The FBI is intensifying its examination of Alaska’s explosive Senate election controversy, contacting political contributors about possible deception involving a candidate who shares the same name as Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan. The inquiries have reached donors in several Alaska communities and Massachusetts.

Federal investigators are examining allegations that Democratic operatives recruited retired teacher Dan J. Sullivan as a possible spoiler against the Republican incumbent. The development landed on Election Day as former Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola challenged the senator in a contest clouded by accusations of political dirty tricks.

According to the Associated Press, an FBI agent based in Anchorage recently visited a boat dealership in Petersburg, Alaska, seeking to speak with Charles Flint. Flint donated $500 over the summer to the retired teacher’s campaign.

Flint said the agent left a business card and asked his son whether Flint had been “misled” about the identity of the candidate he supported. Flint rejected that possibility and made clear that he knew where his contribution was going.

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“I don’t feel like I’ve been misled at all,” Flint told the AP.

Flint said he had no intention of contacting the agent and would “let him waste his time trying to track me down.” He described the retired teacher as a longtime acquaintance and respected member of the community who deserved support for “throwing his hat in the ring.”

The donor also disputed the suggestion that Alaska voters could easily mistake one Sullivan for the other. “I don’t think there’s any confusion,” Flint said. “Everybody knows who the incumbent is.”

A look of utter PANIC overtakes a Republican voter in Anchorage, Alaska, as he realizes that he may have voted for the wrong Dan Sullivan.

Democrats and their media allies insist there is no confusion among voters. That’s just not true. Watch this man’s facial expressions closely as it sets in that he may have cast his ballot for the spoiler candidate. ALASKA VOTER: “I don’t remember seeing the other Dan Sullivan.” “I totally forgot to look if there was two Dan Sullivans.” NEWSNATION: “The two were together on the ballot.” That’s when it starts to sink in. ALASKA VOTER: “Yeah….” NEWSNATION: “You didn’t notice that?” ALASKA VOTER: “I just…I might be just having a brain freeze. But I don’t remember the second Dan Sullivan.” How many others may have voted for the spoiler? — Overton (@overton_news) November 2, 2026

Flint said he intended to rank Peltola first on his ballot, followed by the retired teacher. His answers cut directly against the possibility that his own donation resulted from confusion, though investigators are continuing to examine the broader effort.

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Two other FBI agents visited another donor to the retired teacher in Sitka, Alaska. The contributor requested anonymity because of the investigation and said the agents asked whether the donation had reached the intended candidate.

That conversation lasted approximately five minutes, and the donor described the agents as “scrupulously polite.” The agents also stressed that participating in the interview was voluntary.

Investigators made similar inquiries in Massachusetts. Pat Campbell of Groton said two FBI agents visited her home Friday and questioned her husband about the couple’s political contribution.

“They said they were from the FBI and investigating fraud in election contributions,” Campbell told the AP. She added, “No, we had not been defrauded. We knew to whom we had contributed.”

The expanding federal investigation follows a New York Times report alleging that people connected to Peltola’s political operation searched for Alaska residents named Dan Sullivan. The alleged objective was to recruit potential spoiler candidates under Alaska’s ranked choice voting system, which places multiple candidates on the ballot and allows voters to rank them.

Federal authorities are examining whether that reported recruitment effort involved criminal wrongdoing. The donor interviews described in the latest account, however, have not established that the contributors were deceived about which Dan Sullivan they were supporting.

Alaska U.S. Attorney Michael Heyman confirmed that the federal investigation had been underway for months. He said the Times report prompted a “significant surge of law enforcement assets to Alaska.”

The Justice Department also sought a court order Friday to separate certain ballots for examination if confusion between the two Sullivan candidates affected the election results. The move placed additional federal attention on an already heated Senate contest as Alaskans prepared to cast their votes.

President Donald Trump weighed in during a Halloween gathering Saturday at his Mar-a-Lago estate, calling the controversy “voter fraud at the highest level.” He also suggested the retired teacher was avoiding investigators, saying, “Nobody can find him now, so he knows he’s guilty.”

Trump offered no public evidence for that accusation and raised the possibility that prominent Democrats outside Alaska had participated. Peltola, meanwhile, has repeatedly denied taking part in any effort to recruit a candidate to confuse voters.

"It's a total fraud. It's a fraud on the voters."

President Trump weighs in on Alaska's controversial Senate ballot, accusing Democrats of recruiting Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., a candidate with nearly the same name as incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, to confuse voters. "It's a criminal act." Stream live midterm coverage on Fox One: https://t.co/QYNr3ATuYo — Fox News (@FoxNews) November 3, 2026

Speaking at an Anchorage campaign event Friday, Peltola said she was “deeply offended” by the allegations. She called the controversy “garbage” and accused Republicans of running a “smear campaign” intended to discourage voters.

“I know I can beat Dan Sullivan. I do not need any help winning this race,” Peltola told supporters.

The controversy has advanced beyond campaign accusations, with FBI agents questioning donors across state lines while investigators examine the money behind the second Sullivan’s candidacy.

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