Republican officials order investigations of Peltola and other Democrats after New York Times report

Republican officials in Alaska have launched investigations into Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mary Peltola and her campaign, following a New York Times report that alleged her team worked with an intermediary to recruit independent candidate Dan J. Sullivan as a spoiler in the 2026 Senate race. The move has intensified the stakes of a contest that could determine control of the U.S. Senate.

The New York Times reported that Democratic operatives, through an intermediary, encouraged Sullivan to run as an independent. While Alaska law does not explicitly prohibit such tactics, the revelation has triggered official scrutiny, including a state‑level investigation ordered by Gov. Mike Dunleavy and a federal criminal probe by the Department of Justice (DOJ).

The Legal and Political Fallout

Gov. Dunleavy, a Republican, announced the state investigation on Wednesday, citing the New York Times report as a ‘compelling reason’ to reopen questions about Sullivan’s eligibility. The governor’s office pointed to the Alaska Supreme Court ruling in June that overturned an earlier state determination that Sullivan was ineligible to run, but the new revelations have reignited debates. “With these new revelations, we’re more than compelled to follow up on the investigation,” Dunleavy said on Fox News.

Today’s New York Times reporting reveals disturbing new evidence of an organized effort to manipulate Alaska’s elections by recruiting candidates—including one with the same name as an incumbent U.S. Senator—to deliberately confuse voters and misdirect their votes. The Alaska…

— https://x.com/GovDunleavy/status/2115669883149222169

The U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, led by Rep. James Comer, R‑Kentucky, has also joined the fray. Comer announced plans to interview two individuals cited in the New York Times article: Elisa Rios, Peltola’s former campaign manager, and Jerid Kurtz, the intermediary. In letters obtained by the Alaska Beacon, Comer warned that if Rios or Kurtz refuse to cooperate, the committee may evaluate the use of compulsory process. Rios’s letter and Kurtz’s letter detail the committee’s demands.

The DOJ’s Dual Approach

The DOJ is pursuing both criminal and civil actions. A criminal investigation targets Sullivan and Peltola’s campaign, while a civil lawsuit challenges the Alaska Division of Elections’ handling of the race. President Donald Trump said he ordered the civil suit, which asks a federal judge to prohibit anyone but Dan S. Sullivan, the incumbent Republican senator, from being declared the winner. The amended DOJ filing puts the New York Times report at the center of the issue and has led Judge Sharon Gleason to consider pushing back her deadline for ruling on the lawsuit’s dismissal, potentially resulting in a decision on or after Election Day.