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Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy has ordered a criminal investigation into an alleged scheme to confuse voters in the upcoming Senate election. The probe follows a report by the New York Times that claimed Democratic candidate Mary Peltola's campaign recruited another candidate named Dan Sullivan to dilute votes from the incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan.
The alleged plot involved recruiting a retired teacher, also named Dan Sullivan, to run as a moderate Republican. The New York Times reported that Peltola's campaign staff combed through voter records to find this candidate, although Peltola's team has denied any wrongdoing. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee also denied involvement.
Governor Dunleavy stated that the investigation would determine if Alaska's laws were violated and whether criminal charges or civil actions are warranted. "The evidence will determine what happens next," he said, as reported by the BBC.
The Alaska Supreme Court previously rejected efforts to remove the second Dan Sullivan from the ballot. President Donald Trump has called for Peltola to be barred from the election, labeling the situation as "Voter Fraud at the Highest Level" in a Truth Social post.
The upcoming election is one of the tightest races in the midterms, which will decide control of Congress. The results could significantly impact the remaining two years of Trump's presidency. The CNN reported that Alaska election officials maintain that placing candidates on the ballot is a state matter, not a federal one.