Peltola campaign disputes former aides’ allegations

Mary Peltola’s Senate campaign is rejecting allegations by former aides that the Alaska Democrat berated staff, used offensive language and shoved an employee, saying some accounts exaggerate incidents from a period of personal grief. The allegations, detailed in a report based on interviews with nine former staff members and contemporaneous messages and images, remain disputed by the campaign. Former aides told the report’s authors that Peltola had angry and profane outbursts directed at staff and others. Four former staff members said they had directly heard her use the homophobic slur “faggot,” sometimes about staff members. The campaign denied that allegation. Former aides and messages reviewed for the report also described Peltola using the word “retarded”; the campaign said she regretted using it and recognized that it was inappropriate. The campaign also disputes an account that Peltola shoved a male aide in her congressional office in February 2024, causing him to stumble backward. Former aides described the contact as a shove. Campaign spokesman Harry Child said Peltola accidentally bumped the employee while unfocused, on the first birthday of her late husband’s death.