FBI agents have questioned donors to Dan J. Sullivan, an Alaska Senate candidate with the same name as Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan. Agents asked whether donors felt deceived about which Sullivan they supported.
$7,150 came from his donors, most of them in Petersburg.
Agents reached donors in Petersburg, Sitka and Groton, Massachusetts.
Donors interviewed said they knew exactly which candidate they funded.
A federal judge dismissed the administration's lawsuit Sunday; the Justice Department appealed.
Why it matters: Democrat Mary Peltola is challenging Sen. Sullivan in a race that could determine Senate control. Federal officials are weighing criminal charges over a tactic known as ballot stacking.
Alaska U.S. Attorney Michael Heyman said the probe has run for several months.
A New York Times report prompted a surge of agents to Alaska, Heyman said.
Peltola denies involvement and called the allegations garbage and a smear campaign.
FBI Visits Donors as Alaska Senate Inquiry WidensYou are hereLatest
How 12 sources split on this story
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Coverage by lean% of 12 sources
12 sources · 17 articles · 34% Left coverage
Where they split: The dispute is whether the Sullivan candidacy is criminal voter deception or a long-standing Alaska political tactic now drawing heavy federal force.
Left coverage, 4 sources: The left sees a small-town teacher's long-shot run turned into a heavy-handed federal investigation that residents call a waste of money.
Right coverage, 4 sources: The right sees a widening federal fraud inquiry into possible voter deception, with President Trump calling it voter fraud at the highest level.
