DOJ accuses Peltola of misleading federal court in Alaska Senate suit

The Justice Department on Thursday accused Democrat Mary Peltola of misleading a federal court. The charge came in an amended complaint in its lawsuit seeking to block certification of the Alaska Senate election ¹. Certification is the official sign-off that makes election results final. The vote is Tuesday, Nov. 3.

The filing names Peltola's campaign committee, Alaskans For Mary, and the DSCC, the Democratic Senate campaign arm. It says they "appear to have turned to misleading this Court" ¹. It also says they "orchestrated this sham campaign for the purpose of misleading Alaskan voters and getting Peltola elected" ¹. These are the government's allegations. No court has ruled on them.

On tapeAssociated Press · Oct 30

▶0:58

What the lawsuit claims

The Justice Department filed the suit on Thursday, Oct. 22, in federal court in Alaska ¹². It argues the Senate election will be invalid unless incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan wins. Its reason is voter confusion over a second candidate with the same name on the ballot ¹.

The new filing leans on a New York Times report that Peltola's campaign helped recruit that second candidate, Dan J. Sullivan ¹. The filing concedes "what the New York Times reports is not always true." It says the reporting "aligns with what the United States has been alleging on information and belief" ¹.

From Channel GOPPeltola: Tariffs doubled Alaska air taxi's parts billMary Peltola · 142 plays · captioned, with the source named

The man in question, Daniel J. Sullivan of Petersburg, says he decided to run on his own. Republicans contend he was a Democratic plant meant to draw votes from the senator ². The Alaska Supreme Court rejected earlier Republican efforts to remove him from the ballot ².

Peltola and her allies respond

Peltola denied on Thursday that she knew of any such plan. She said she "knew nothing about any other candidate on the ballot except for me and the incumbent" ¹.

On tapeWCNC · Oct 30

▶0:54

Scott Kendall, an Alaska lawyer and former Republican operative, told The Hill the claims would not help the government. Even if the campaign did recruit the second Sullivan, he said, that would not be against the law ¹. He called ballot-stacking "a nasty, dirty trick," but said Alaska's Supreme Court has held "it is not illegal" ¹.

Derek Muller, a Notre Dame law professor, said the suit does not appear to have legal merit. He said the law does not let the Justice Department block certification ². He added that the case will likely matter only if Republicans narrowly lose ².

The pressure around the case

The Justice Department has also issued dozens of subpoenas, which are legal demands for records. They went to Peltola's Senate campaign offices and to the offices of Dan J. Sullivan ¹. On Wednesday, Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy, a Republican, ordered an investigation into whether the campaign broke state law. The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has opened its own inquiry ¹.

President Trump said on Truth Social that Peltola should face legal and political consequences. He has also said she should not be allowed to run for the Senate ¹. Decision Desk HQ, a nonpartisan forecaster, gives Peltola a 60 percent chance of winning ¹.

What happens next is a federal court question. The judge has not ruled on the lawsuit. Attorney General Todd Blanche has said it is not the department's intention to improperly interfere with the state certification process ². Yet the suit asks to bar the state from certifying a Peltola win if the second Sullivan stays on the ballot ².

That matters because control of the Senate could turn on one seat. Democrats and voting-rights advocates have long feared an attempt to block certification of results the president's party loses ². Critics of the suit say it was filed days before an election and seeks to block certification of a result in advance.

The Record

1. Oct 22, 2026The Justice Department sued in federal court in Alaska to block certification of a Peltola win if the second Dan Sullivan stays on the ballot ².
2. Oct 28, 2026Gov. Mike Dunleavy ordered a state investigation into Peltola's campaign, and Trump said she should face legal consequences ¹.
3. Oct 29, 2026The Justice Department filed an amended complaint accusing Peltola's campaign and the DSCC of misleading the court; Peltola denied knowing of any scheme ¹.

Sources

1. The Hill, “DOJ accuses Peltola, Democrats of misleading a federal court” (2026-10-30). thehill.com/homenews/campaign/6183999-doj-accuses-peltola-mi
2. Alaska's News Source (AP), “Trump administration sues to block possible Democratic win in Alaska Senate race” (2026-10-23). alaskasnewssource.com/2026/10/23/trump-administration-sues-b

Found an error? Tell the newsroom. Corrections are noted at the top of the story.