Alaska Senate Race Investigation: FBI Probes Donors

The Alaska Senate race investigation just got weirder and more serious, with the FBI now knocking on the doors of campaign donors days before Tuesday's election. Federal agents are asking whether donors were tricked into backing Dan J. Sullivan, an independent candidate who shares a name with Republican Senator Dan S. Sullivan, in one of the races that could decide control of the Senate.

FBI agents are visiting donors

The FBI has begun reaching out to donors of Dan J. Sullivan to ask about potential deception, according to the Associated Press. Agents contacted donors in at least two remote Alaska communities and a couple in Massachusetts.

One agent visited a boat dealership in Petersburg, the small fishing town where the candidate lives, and left a business card for Charles Flint. Flint gave five hundred dollars over the summer and told the AP he has known the candidate for years as a respected teacher and musician. "I don't feel like I've been misled at all," he said.

In Sitka, two agents spoke with another donor for about five minutes and asked whether the contribution went to the Sullivan the donor intended. That donor described the agents as "scrupulously polite" and said the talk was voluntary.

A rare public confirmation

Federal officials confirmed a criminal probe on Friday. Alaska U.S. Attorney Michael Heyman said the investigation has run for several months, but new revelations from The New York Times that the Peltola campaign appeared to be involved in recruiting the retired teacher led to a "significant surge of law enforcement assets" in Alaska.

Heyman would not say which crimes are under review or who the targets are. As the Anchorage Daily News reported, it is highly unusual for the Justice Department to publicly discuss a criminal investigation, and the timing cuts against its longstanding practice of avoiding public steps in the weeks before an election.

The fight over ballots

The Justice Department also asked a court to order Alaska to preserve and segregate all ballots ranking Daniel J. Sullivan, to investigate whether those rankings were the product of voter confusion. It asked for a decision by Monday.

State attorneys pushed back, saying ballots are commingled in the ballot box on Election Day and that sorting them would violate ballot secrecy. They have asked a judge to dismiss the case and point out that officials already distinguished the two men on the ballot: the senator is listed as Dan S. Sullivan, Republican and incumbent, while the challenger is listed as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. with no party affiliation.

Politics heats up

President Donald Trump called the matter "voter fraud at the highest level" at a Mar-a-Lago party and said at a Florida rally that Democrat Mary Peltola and Dan J. Sullivan should be prosecuted. He added that "Nobody can find him now, so he knows he's guilty." He also suggested, without providing details, that top Democratic leaders outside the state were involved.

Peltola said she knew nothing about the effort to put Dan J. Sullivan on the ballot, saying "I am not interested in tricking voters." Democrats, including the DSCC, have denied involvement, and the candidate has long denied running at Democrats' behest.

Why it matters on election day

Stakes are high because the contest is among a handful nationwide expected to determine control of the Senate. Peltola is a Democratic former congresswoman, and Senator Sullivan is a two-term Republican. Any dispute over a few thousand ballots could therefore echo far beyond Alaska, which is why lawyers on both sides are moving so fast before polls open.

Alaska uses ranked choice voting, so voters can rank both Sullivans, which the state says already reduces confusion. The Justice Department has also filed a civil suit seeking to block certification of the Senate race if the incumbent loses, a step Trump has said he directed.

For first-time voters, the takeaway is simple: check your ballot carefully and know who you are ranking. The Alaska Senate race investigation will shape how Tuesday's results are trusted. Keep following politics coverage on GenZ NewZ and the latest world news.