FORT WORTH, Texas — Vice President Vance on Thursday declined to fully endorse President Trump's demand that Democrat Mary Peltola face criminal prosecution over her campaign's reported efforts to boost a spoiler candidate in Alaska's Senate race.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force Two en route to a rally in Texas, Vance said the allegations merit investigation but stopped short of calling for charges. "Well, I think we should certainly look into whether she committed election fraud," Vance said. "I mean, she is a person who, for months now, has pretended that she has had nothing to do with the fact that they have put a fraudulent person, a person explicitly designed to confuse Alaska voters on the ballot."
Vance added that regardless of criminal liability, Peltola's conduct was ethically indefensible. "Whether it's criminal or not, she certainly has committed, I think, a great moral failing, and hopefully the voters of Alaska punish her," he continued.
The remarks come after The New York Times reported Wednesday that aides to Peltola's campaign, along with lawyers and staffers from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), were involved in pushing other candidates — including a little-known Republican named Daniel J. Sullivan — into the race against incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska). The apparent goal was to split conservative votes and confuse voters with two Sullivans on the ballot.
Peltola's campaign and the DSCC have denied any involvement. "The Alaskans for Mary campaign has no involvement with either Sullivan campaign. Like Mary, our campaign is focused on lowering costs and fixing the rigged system in DC and did not recruit any candidates into the race," the campaign said in a statement.
President Trump, however, was unambiguous. Speaking to reporters Wednesday, he said: "I think the fake Dan Sullivan and Mary Peltola, number one they should be taken off the ballot, and number two they should be prosecuted." The president's call echoes demands to bar Peltola from the race that have intensified in recent days.
The controversy has become a flashpoint in what is shaping up as one of the most competitive Senate races of the cycle. The spoiler allegations are clouding final forecasts for the Alaska contest, which could determine control of the Senate.
Adding to the legal stakes, the Justice Department has filed a lawsuit in Alaska seeking to block certification of the election results if the incumbent loses, citing the confusion caused by having two Sullivans on the ballot. Republicans, including Sen. Rick Scott (Fla.), have urged the DOJ to investigate, and Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy has ordered a state probe into the alleged scheme.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) has also demanded answers from Peltola, while GOP leaders have escalated attacks over the look-alike candidate strategy. Meanwhile, Vance's careful wording may reflect broader political calculations as he balances loyalty to Trump with his own national ambitions, a dynamic that has drawn scrutiny even from conservative media.
