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Resurfaced Peltola 'criminal offense' quote comes back to haunt her after explosive report: 'Turn yourself in'

30 October 2026 at 08:00

Alaska Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola is facing an onslaught of social media criticism over a resurfaced quote that critics say reeks of hypocrisy, following an explosive New York Times report this week.

"It should be a criminal offense to lie or mislead the electorate," Peltola says in the clip from August posted by the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) on Wednesday, shortly after The New York Times reported that her campaign was actively involved in a scheme to peel votes away from incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan by recruiting namesake and spoiler candidates.

Conservatives on social media quickly shared the post and suggested that Peltola should be investigated based on her own words.

"Your terms are acceptable," Townhall columnist Dustin Grage posted on X.

MARY PELTOLA'S CAMPAIGN, DEMS BACKED COVERT SCHEME TO FIELD SPOILER CANDIDATES IN ALASKA SENATE RACE: REPORT

"Turn yourself in, Mary Peltola," conservative radio host Jason Rantz posted on X.

"Amen, Mary! " former Trump campaign national press secretary Hogan Gidley posted on X.

"Well, that’s ironic… ," Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., posted on X.

"Agree!!! " Fox News contributor Marc Thiessen posted on X.

ALASKA'S GOVERNOR ORDERS INVESTIGATION AFTER NYT REPORT ON ALLEGED DEM-LINKED SENATE ELECTION SCHEME

The New York Times report rocked the Alaska Senate race, which could determine the balance of power in the Senate, as questions now swirl over the legality of the campaign's alleged actions. The Department of Justice and the state of Alaska are both investigating the genesis of the alleged scheme to recruit Dan J. Sullivan into the race against incumbent Dan S. Sullivan.

Fox News learned Wednesday that federal prosecutors are conducting an "aggressive criminal investigation" into how the second Sullivan secured a spot on Alaska's ballot, according to two sources familiar with the probe. Investigators are preparing grand jury subpoenas and examining potential violations of voters' rights, with the investigation expected to continue beyond Election Day. The DOJ declined to comment.

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Alaska's Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy announced that he was ordering a probe into the matter.

"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 Division of Elections investigated these very concerns in June of this year. The new reporting substantially supports the Division’s findings," Dunleavy noted in a post on X.

"I am therefore directing the Department of Public Safety to investigate whether this scheme violated Alaska’s laws and whether criminal charges or civil action are warranted. The evidence will determine what happens next," the GOP governor continued.

The DOJ has issued dozens of subpoenas in the past 24 hours, reportedly looking into whether the campaign violated federal law by conspiring against the rights of voters. Others have argued the alleged actions are not illegal, and simply a "dirty trick" that is sometimes utilized in campaigns.

Fox News Digital reached out to Peltola's campaign for comment.

Peltola has dismissed reports of the alleged election scheme as "just another distraction," arguing that The New York Times’ report was solely purposed to "sell newspapers."

Her campaign also continues to assert innocence, previously telling Fox News in part that the Alaskans for Mary campaign "has no involvement with either Sullivan campaign."

JASON CHAFFETZ: Democrats tried to trick Alaska voters. Peltola must answer

29 October 2026 at 08:50

The Democratic Party and its U.S. Senate candidate in Alaska owe voters the truth. Not the denials Mary Peltola’s campaign keeps repeating, but the truth The New York Times documented this week.

The Times reported that Peltola campaign aides and DSCC staffers worked to recruit additional candidates — including a man named Daniel J. Sullivan — to run and peel votes away from incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan under ranked-choice voting.

Drawing on texts, documents and interviews, the paper reported that Peltola was "definitely aware" of the effort to seek out other people with the same name. The campaign and the DSCC denied involvement in the sham. But notably, none of the parties accused condemned it.

MARY PELTOLA'S CAMPAIGN, DEMS BACKED COVERT SCHEME TO FIELD SPOILER CANDIDATES IN ALASKA SENATE RACE: REPORT

This is a character test for Mary Peltola. Alaskans deserve better than this kind of chicanery. Democrats clearly think voters are too dumb to figure it out. Nobody really believed Daniel J. Sullivan’s name ended up on the ballot organically. But now the Times has provided compelling evidence.

Peltola needs to come clean. If she wasn’t involved, then she needs to have the political guts to call this out.

SEN DAN SULLIVAN BRANDS PELTOLA’S ALLEGED BALLOT SCHEME A ‘SCANDAL AT THE HIGHEST ORDER’

On the other hand, if the allegations are true, imagine what she might be willing to do once voters give her power. Someone who greenlights a namesake spoiler operation like this one, then denies it, demonstrates a lack of integrity and judgment that Alaskans should not expect from their U.S. senator. Instead of making a compelling case for Mary Peltola to represent the state, the campaign and its Democratic allies relied on lies and dirty tricks.

The denials make it even worse. All accused parties took that position in public and in the context of the federal litigation over certification. Yet we have the former campaign manager telling the Times that Peltola was "definitely aware" of the recruiting effort. We even have an Elias Law Group attorney who represents both the campaign and the DSCC being looped into related discussions. If those allegations hold, the whole team lied about it.

COURT KEEPS ‘DECOY DAN’ ON ALASKA BALLOT AS EXPERT WARNS RANKED-CHOICE SYSTEM CREATES VOTER ‘TRAPS’

These were disgusting, sleazy dirty tricks intended to cajole, manipulate and snooker voters instead of winning on the merits. The whole point was to create confusion under ranked-choice voting and distort voters’ choices.

Democrats didn’t try to persuade Alaskans. They tried to trick them. That is immoral and disingenuous, and it says everything you need to know about today’s Democratic Party — and certainly about Mary Peltola.

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She has not given Alaskans the truth. At this late hour, she still won’t call it out for what it is. That silence is the character test, and she is failing it.

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Peltola owes Alaskans the truth. She has not given it.

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