Corruption & Accountability · Report · File No. 261101-764
FBI visits Dan J. Sullivan donors in Alaska as Senate inquiry widens before Tuesday's vote
Agents have knocked on donors' doors in Alaska and Massachusetts asking whether they were misled about which Dan Sullivan they backed. The Republican incumbent's Democratic challenger, Mary Peltola, calls the allegations 'garbage.'
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Federal agents have begun contacting people who gave money to Dan J. Sullivan, a U.S. Senate candidate in Alaska who shares a name with the Republican incumbent, asking whether they were deceived about which man they were supporting 12.
The FBI visits come days before Tuesday's ranked choice general election, in which former congresswoman Mary Peltola, a Democrat, is challenging Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan 12.
A business card in Petersburg
An Anchorage-based FBI agent visited a boat dealership in Petersburg, a small fishing community reachable only by air or water where the candidate lives, and left a business card for Charles Flint 12.
Flint told The Associated Press he has known Dan J. Sullivan for years as a respected teacher and musician, and gave $500 over the summer to what he considered a long-shot campaign 12.
From Channel GOPPeltola: Social Security is the number one issueMary Peltola · 124 plays · captioned, with the source named
Flint said the agent asked his son, who works at the dealership, whether Flint felt he had been "misled" about which candidate he was supporting 12.
I don't feel like I've been misled at all
Flint said he intends to rank Peltola first on his ballot, followed by Dan J. Sullivan 12.
I don't think there's any confusion
Visits in Sitka and Massachusetts
Two FBI agents went to Sitka to interview another donor at the doorstep, asking whether the contribution went to the Sullivan the donor intended, according to the AP. The donor, who asked not to be named, said the agents were "scrupulously polite" and stressed the conversation was voluntary 12.
In Groton, Massachusetts, donor Pat Campbell said a couple of FBI agents came to her door Friday and spoke with her husband 12.
They said they were from the FBI and investigating fraud in election contributions
Prosecutor cites 'significant surge'
Alaska U.S. Attorney Michael Heyman told reporters in Anchorage that the federal investigation has been going on for several months, but recent reporting by The New York Times that Peltola's campaign appeared to be involved in recruiting retired teacher Dan J. Sullivan led to a "significant surge of law enforcement assets to Alaska" 12.
The Justice Department also pushed Friday for a court order to isolate certain Alaska ballots to investigate potential voter confusion 12.
At a rally in Anchorage on Friday, Peltola again denied involvement in any plan to place candidates on the ballot to detract from the incumbent. She said she was "deeply offended" by the allegations, which she called "garbage" and part of a "smear campaign" to suppress turnout 12.
I know I can beat Dan Sullivan. I do not need any help winning this race
President Donald Trump, asked about the case Saturday night at a Halloween party at his Mar-a-Lago estate, called it "voter fraud at the highest level" and said of Dan J. Sullivan: "Nobody can find him now, so he knows he's guilty." The president also suggested, without providing details, that top Democratic leaders outside Alaska could have been involved and should be prosecuted 1.
What happens next
Voters go to the polls Tuesday in the ranked choice election. No charges against Peltola or the candidate have been announced in the copy; the investigation is described as a criminal probe, and the allegations remain allegations 12.
That matters because the race is potentially pivotal for control of the Senate, and the FBI's door-to-door questions are now part of the final days of the campaign 12.
The Record
- The Justice Department pushes for a court order to isolate certain Alaska ballots to investigate potential voter confusion 12.
- At an Anchorage rally, Peltola denies involvement in any plan to place candidates on the ballot and calls the allegations 'garbage' 12.
- President Trump, asked about the case at a Mar-a-Lago Halloween party, calls it 'voter fraud at the highest level' 1.
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Sources
- ABC News, “FBI visits Dan J. Sullivan donor in candidate's hometown as Alaska Senate inquiry widens” (2026-11-01). abcnews.com/Politics/wireStory/fbi-visits-dan-sullivan-donor
- PBS NewsHour, “FBI visits Dan J. Sullivan donor in candidate's hometown as Alaska Senate inquiry widens” (2026-10-31). pbs.org/newshour/politics/fbi-visits-dan-j-sullivan-donor-in
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More from the files
Alaska tells judge Trump's demand to set aside Senate ballots is 'meritless'
The Republican-run state attorney general's office asked a federal judge Saturday to throw out the Justice Department lawsuit with prejudice, calling its request to separate ballots 'disturbing and impossible.' The filing lands four days before the election, as the FBI questions donors to the second Dan Sullivan.
Justice Department issues new subpoenas in Alaska Senate probe five days before election
Federal prosecutors are seeking records from Democratic officials tied to an effort to put a second Dan Sullivan on the ballot, and the department has amended its lawsuit to block certification of the race. No one has been charged.
Top federal prosecutor in Alaska calls Peltola ballot allegations 'troubling'
U.S. Attorney Michael Heyman says new reporting on the Alaska Senate race has brought a surge of law enforcement resources, but he won't say what crimes are being investigated. The Justice Department plans to ask a court for an injunction by Monday, the day before the election.
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