FBI Interviews Petersburg Donors

Federal agents interviewed more than a dozen donors in Petersburg, Alaska, this week as part of a criminal investigation into a rival Senate candidate.

The probe centers on Dan J. Sullivan, a former elementary school teacher who entered the race against incumbent Sen. Dan S. Sullivan. The Trump administration is weighing charges of ballot stacking, a tactic intended to split the vote and harm the incumbent's reelection chances. Dan J. Sullivan has not been seen in the community for weeks, and his home stood dark a day after agents visited supporters.

The controversy began in May when Dan J. Sullivan filed as a Republican. In June, the Alaska Division of Elections attempted to remove him from the ballot, ruling he had not filed in good faith. State courts overturned that decision. The Department of Justice later filed a federal lawsuit to block the certification of the election results, but a federal judge dismissed the suit on Sunday. The Justice Department has appealed that ruling.

FBI agents visited homes in Petersburg, a community of 3,000 people, starting Friday night. Agents told donors they were investigating campaign finance violations. Sharon Hunter, who donated $1,000 with her husband, said agents knocked on her door Saturday. Anna Holmes, who contributed $500, said agents questioned them on Friday night about whether they intended to give their money to the senator.

Most of the donors who supported Dan J. Sullivan live in Petersburg and together contributed $7,150 to his campaign. The agents asked them if they felt deceived by the lesser-known candidate. Dan J. Sullivan told the Associated Press in June that he had zero contact with the campaign of Democrat Mary Peltola, the former U.S. representative challenging the senator. Peltola denied any role in the tactic during a rally in Anchorage last week.

Local residents hold mixed views of the former teacher. Ed Wood, a retired fisherman, donated $1,000 to repay support Dan J. Sullivan gave during a decade-long fight to block logging near the town. Charles Flint, a retired boat seller, described Sullivan as a liberal thinker who sometimes voted for Republicans. Amanda Ohmer, a bartender at the local Moose Lodge, supported the federal investigation, calling the situation sleazy.

The next scheduled legal step is the Justice Department's appeal of the federal judge's dismissal of the lawsuit. The agency seeks to revive efforts to undermine Dan J. Sullivan's candidacy and challenge the certification of the election results if Peltola wins.