Peltola Faces Backlash After Viral Clip Contradicts Her Campaign Allegations

Mary Peltola is drowning in a wave of social media fury after a resurfaced video clip painted her as a hypocrite. The clip hit the feeds Wednesday, just as The New York Times broke a story alleging her campaign orchestrated a scheme to sabotage incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan. In the August footage posted by the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Peltola is unambiguous. "It should be a criminal offense to lie or mislead the electorate," she states.

Conservatives did not wait long to pounce. Dustin Grage, a Townhall columnist, took to X to declare, "Your terms are acceptable." Jason Rantz, a conservative radio host, went straight for the throat with, "Turn yourself in, Mary Peltola." Even former Trump campaign national press secretary Hogan Gidley chimed in, simply posting, "Amen, Mary!" Sen. Rick Scott of Florida added, "Well, that’s ironic…," while Fox News contributor Marc Thiessen agreed emphatically.

The stakes could not be higher. This Alaska Senate race might just tip the balance of power in the U.S. Senate. Now, questions about legality are swirling violently. Both the Department of Justice and the state of Alaska have launched probes into how the campaign allegedly recruited a spoiler candidate named Dan J. Sullivan to run against the incumbent Dan S. Sullivan.

Fox News learned Wednesday that federal prosecutors are running an "aggressive criminal investigation." Two sources familiar with the probe say investigators are preparing grand jury subpoenas. They are examining potential violations of voters' rights. The investigation is expected to continue well beyond Election Day. The DOJ declined to comment on the specific details.

Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy, a Republican, ordered his own probe after seeing the New York Times report. He called the alleged actions "disturbing new evidence of an organized effort to manipulate Alaska’s elections." Dunleavy noted that the state's Division of Elections had already investigated similar concerns in June. "The new reporting substantially supports the Division’s findings," he wrote on X.

He is directing the Department of Public Safety to determine if state laws were broken. "The evidence will determine what happens next," Dunleavy stated. He is looking at whether criminal charges or civil action are warranted.

The DOJ has reportedly issued dozens of subpoenas in the past 24 hours. They are investigating whether the campaign conspired against voters' rights under federal law. Some legal experts argue these actions are not illegal, labeling them a "dirty trick" common in high-stakes campaigns.

Peltola’s camp is pushing back hard. Her campaign dismissed the reports as "just another distraction," claiming the New York Times is solely trying to "sell newspapers." They maintain total innocence. In previous comments to Fox News, the Alaskans for Mary campaign insisted they have "no involvement with either Sullivan campaign.