Follow-Up: FBI Visits Dan J. Sullivan Donors as Alaska Senate Namesake Probe Widens

The FBI on Friday began reaching out to donors of Dan J. Sullivan, asking about potential deception, as federal authorities ramped up their investigation into the U.S. Senate candidate in Alaska who shares a name with the Republican incumbent, Sen. Dan Sullivan. The U.S. Department of Justice confirmed the same day that a criminal investigation is under way.

An Anchorage-based FBI agent visited a boat dealership in Petersburg, a small fishing community accessible only by air or water where the candidate lives, and left a business card for donor Charles Flint. Flint contributed $500 over the summer to what he considered a long-shot campaign, and told The Associated Press he has known Dan J. Sullivan for years as a respected teacher and musician and respected him for "throwing his hat in the ring." 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.

"I don't feel like I've been misled at all," Flint, who was out of town, told the AP in a telephone interview, adding he had no intention of calling the agent but would "let him waste his time trying to track me down." "I don't think there's any confusion," he said, adding that everybody knows who the incumbent is and that he intends to rank Democrat Mary Peltola first on his ballot, followed by Dan J. Sullivan.

Alaska U.S. Attorney Michael Heyman told reporters in Anchorage the federal investigation has been ongoing for several months, but recent revelations from The New York Times that Peltola's campaign appeared to be involved in recruiting retired teacher Dan J. Sullivan have resulted in a "significant surge of law enforcement assets to Alaska." The Justice Department also pushed on Friday for a court order to isolate certain Alaska ballots to investigate potential voter confusion. Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy ordered a state-level investigation into the namesake candidacy on October 29, as GSM reported earlier.

At a campaign rally in Anchorage on Friday, Peltola again denied any involvement in any plan to place candidates on the ballot to detract from the incumbent senator. She said she was "deeply offended" by the allegations, which she called "garbage" and part of a "smear campaign" to suppress turnout on the eve of the election. "I know I can beat Dan Sullivan. I do not need any help winning this race," she said. Alaska holds its ranked-choice general election on November 3. According to The Associated Press.

Related: Follow-Up: Alaska Governor Dunleavy Orders Probe on October 29 into Senate Campaign 'Decoy Candidate' Dispute Involving Peltola Campaign and a Second Dan Sullivan

Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)

Photo: 图：美国阿拉斯加州 Petersburg 鸟瞰（资料图）——候选人 Dan J. Sullivan 居住于此，FBI 探员周五到镇上走访其捐款人。照片：John Bortniak／美国国家海洋和大气管理局 NOAA，公共领域，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / An aerial view of Petersburg, Alaska (file photo) — home of candidate Dan J. Sullivan, where an FBI agent visited his donors on Friday. Photo by John Bortniak / NOAA, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

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