Collins Joined Her GOP Colleagues To Block The Epstein Files’ Release And Claimed Her Vote Was In Retaliation To Senate Democrats Who Squandered Their Opportunity To Release The Files Under DOJ Appropriations. According to the Portland Press Herald, “The Senate voted 51-49 to dismiss the changes to the bill, with Republican Sens. Josh Hawley of Missouri and Rand Paul of Kentucky joining with all Democrats in opposition. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, voted with her party to defeat the effort. In a written statement from her office, Collins blamed Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer for bringing the Epstein issue into the defense bill. ‘In July, the Senate Appropriations Committee, which I chair, approved unanimously on a bipartisan basis a similar provision to compile and report the Epstein files as part of the Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) funding bill,’ Collins said. ‘When Republicans tried to move that bill to the Senate floor as part of an appropriations package, the Democratic Senator who authored that provision in committee blocked it.’ ‘That package, without the CJS funding bill, ended up passing the Senate last month with strong support. If Democrats hadn’t blocked it from going to the floor, this amendment could have already been passed by the Senate as part of a bill that funds the Department of Justice.’” [Portland Press Herald, 9/11/25]
2025: Collins Effectively Voted Against Releasing The Epstein Files. In September 2025, Collins voted for, according to Congressional Quarterly, the “motion to table (kill) the Schumer, D-N.Y., amendment no. 3849 to the language proposed to be stricken by the Wicker, R-Miss., substitute amendment no. 3748 to the bill. The Schumer amendment would require the attorney general, within 30 days of the bill's enactment, to make publicly available, to the ‘maximum extent possible,’ all Justice Department records, documents, communications and investigation material related to the department’s investigation of Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell and other individuals or entities associated with Epstein. It would require the DOJ to disclose any immunity deals or plea bargains involving Epstein or his associates. It would allow the Justice Department to withhold or redact certain materials to protect victims' privacy, among other limited exceptions. It also would require the attorney general, within 15 days of making such records public, to report to Congress on the materials it has released, including a list of any redactions made and the legal justification for doing so, and a list of any government officials, public figures and foreign dignitaries named in the records.” The vote was on the motion to table. The vote was on the motion to table the amendment. The underlying legislation was the FY 2026 defense authorization. The Senate agreed to the motion by a vote of 51 to 49. [Senate Vote 512, 9/10/25; Congressional Quarterly, 9/10/25; Congressional Actions, S.Amdt. 3849; Congressional Actions, S.2296]
Collins Accepted Thousands From Charles Schwab Who Handled Epstein’s Financial Transactions And Secured Epstein’s Nearly $30 Million Wire Transaction Preceding His 2019 Arrest. According to Meidas Touch News, “On April 9, the Federal Election Commission released updated filings for Senator Collins’ leadership PAC, Dirigo. Among the listed contributors was Mr. Charles Schwab, the founder of Charles Schwab Corporation, that donated $5,000. Records and reporting have linked the company to financial dealings involving Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender whose activities have remained the subject of ongoing investigations and document releases. According to reporting cited in the filings, the firm handled financial transactions on Epstein’s behalf in 2019, including wiring approximately $27.7 million tied to a planned purchase of a palace in Morocco shortly before Epstein’s arrest. Additional documents indicate that accounts were opened for Epstein-linked entities during a period when he was already under intense public scrutiny.” [Meidas Touch News, 5/4/26]
Collins Accepted $50,000 From Marc Rowan’s Pine Tree Results Super PAC; Rowan Maintained Contact With Epstein During The 2010s And The Pair Coordinated On Business And Financial Strategy.
According to Meidas Touch News, “Separate filings detail contributions to Pine Tree Results, a super PAC supporting Collins. One notable donor is billionaire investor Marc Rowan, who contributed $50,000. [...] Documents released in connection with Epstein investigations indicate that Rowan maintained contact with Epstein during the 2010s. Records show multiple meetings, including visits to Epstein’s New York residence, as well as ongoing communication related to financial and professional matters. Emails and other documents suggest that Epstein and Rowan discussed business strategies and that Epstein was consulted on certain financial issues involving Apollo. The records also indicate that introductions were made between Epstein and other business figures through Rowan’s network.” [Meidas Touch News, 5/4/26]