Sen. Dan Sullivan’s former campaign manager Ben Sparks may be facing arrest following a bizarre report of domestic violence in Las Vegas.
The political adviser’s ex-partner told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that Sparks abused and assaulted her, culminating in an altercation at her house late last month. She showed the paper a contract she and Sparks signed commiting her to being his “slave in training.” She said his behavior escalated and became abusive in recent weeks.
The Review-Journal does not name the woman. The article cites a police report that says Sparks called 911 but fled before police arrived and that officers found probable cause to arrest him for domestic battery.
Sparks has worked for Republican political campaigns around the country. He had been working for a congressional campaign in Las Vegas but the Review-Journal reports he was fired after the March 29 incident.
Sullivan’s Senate office, in a written statement, called the allegations against Sparks “shocking and extremely disturbing” and said Sparks’ employment ended at the conclusion of the 2014 campaign.
Sparks also worked in Alaska in 2016, on a campaign called Alaska’s Future. It aimed to convince Alaska lawmakers to tap the Permanent Fund to help close the fiscal gap.
Liz Ruskin is the Washington, D.C., correspondent at Alaska Public Media. Reach her at lruskin@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Liz here.
