FBI Questions Petersburg Donors in Dan J. Sullivan Ballot Stacking Probe

FBI agents interviewed more than a dozen residents of Petersburg, Alaska, this week as federal authorities expand a criminal investigation into a local Senate race.

The probe centers on Dan J. Sullivan, a former elementary school teacher who ran in the primary against incumbent Republican Sen. Dan S. Sullivan. The two candidates share the same first and last name. Dan J. Sullivan’s campaign collected $7,150 from donors, most of whom live in the fishing community of 3,000 people. The Trump administration is weighing criminal charges related to a tactic known as ballot stacking, where a lesser-known candidate runs to draw votes away from a favored opponent.

Sharon Hunter, a Petersburg resident, donated $1,000 to Dan J. Sullivan’s campaign. FBI agents visited her home Saturday to ask if she felt deceived by the candidacy. Hunter, who described Sullivan as a contributor to the community, said she was incredulous that federal resources were being spent on the matter. She noted that her husband and she had given the money to a local teacher, not a political strategist.

Retired fisherman Ed Wood also wrote a $1,000 check to the campaign. Wood said he did so to repay Sullivan for his role in a decade-long legal battle to prevent logging on a hillside above the town. Another donor, retired boat seller Charles Flint, contributed to the effort and described Sullivan as a liberal thinker who occasionally voted for Republicans. Flint said Sullivan never explained his motive for entering the race, suggesting the former teacher viewed himself more as a spoiler than a viable candidate.

Anna Holmes and her husband gave $500 to Dan J. Sullivan’s campaign. Agents questioned the couple on Friday night, stating they were investigating campaign finance violations. The agents asked the Holmes whether they had intended to give their money to the senator instead. Holmes told the agent that she would not have done that.

The Justice Department brought a federal lawsuit in June to remove Dan J. Sullivan from the ballot, arguing he did not file as a Republican in good faith. A federal judge dismissed that lawsuit on Sunday, and the Department of Justice has appealed the decision. State courts had previously overturned an initial finding by the Alaska Division of Elections that the candidacy was not filed in good faith.

Democrat Mary Peltola, the former U.S. representative challenging Sen. Sullivan, denied any role in recruiting the decoy candidate. She told supporters in Anchorage last week that Alaska is not in the business of tricking each other. Dan J. Sullivan told The Associated Press in June that he entered the race on his own accord, saying he had zero contact with Peltola’s campaign. He has not been reached for comment since a New York Times article linked a group backing Peltola to a Democratic operative recruiting decoy candidates.

Petersburg, known as Little Norway for its late 19th century settlers, has become the focus of media attention. Residents described Sullivan as a creative teacher who ran an after-school guitar program. At a Halloween party at Kito’s Kave, locals joked about the situation with costumes and placards. Amanda Ohmer, a bartender, supported the federal investigation, calling the tactic sleazy because Republicans use similar strategies. Approximately 60% of Alaska’s 600,000 registered voters identify as independents, a dynamic that makes spoiler candidates particularly effective in tight races.