Trump Demands Mary Peltola's Removal Over Alaska Ballot Scheme

President Donald Trump demanded the disqualification and prosecution of Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola six days before the Alaska election. The demands follow a New York Times report alleging that Peltola's campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee recruited a retiree named Daniel J. Sullivan to run as a decoy candidate to siphon votes from Republican incumbent Senator Dan Sullivan.

Trump characterized the operation as voter fraud at the highest level and claimed the scheme was conducted in conjunction with Chuck Schumer. In response, Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy ordered a criminal investigation to determine if the recruitment of the spoiler candidate warrants criminal charges or civil penalties.

Peltola and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee denied the allegations, with Peltola dismissing the reports as a distraction intended to sell newspapers. While Attorney General Todd Blanche suggested the recruitment scheme might not have broken existing laws, the Justice Department has sued to prevent the race from being certified if Senator Sullivan loses. Chief Judge Sharon Gleason has fast-tracked these legal proceedings, noting that the administration delayed filing the suit until after voting had already begun.