enquirer'

”I know I can beat Dan Sullivan,” Peltola says amid DOJ certification suit

Mary Peltola attacked The New York Times’ reporting on Alaska’s Senate race at a Thursday-night campaign event in Juneau, asking when the paper became “The National Enquirer.”

“I just feel like I’m dodging bullets left and right, you know, with all the nonsense,” Peltola said, according to coverage of the event by The New York Times and KTOO-Radio in Juneau. “And when did The New York Times become The National Enquirer? Inquiring minds want to know.”

The Democratic nominee also denied knowing anything about the effort at the center of the Times’ account — a ploy to recruit a candidate with the same name as her Republican opponent to join the race and confuse voters. “I just want to clear the air. I knew nothing about any other candidates on the ballot except for me and the incumbent,” she said at the event, according to the Times and KTOO-Radio coverage. “That is all I have ever known about. I am not interested in tricking voters. I know I can beat Dan Sullivan.”

The New York Times reported Wednesday that the Democratic Party pushed Dan J. Sullivan Jr., a retiree, to join the Senate race challenging incumbent Sen. Dan S. Sullivan, a Republican — leaving the ballot with two candidates named Dan Sullivan.

A major source for the article was Elisa Rios, Peltola’s former campaign manager and aide, who was fired from the campaign in August. Rios said Peltola was not directly involved in the plan but was “definitely aware.” Her account and Peltola’s Thursday-night denial present conflicting versions of what the nominee knew about the second Sullivan candidacy.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday called for officials to remove Peltola from the ballot, though that would be impossible since early voting has already started in Alaska. He called her alleged actions “voter fraud at the highest level” and said she must be prosecuted.

Last week, the Justice Department filed a lawsuit preemptively asking the courts to block certification of the race if Peltola wins with less than the combined totals of Sen. Dan S. Sullivan and Dan J. Sullivan Jr.’s votes.

With early voting underway, the race’s final days now hold a nominee publicly disputing the reporting against her, a former campaign manager’s contrary account on the record, and a preemptive federal lawsuit whose condition for blocking certification turns on the combined totals of the two Sullivans’ votes.