FBI Questions 12 Donors in $7,150 Ballot Stacking Probe
Federal agents are interviewing contributors in Petersburg, Alaska, as the Justice Department appeals a ruling that dismissed its bid to block certification of the Senate race.
By Justin Barnes ·
FBI agents have interviewed the 12 donors who contributed a combined $7,150 to Dan J. Sullivan, a former elementary school teacher running against Sen. Dan S. Sullivan for an open Senate seat in Alaska. The federal inquiry expanded this week into a criminal probe of campaign finance violations.
The investigation began after the Trump administration weighed charges related to ballot stacking, a tactic used to divide the vote. Agents visited homes in Petersburg, a fishing town of 3,000, over the weekend. They asked residents if they felt deceived by the lesser-known candidate and if they originally intended to support the incumbent senator.
Sharon Hunter, who donated $1,000 with her husband, said agents knocked on her door Saturday. She called the federal interest a waste of taxpayer money. Anna Holmes and her husband, who gave $500, were questioned Friday night. Holmes stated that agents told them the probe focused on campaign finance rules.
Dan J. Sullivan entered the race in May. The Alaska Division of Elections initially tried to remove him from the primary ballot in June, ruling he did not file as a Republican in good faith. State courts overturned that decision. Sullivan has maintained he ran on his own accord. He told the Associated Press in June that he had no contact with the campaign of Democrat Mary Peltola.
Peltola denied involvement in recruiting decoy candidates. She addressed supporters in Anchorage last week, saying Alaskans are not in the business of tricking each other. A federal lawsuit filed by the Justice Department to challenge the potential certification of Peltola’s win was dismissed by a federal judge on Sunday. The department has appealed that ruling.
The controversy has brought national attention to Petersburg. Local residents describe Dan J. Sullivan as a creative teacher who ran an after-school guitar program. Ed Wood, a retired fisherman, said he donated to repay Sullivan for helping block logging on a hillside above the town. Charles Flint, a retired boat seller, suggested Sullivan viewed himself as a spoiler rather than a serious contender.
Not all locals support the former teacher. Amanda Ohmer, a bartender, said she supported the federal investigation. She noted that Sullivan, a self-described liberal thinker, attended an anti-Trump protest in town. Ohmer described the tactic as sleazy.
The state uses ranked choice voting, which allows lesser-known candidates to influence outcomes if no contender secures a majority. About 60% of the 600,000 registered voters in Alaska identify as independents. The next step involves the Justice Department’s appeal of the dismissed federal lawsuit while FBI interviews continue in the community.
