WASHINGTON — House Oversight Committee Chair Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) said Sunday there is a "big possibility" that former Rep. Mary Peltola (D-Alaska) would not be seated even if she wins Alaska's Senate race, citing her campaign's alleged involvement in a "ballot-stacking" scheme.
Comer's remarks on Fox News's "Sunday Morning" program came as he referenced a New York Times report alleging that Peltola's campaign and national Democrats recruited another candidate who shared the same name as incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan, a Republican, in order to dilute the GOP vote in Alaska's unusual nonpartisan top-four voting system.
"That's a big possibility. I have not spoken to Sen. Thune about that," Comer said, referring to Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.).
Comer has launched a probe into the matter, scheduling transcribed, in-person interviews with former Peltola campaign manager Elisa Rios on Nov. 5 and Democratic operative Jerid Kurtz on Nov. 6. He has asked who was involved, when the involvement began, and whether money changed hands.
"That's probably the biggest question that needs to be answered. Did money change hands? And then you know what laws were broken after that?" Comer said.
Sullivan said earlier Sunday that he would accept the election results even if he lost, though Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) dodged answering the same question. The allegations center on Alaska's nonpartisan top-four voting system, where GOP strategists previously told The Hill that the practice is not illegal.
Comer, particularly, has heavily criticized Peltola's campaign over the reported scheme. "We cannot allow this to happen. And the fact that there are a lot of people involved in the Democrat National Party who have been silent on this, and the question remains: Who all was involved? When did this involvement begin? Did money change hands? That's a big question," Comer said Sunday.
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