Alaska Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan told Fox News that Democrats will do “whatever it takes” to gain power, while responding to reports that his Democratic challenger Mary Pertola’s campaign was secretly involved in a months-long effort to recruit someone named after him to run in Alaska’s U.S. Senate race.
The New York Times reported on Wednesday that Pertola’s campaign and top aides at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee carried out the so-called election plan in the hope that voters would be confused by two Dan Sullivans and gain the support of sitting Republican senators.
“This is a scandal of the highest order,” Senator Sullivan told “Hannity” on Wednesday.
“She and her team, along with the highest levels of the DSCC, spent more than a year planning a covert operation to deceive Alaskans into not voting,” Sullivan said.
“This is amazing. Democrats will do whatever it takes to gain power.”
The Justice Department is planning to delay the certification of Alaska’s U.S. Senate election results because two men named Dan Sullivan appeared on the ballot at the same time.
“Sullivan, Dan S.” on the ballot is the state’s current U.S. senator, and “Sullivan, Daniel J. Jr.” is a retired teacher.
“They’ve been lying about this for almost a year, and now they’ve been caught,” Sullivan told Fox News host Sean Hannity.
Pertola dismissed reports of alleged election planning as “just another distraction” and argued that the Times’ reporting was purely to “sell newspapers.”
Her campaign also continues to maintain its innocence, previously telling Fox News, in part, that the Alaskans for Mary campaign “has no relationship whatsoever with Sullivan’s campaign.”
Republican Senator Sullivan lambasted Pertola for her hypocrisy, saying the so-called election plan showed her “utter disdain” for the people of Alaska.
“She started a campaign about alleged corruption. She was a corrupt person working with insiders in Washington, D.C., to defraud Alaskans,” he said.
“[Peltola and the DSCC] They don’t care about Alaskans so much that they think they can trick them,” he added.
The Alaska senator argued that Pertola worked in concert with another Dan Sullivan to deceive voters because her campaign had “no basis.”
“That’s what happens when a candidate like Pertola — who is on the far left — has nothing to campaign on,” Sullivan said. “My record is much stronger… We have a vision for Alaskans of what Alaskans want, and when they realize that, they say, ‘Shoot, I guess we have to cheat.’”
Sullivan also noted that the so-called ballot initiative applies not just to Alaska but to the entire country, as the state’s Senate races hold significant power in determining which party will gain a majority in the Senate.
“This will be brought to the highest levels of government,” he said on “Hannity.” “Alaska seats could determine who controls the U.S. Senate. It’s not just about Alaska, it’s about America.”
Two sources familiar with the matter told Fox News that federal prosecutors are conducting an “active criminal investigation” into how the second Sullivan secured a spot on Alaska’s ballot.
Sullivan told “Hannity” he will do his best to inform every Alaskan about the plan.
“We’re going to make sure every Alaskan knows this,” Sullivan said.
“We’re running a 24/7 campaign and we’re telling every Alaskan, ‘Don’t let your vote be stolen.'”
Fox News Digital reached out to the Pertola campaign for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Robert Schmad and Olivia Palombo contributed to this report.