FBI questions Dan J. Sullivan donors in Petersburg, Sitka, and Juneau

Federal Bureau of Investigation agents in plain clothes knocked on the doors of several Dan J. Sullivan campaign donors in Southeast Alaska this weekend. The visits occurred in Petersburg, Sitka, and Juneau as part of a federal investigation into election fraud. The timing placed the inquiries days before the Nov. 3 statewide vote.

Barry Bracken, an independent voter in Petersburg, received the visit on Friday. He has known the Petersburg politician for more than 40 years. Bracken was among the first to donate when Sullivan announced his U.S. Senate bid this summer. Two agents identified themselves at his door and asked if he had voluntarily contributed to the campaign.

"They basically asked me whether I had voluntarily donated to Dan," Bracken said. "And I said yes that we had, and, maybe a little bit snarky. I made the comment that I would not have donated to the other Dan Sullivan."

Federal Attorney Michael Heyman cited a surge in FBI resources to the state on Friday. He linked the increased activity to a recent New York Times report alleging Democrats recruited the Petersburg candidate as a spoiler. The confusion stems from the fact that the local candidate shares his first and last name with Alaska’s incumbent Republican U.S. Senator, Dan Sullivan, who is running for reelection. The Trump administration had previously sued to block certifying results if the incumbent lost narrowly due to voter confusion, but a U.S. District judge dismissed that lawsuit on Sunday.

Donors described the interactions as brief and professional but viewed the visits as a form of voter harassment. Paul Johnsen, an independent voter in Petersburg who donated $500, said agents visited his home on Saturday. They asked if he intended to donate and which Dan Sullivan he supported. "I said, 'Petersburg Dan Sullivan,' and I think that’s all they wanted to know, and they left," Johnsen said.

Erica Kludt-Painter, a Democrat in Petersburg, also spoke with agents at her home. She noted that Sullivan has the legal right to be on the ballot. "People can like or not like how Dan J. Sullivan entered the race or is running his campaign, but he has a legal right to be on the ballot," she said. "I, as a voter in the state of Alaska, have the right to donate to any campaign I want."

Linda Slaght, another donor, was not contacted by the FBI but made a second contribution after hearing about the visits. She called the situation election interference and voter intimidation. "Because of all this harassment, he had to spend a lot of his money on legal fees just to get the right to be on the ballot," Slaght said. Dan J. Sullivan declined to comment for this report.