Peltola speaks on federal ballot probe

ANCHORAGE, Alaska: U.S. Senate candidate Mary Peltola spoke Friday evening at an Anchorage rally about a federal criminal probe into allegations that her campaign worked to place a second Dan Sullivan on Alaska's ballot. The probe became public this week, days before the midterm election.

On Wednesday, the New York Times reported that a former campaign manager, Elisa Rios, said Peltola was "definitely aware" of an effort to recruit candidates named Dan Sullivan into the race to create voter confusion, though Rios said Peltola was not directly involved. The article did not say that Peltola directed the effort.

The Justice Department, in a lawsuit filed last week, asked a judge to order state elections officials to isolate ballots ranking Dan J. Sullivan, a Petersburg candidate, so investigators could examine potential voter confusion with Sen. Dan Sullivan. The department has not charged anyone.

At the rally Friday, Peltola said she "honestly [has] no idea" whether anyone on her campaign was involved in placing Dan J. Sullivan on the ballot. She called the allegations offensive. "This is Alaska; we're not in the business of tricking each other up here," she said. She also said she has led Sen. Dan Sullivan in polls since before she entered the race.

Peltola declined to discuss the details of Rios's account. "Clearly, folks are gone, they're gone for a good reason," she said. "If I could fire them again, I'd be happy to fire them again." Rios served as Peltola's campaign manager and is no longer with the campaign.

After the Times report, Gov. Mike Dunleavy suggested the state could block certification of the election pending the federal investigation. Peltola said she believes in the rule of law and in the state's ability to administer free and fair elections. She said she is still learning the details of the investigation.

The midterm election is set for Nov. 3, two days after this article's date. The Justice Department's filing in the ballot-isolation request is pending before a judge.