Alaska governor says investigation into 'bait' Senate candidate is just the tip of the iceberg

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy said the investigation into an alleged ballot-rigging scheme in the U.S. Senate race is, in his words, "the tip of the iceberg." The statement was made to the Fox News program The Ingraham Angle, in an interview shown on the Fox Business channel.

According to the governor, the state is restarting the investigation after the publication of a New York Times report and an arrest. He said "a big chunk of the iceberg has just surfaced" and that authorities intend to pursue the case. The presenter questioned whether the operation could have been carried out without help or direct knowledge from the campaign of Democratic candidate, Mary Peltola, and Democrats in Washington.

What the governor claims

Dunleavy said that if the New York Times report is credible, the former campaign manager claimed the team was involved in the operation. He also maintained that the state already suspected something was wrong when the candidate asked to be on the ballot.

According to the governor, in the initial email to the Division of Elections, the candidate asked that his name be listed as "Dan S. Sullivan." Dunleavy noted that the middle initial is not "S" and that the person often uses the name Daniel. He also said that the candidate's website looks very similar to that of Senator Dan Sullivan, who is seeking re-election, and that this indicated another motivation besides running for the Senate.

The state kept the candidate off the ballot, but the Alaska Supreme Court ruled to include him. According to the governor, the state is still awaiting the court's general opinion on the matter.

Investigation and possible consequences

Asked if Peltola was a specific target of the investigation, Dunleavy replied that everyone linked to the campaign could be questioned and interviewed to clarify what, if any, involvement each person had. He said the state will collect evidence and then decide whether there is reason to file criminal charges, in addition to considering a civil lawsuit.

Asked if Peltola, if he wins, could face problems in having his victory certified, the governor replied "possibly", depending on the evidence found. He avoided detailing other points and stated that there were matters he could not discuss.

Voting by ranking at the center of the debate

Dunleavy attributed the episode to the ranked choice voting system, financed, according to him, by donors from outside the state. In the governor's explanation, the second "Dan Sullivan" would have been eliminated in the primaries by the senator, which would leave Peltola and the senator face to face in the general election. With the current system, he said, this type of problem arises. The topic is also on the ballot, with a question about whether or not to repeal the system.

The presenter classified the system as "totally unconstitutional" in his reading. Dunleavy responded that if voters did not reject him at the polls, a law would need to be passed in the next session of the Legislative Assembly. He said he does not know if there is interest and that this will depend on the composition of the Legislature after the election.

In the end, the governor said that voters will have the opportunity to check four boxes in the race and should observe who is running to make an informed decision. According to him, what happened was a "ruse". The allegations come from the governor, a political ally of the Republican camp, and the investigation is still ongoing, with no formal accusations mentioned in the interview.

For investors, the case illustrates the institutional risk surrounding an election that could influence the composition of the American Senate. The transcript does not provide an analysis of the effects on the stock market, interest rates or the dollar.

Automatically translated from Portuguese.