Earlier this week the Las Vegas Review Journal published an article titled “Woman says Las Vegas GOP campaign adviser made her his sex slave.” The article alleges that former Alaska political operative Ben Sparks sexually and physically abused his fiance, who had signed a contract agreeing to serve as Mr. Spark’s sex slave. The Alaska Landmine has been informed that Mr. Sparks apparently engaged in similar behaviors in Alaska, too.

Sparks ran Senator Dan Sullivan’s (R – Alaska) 2014 U.S. Senate campaign, in which Sullivan defeated incumbent Senator Mark Begich. Sullivan’s Deputy Communications Director, Matthew Shuckerow, provided the Landmine the following statement regarding the article about Sparks:

The news stories and allegations concerning Mr. Sparks are shocking and extremely disturbing. Senator Sullivan strongly condemns any and all instances of domestic violence, and has worked throughout his career to end the scourge of violence against women. Mr. Sparks served as campaign manager during Senator Sullivan’s 2014 US Senate campaign. His employment ended at the conclusion of the race.

Not long after running Sullivan’s campaign, Sparks was hired to run Alaska’s Future, a coalition of 150 local organizations and businesses, led by GCI, working to encourage the legislature to solve Alaska’s fiscal crisis. Heather Handyside, GCI’s Senior Director of Corporate Communications, provided the Landmine with the following statement regarding the article about Sparks:

We strongly condemn domestic violence and are very troubled by the accusations against Mr. Sparks.

The story immediately began circulating among politicos in Alaska. People texted and emailed the story to me all day. Alaska is both a big state and a small town. Yesterday I spoke with an individual who briefly dated Mr. Sparks while he worked here. She asked to remain anonymous but claims she had had an increasingly disturbing relationship with Mr. Sparks. Allegedly, the first time they met he offered her cocaine and wine. Not long after, he started to talk about submission and BDSM. The relationship lasted a few weeks before she broke it off because “it was getting too weird.” The last straw, according to her, was Sparks’ use of a combination of restraints, a collar, and a paddle labeled “Slave.” She reiterated that all of their interactions were consensual.

According to several sources in Alaska, it sounds like Sparks REALLY enjoyed cocaine. Which, let’s be honest, is not unusual in the political scene. He also seems to be into some really weird and bizarre sexual stuff. But so are lots of people. If it’s consensual then who cares, it’s no one else’s business.

The Las Vegas Review Journal didn’t name Sparks’ alleged victim in the story, but according to a source, she is a 46-year-old lawyer reportedly with Democratic connections. Sparks is 35. Why she agreed to sign a contract to be a sex slave remains a mystery. A police investigation is ongoing. According to the article:

He was very demanding and did not take no for an answer,” Sparks’ ex-fiancée said. “Over the last month it escalated into very rough sex where he’d actually hurt me. He back-handed me … and forced himself on me.”

This doesn’t bode well for Sparks’ political career. The fact that he worked closely with high profile Republicans including Mitt Romney and Sen. Dan Sullivan has shocked and embarrassed social conservatives.

It seems unlikely that Sparks will be igniting any more Senate campaigns in Alaska. At least, for now.