Peltola repeats denial of ballot-stacking reports, stays silent on federal probe

Alaska’s Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola denied once again any involvement in the alleged ballot-stacking scheme that it was recently reported her campaign engaged in during a rally on Friday, but did not mention the ongoing investigations into the scheme

“I am so deeply offended by these accusations about having any involvement with anyone else’s candidacy,” Peltola said during h er speech at the rally. “Of course, I want fewer candidates in the primary. I’m not out soliciting more competition.”

“I do not need any help winning this race except by all of you in this room and the massive amounts of support we have across the state,” she added.

The high-stakes Senate race in Alaska has been consistently making the headlines after the Justice Department filed a lawsuit seeking to block certification of the election, claiming the presence of a candidate with the same name as incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan (R) could give Peltola an unfair advantage in the upcoming election.

The latest accusations stem from a recent New York Times report that said the Democrat’s campaign was directly involved in recruiting a man named Dan J. Sullivan in an effort to dilute votes. Several GOP lawmakers took to social media to blast the Peltola following the Times story.

Peltola has previously denied any knowledge or involvement in the alleged ballot-stacking scheme.

In the latest filing in its lawsuit seeking to block certification of the election, the DOJ accused Peltola of misleading a federal court . The amended complaint filed Thursday said Peltola’s campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee “orchestrated this sham campaign for the purpose of misleading Alaskan voters and getting Peltola elected.”

The filing also cited the Times report saying, “although what the New York Times reports is not always true, its reporting here aligns with what the United States has been alleging on information and belief.”

The department also issued dozens of subpoenas in connection with the case, which have been sent to Peltola’s Senate campaign offices as well as the offices of Dan J. Sullivan.

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R) ordered an investigation into whether Peltola’s campaign violated state law in the alleged scheme. The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee also launched an investigation into Peltola’s campaign.

President Trump also accused Peltola of election fraud and said she should be removed from the ballot.

During her Friday’s speech, Peltola did not mention the investigations into the matter. She did, however, addressed the accusations calling them “hollow.”

“Our work isn’t done yet because we know that there are people out there who have not voted, who don’t have a plan to vote, who are who are so turned off by the smear campaigns and the garbage,” she said.

Scott Kendall, an Alaska lawyer and former GOP operative, told The Hill that even if Peltola’s campaign did indeed recruit Dan J. Sullivan, that action would not be against the law.

“It can be a nasty, dirty trick,” he said. “There can be bad motives behind it, but according to our Alaska Supreme Court, which is empowered to interpret Alaska law, it is not illegal.”