The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation has begun contacting people who donated to Dan J. Sullivan, an independent candidate in Alaska’s Senate race, as part of a criminal investigation into possible voter deception.
An FBI agent based in Anchorage reportedly visited a boat dealership in Petersburg, a remote fishing community accessible by air or water, where the candidate resides. The agent left a business card for Charles Flint, a donor who said he had known Sullivan for years as a respected teacher and musician.
The visit followed confirmation by federal authorities that a criminal investigation had been opened into the candidate. Separately, the US Department of Justice on Friday sought a court order to preserve certain ballots in Alaska while investigators examined possible voter confusion arising from the two candidates sharing the same name.
Flint donated $500 to Dan J. Sullivan’s campaign during the summer, describing it as a long-shot bid. He said he contributed because he expected the candidate to incur campaign expenses and admired his decision to contest the election.
According to Flint, the FBI agent asked his son, who works at the dealership, whether his father believed he had been misled about which Sullivan he was supporting.
However, Flint dismissed the suggestion, telling The Associated Press in a telephone interview that he had no intention of contacting the agent.
“I don’t feel like I’ve been misled at all,” he said, adding that he would “let him waste his time trying to track me down.”
Flint also insisted that voters could distinguish between the candidates, saying he planned to rank Democratic candidate Mary Peltola first on his ballot, followed by Dan J. Sullivan.
“I don’t think there’s any confusion,” he said, adding, “Everybody knows who the incumbent is.”
Alaska US Attorney Michael Heyman disclosed in Anchorage that the federal investigation had been underway for several months. However, he said recent reports by The New York Times suggesting that Peltola’s campaign was involved in recruiting retired teacher Dan J. Sullivan had led to a “significant surge of law enforcement assets to Alaska.”
The investigation comes shortly before Tuesday’s ranked-choice general election, in which Peltola, a former congresswoman, is challenging Republican Senator Dan Sullivan.
Speaking at a campaign rally in Anchorage on Friday, Peltola again denied participating in any effort to recruit another candidate to draw votes away from the incumbent senator.
She said she was “deeply offended” by the allegations, describing them as “garbage” and part of a “smear campaign” intended to discourage voters from participating in the election.
“I know I can beat Dan Sullivan. I do not need any help winning this race,” she told a small gathering of campaign volunteers at an aviation museum in Anchorage.
