Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy has ordered the state Department of Public Safety to investigate whether Democrats broke the law by helping recruit an independent Senate candidate who shares the name of Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan.

Dunleavy announced the investigation Thursday, saying authorities would examine whether the alleged effort violated state law and whether criminal charges or civil action could follow.

“Anyone or any organization found to have broken the law must be held accountable,” Dunleavy wrote on social media.

The order follows a report by The New York Times alleging that members of Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola’s campaign and staffers with the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee coordinated with political operatives seeking to recruit and promote an independent candidate named Dan Sullivan. The effort reportedly involved months of canvassing across Alaska, raising questions about whether the candidate was intended to draw votes away from the Republican incumbent.

Alaska Democrats had denied involvement in the independent candidate’s campaign for months. Peltola’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Dunleavy’s investigation. Both her campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee denied involvement in statements included in the Times report. Peltola’s campaign also told POLITICO that she had no intention of withdrawing from the race.

Republicans quickly condemned the alleged strategy. President Donald Trump said incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan should be allowed to run without a second candidate bearing the same name on the ballot.

“Mary Peltola should suffer the Legal and Political consequences for what she has done,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, calling the alleged effort “A FRAUD ON THE AMERICAN PUBLIC.”

Vice President JD Vance also criticized the reported conduct Thursday, while stopping short of declaring it criminal.

“Whether it's criminal or not, she certainly has committed, I think, a great moral failing, and hopefully the voters of Alaska punish her,” Vance told reporters.

The controversy has also prompted Democrats to accuse Republicans of using similar tactics in other races. Lauren French, communications director for the Democratic-aligned Senate Majority PAC, pointed to a separate House race in which she alleged a group was promoting a candidate with no ties to Alaska who was serving time in federal prison. Democrats have characterized such efforts as examples of “ballot stacking,” arguing that Republicans have also attempted to manipulate electoral competition through third-party candidates.

The dispute has broader legal implications. The Justice Department sued Alaska last week, seeking to invalidate election results in which the Republican incumbent was not the winner, citing what it described as a substantial likelihood that the presence of Daniel J. Sullivan on the ballot could confuse voters intending to support Sen. Dan Sullivan. The lawsuit was announced before The New York Times published its report.

The Alaska Supreme Court had ruled in June that the independent candidate could remain on the ballot.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche indicated Wednesday that the federal government could take further action as officials examine the allegations. Asked on Fox News whether the reported conduct was illegal, Blanche answered, “Absolutely,” before adding, “It certainly should be.”

Dunleavy, a Republican who has been rumored to be considering a Senate campaign of his own in 2028, has not announced any such bid. His investigation now places state authorities at the center of a growing dispute over candidate recruitment, election integrity, and the legal boundaries of political campaigning in Alaska.