FBI Questions Sullivan Donors as Alaska Senate Probe Expands

WHO:

PBS - Dan J. Sullivan is a retired teacher and musician running for the U.S. Senate in Alaska; he shares a name with Republican incumbent Sen. Dan S. Sullivan.

PBS - Mary Peltola, a Democrat and former congresswoman, is challenging incumbent Dan S. Sullivan.

PBS - Alaska U.S. Attorney Michael Heyman said the federal investigation had been ongoing for several months.

PBS - Donor Charles Flint said he had known Dan J. Sullivan for years and regarded him as a respected teacher and musician.

PBS - A Sitka donor, whose name was withheld because of the investigation, and Pat Campbell of Groton, Massachusetts, also described FBI contacts.

ABC News - Sen. Dan Sullivan accused Peltola of continuing to lie about her campaign’s involvement in recruiting the second Sullivan.

ABC News - Peltola denied involvement; her campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee also denied involvement.

ABC News - South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott said criminal charges might make sense; Rep. Jamie Raskin said same-name candidates appear on ballots in many places; independent Sen. Bernie Sanders said the tactic was not illegal.

ABC News - Trump called for Peltola to be prosecuted and ordered the Justice Department to sue to stop certification of a possible Peltola victory.

WHAT:

NY Post - FBI agents contacted donors of Dan J. Sullivan in at least two remote Alaska communities and Massachusetts.

PBS - An Anchorage-based FBI agent visited a Petersburg boat dealership and left a business card for Flint. The agent asked Flint’s son whether Flint felt “misled” about which candidate he supported.

PBS - Flint said he contributed $500 to Dan J. Sullivan’s campaign and “I don't feel like I've been misled at all.” He said he intended to rank Mary Peltola first and Dan J. Sullivan second.

PBS - Two FBI agents interviewed a donor at their Sitka doorstep for about five minutes, asking whether the donor contributed to the Sullivan they intended to support. The donor said the interview was voluntary and agents were “scrupulously polite.”

PBS - FBI agents visited Campbell’s home and spoke with her husband about “fraud in election contributions.” Campbell said, “No, we had not been defrauded. We knew to whom we had contributed.”

PBS - The Justice Department sought a court order to isolate certain Alaska ballots to investigate possible voter confusion; federal officials had confirmed a criminal probe.

ABC News - A New York Times report cited interviews with Peltola’s former campaign manager, text messages and campaign-finance documents indicating an operative seeking decoy candidates was paid by a group backing Peltola.

ABC News - Sullivan said, “There is no way this went on for a year that they weren’t informing her,” and said he expected to lose votes because of the second Sullivan’s presence on the ballot.

ABC News - Sullivan said he would accept the election results but left the question of possible crimes to lawyers. Peltola called the allegations a “distraction” and said, “I have no idea” whether someone on her campaign recruited the other candidate.

ABC News - Alaska’s Republican governor ordered an investigation and suggested he might not certify a Peltola victory.

WHERE:

PBS - FBI contacts were reported in Petersburg and Sitka, Alaska, and Groton, Massachusetts. Petersburg is accessible only by air or water and is where Dan J. Sullivan lives.

PBS - Heyman discussed the probe in Anchorage; Peltola denied involvement at a rally there.

ABC News - Sullivan and Peltola campaigned across Alaska; Sullivan attended a trunk-or-treat event at a recreation center north of Anchorage.

WHY:

PBS - Federal authorities are investigating potential deception and voter confusion involving two Senate candidates with similar names.

PBS - Heyman said revelations about Peltola’s campaign appearing to be involved in recruiting Dan J. Sullivan prompted a “significant surge of law enforcement assets to Alaska.”

ABC News - Republicans said the second candidate was recruited to confuse voters and act as a spoiler in a race that could determine Senate control.

HOW:

PBS - Agents contacted donors directly, visited homes and a business, and asked whether contributions went to the candidate donors intended to support.

ABC News - The second candidate is listed as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr.; the incumbent is listed as Dan S. Sullivan and identified as a Republican incumbent.

(UPDATED November 1, 2026 17:57 UTC)

Federal authorities are investigating possible voter confusion involving two same-name candidates in Alaska’s Senate race. FBI agents questioned donors about contributions to Dan J. Sullivan. Mary Peltola denies involvement, while Trump urged prosecution and challenged ballot certification.