Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, sharply criticized Democratic challenger Mary Peltola following reports that her campaign secretly participated in a months long effort to recruit another person named Dan Sullivan to enter Alaska’s US Senate race.

The New York Times reported Wednesday that Peltola’s campaign and senior aides at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee carried out the alleged scheme. The reported objective was to confuse voters and draw support away from the incumbent Republican senator.

“This is a scandal at the highest order,” Sen. Sullivan said during an interview on “Hannity” Wednesday.

Sullivan accused Peltola, her campaign team and senior DSCC officials of operating in secret to mislead Alaska voters. He argued that the effort showed the lengths Democrats would go to secure political power.

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“It’s remarkable. The Democrats will do anything to gain power,” Sullivan said.

The Justice Department is moving to delay certification of Alaska’s US Senate election results because two individuals named Dan Sullivan appear alongside each other on the ballot. The unusual pairing has put the alleged recruitment effort under intense scrutiny.

The incumbent senator is listed on the ballot as “Sullivan, Dan S.” The second candidate, a retired schoolteacher, appears as “ Sullivan, Daniel J. Jr., ”

“They’ve been lying for almost a year about it, and now they’re caught,” Sullivan told Fox News host Sean Hannity.

Peltola has rejected the reports, calling the controversy “just another distraction.” She also argued that The New York Times published its report solely to “sell newspapers.”

Her campaign has continued to deny involvement in placing the second Sullivan in the race. The campaign previously told Fox News in part that Alaskans for Mary “has no involvement with either Sullivan campaign.”

Sullivan said the alleged effort revealed what he described as Peltola’s hypocrisy and contempt for Alaska voters. He contrasted the allegations with her campaign’s focus on supposed corruption.

“She’s run a campaign about supposed corruption. She’s the corrupt one working with DC insiders to trick Alaskans,” Sullivan said.

He also accused Peltola and the DSCC of believing Alaska voters could easily be misled by two similar names on the same ballot. “[Peltola and the DSCC] think so little of Alaskans that they thought they can trick them,” he added.

Sullivan argued that Peltola’s campaign pursued the alleged ballot maneuver because she had “nothing to run on.” He pointed to his own record and said his campaign offered a vision that Alaska voters wanted.

“This is what happens when you have a candidate like Peltola — far-left — who’s got nothing to run on,” Sullivan said. “I have a much stronger record… We have a vision for Alaskans that the Alaskan people want, and when they recognize that, they’re like, ’Shoot, I guess we’ve got to cheat.’”

The senator said the dispute reaches far beyond Alaska because the state’s Senate contest could help determine which party controls the chamber. He described the race as consequential for the entire country.

“This goes to the highest levels of the government,” he said on “Hannity.” “The seat in Alaska could determine who controls the United States Senate. This isn’t just about Alaska — this is about America.”

Federal prosecutors are conducting an “aggressive criminal investigation” into how the second Sullivan secured a position on Alaska’s ballot, according to two sources familiar with the matter who spoke with Fox News.

Sullivan said his campaign would work to make sure Alaska voters learn about the alleged scheme before casting their ballots. “We’re going to make sure every single Alaskan knows about this,” Sullivan said.

“We are campaigning 24/7, and we’re telling every Alaskan, ‘Don’t let your vote be stolen.’”