Collins repeatedly exchanged donations for contracts that went to Navatek. She asked, then CEO Martin Kao, to host a fundraiser and bundle tens of thousands of towards her campaign in exchange for funding in the annual defense budget.
Collins asked for additional donations, saying “you’ve seen me deliver.” Kao And Navatek funneled donations though a shell company to Collins’ super PAC in exchange for additional funding.
The projects that federal funds were being used for were going towards research that didn’t result in use by the military.
HEADLINE: The FBI Anti-Corruption Squad Was Circling Susan Collins — Until Trump Got In The Way [ProPublica, 9/22/26]
HEADLINE: Susan Collins Was Target Of Federal Bribery Case … Until Trump Gutted The FBI [Rolling Stone, 9/22/26]
HEADLINE: Democrats Accuse Susan Collins Of 'Corruption' Following Report On Alleged Pay-To-Play Scheme [Maine Public, 9/22/26]
HEADLINE: A Past FBI Inquiry Complicates Susan Collins’s Campaign Message In Maine [Washington Post, 9/26/26]
Kao Claimed That The First Time Meeting Collins, He Had To Donate To Her Campaign First. According to ProPublica, “The first time Kao came face-to-face with Collins, in 2018, he told the FBI, he had to pay for the privilege. Collins would not meet unless he agreed to donate to her campaign, he said. While it is not illegal for politicians to exchange face time for contributions — in this case, just a few thousand dollars — it was not the last time Collins would seek Kao’s support.” [ProPublica, 9/22/26]
Navatek Hired Lobbyist Glen Mandigo To Help Them Work With Collins. According to ProPublica, “To work with Collins, Navatek hired a lobbyist, Glen Mandigo, who also lobbied for the University of Maine and was tight with her office. Mandigo asked how much Navatek wanted in funding and how much Kao was willing to support Collins, Kao told the FBI. The University of Maine did not reply to a request for comment.” [ProPublica, 9/22/26]
Kao Claimed That He Pitched Collins And Her Staff In The First Meeting An $8 Million Boat Hull Research Project For Navatek And The University Of Maine And After That Mandigo Called him And Said Collins Wanted Him To Bundle Tens Of Thousands For Her Reelection Suggesting A Fundraiser. According to ProPublica, “In that first meeting with Collins and her staff, Kao pitched an $8 million boat hull research project for Navatek and the university. Collins seemed supportive. Not long after, Mandigo called Kao and said Collins wanted him to bundle tens of thousands of dollars for her reelection, suggesting Navatek throw a fundraiser, Kao said.” [ProPublica, 9/22/26]
August 2019: Navatek Hosted A Fundraiser For Collins At The Company’s Maine Headquarters. According to ProPublica, “The principals settled on hosting Collins for a publicity event at Navatek’s Maine headquarters in August 2019, where she posed for pictures with Kao and a model of the company’s experimental boat.” [ProPublica, 9/22/26]
Emails And Company Records Showed That Kao Orchestrated Over $400,000 In Donations From Extended Family And Told Collins’ Team To Reallocate His Excess Contributions To His Father Which Was A Violation Of Election Law. According to ProPublica, “Behind the scenes, the FBI saw in emails and company records, Kao orchestrated over $40,000 in donations from extended family in advance of the event. To avoid the legal cap on individual campaign contributions, the emails show, he told Collins’ team to reallocate his excess contributions to his father — which an agent highlighted and noted is against election law in a presentation to prosecutors — and sent them his father’s full name and address.” [ProPublica, 9/22/26]
Before The Event, Kao Claimed That Collins, Her Campaign Finance Director And Another Staffer Met With Him Saying They Expected More Donations And That Collins Said “You’ve Seen Me Deliver.” According to ProPublica, “Before the event, Kao said, Collins, Abbott and another staffer met with him in private. One of the staffers told Kao the campaign expected more donations. It was in this meeting that Collins said, ‘You’ve seen me deliver,’ he told the FBI.” [ProPublica, 9/22/26]
Less Than A Month After The Event, The Senate Released The Draft Defense Budget Which Contained $21.5 Million For Navatek’s Pet Projects In Maine And Kao Emailed A Collins Campaign Fundraiser Saying “Thanks Again For All The Support From Sen Collins.” According to ProPublica, “Less than one month after the event, the Senate released a draft of the defense budget containing $21.5 million for Navatek’s pet projects in Maine. Kao emailed a Collins campaign fundraiser — who would in theory have nothing to do with a government contract — four days later, saying, ‘Thanks again for all the support from Sen Collins.’ ‘I’ve been involved in many tight races in the past and understand last minute ‘needs’ come up,’ he continued. ‘We are here to help anyway we can … financially or whatever.’” [ProPublica, 9/22/26]
Scott Reed, Head Of A Collins Aligned Super PAC, Requested A $500,000 Donation From Navatek Whose Company, Collins Helped Land A Multimillion-Dollar Navy Research Contract In Maine A Year Earlier. According to ProPublica, “Scott Reed, head of the Collins super PAC, was on a mission to close that gap. Reed was meeting that day with three executives from a Hawaiian defense contractor, Navatek. A year earlier, Collins had helped their company land a multimillion-dollar Navy research contract in Maine. Now, seated at a coffee shop not far from the U.S. Capitol, Reed asked them for a $500,000 donation.” [ProPublica, 9/22/26]
Navatek Proposed That They Would Provide A Large Donation If Collins Guaranteed Tens Of Millions In Additional Federal Funding. According to ProPublica, “But the company did have such a proposal: Navatek was hungry for more government contracts in Maine. If they cut a big check, the CEO told Reed, Navatek wanted Collins to guarantee tens of millions of dollars in additional federal funding.” [ProPublica, 9/22/26]
To Skirt Campaign Finance Laws That Barred Defense Contractors From Making Political Contributions, Navatek Planned To Funnel The Donation Through A Shell Company. According to ProPublica, “To skirt campaign finance laws and conceal the source of the funds, Navatek planned to funnel the donation through a shell company. The CEO wanted assurance that Collins would know where the money came from. Reed confirmed that she would, the executive said — and that Navatek would get its government contracts.” [ProPublica, 9/22/26]
Kao Wanted Assurance That Collins Would Know Where The Money Came From And Reed Claimed That She Would. According to ProPublica, “To skirt campaign finance laws and conceal the source of the funds, Navatek planned to funnel the donation through a shell company. The CEO wanted assurance that Collins would know where the money came from. Reed confirmed that she would, the executive said — and that Navatek would get its government contracts.” [ProPublica, 9/22/26]
Kao Sent An Initial $150,000 To Collins Super PAC Using A Shell Company And Than He Later Told Executives That Collins Committed To Getting The Company $32 Million In Naval Contracts. According to ProPublica, “After the Corner Bakery meeting, Navatek’s CEO, Martin Kao, sent an initial $150,000 to the Collins super PAC using the shell company. Two months later, he told Navatek executives that Collins committed to getting the company $32 million in naval contracts, according to an internal company email reviewed by ProPublica.” [ProPublica, 9/22/26]
Seven Days After The Super PAC Cashed The Check From Kao’s Shell Company, One Of Reed’s Subordinates Emailed A Navatek Lobbyist Asking For Kao’s Number Because “Senator Collins Would Like To Call Martin To Thank Him.” According to ProPublica, “Seven days after the super PAC cashed the check from Kao’s shell company, one of Reed’s subordinates emailed a Navatek lobbyist asking for Kao’s phone number: ‘Senator Collins would like to call Martin to thank him.’” [ProPublica, 9/22/26]
A Few Weeks After The $150,000 To Collins Super PAC, Kao And His Team Met With Collins’ Office And Secured A New Round Of Funding. According to ProPublica, “A few weeks after the $150,000 check to the Collins super PAC cleared, in February 2020, Kao and his team met with Collins’ office and secured a new round of funding. ‘We were very warmly received,’ Kao reported to his colleagues in an email obtained by the FBI. ‘Excellent meeting. Total of $32M will be supported.’ Records show the Senate allocated at least $10 million that year based on Navatek’s proposals.” [ProPublica, 9/22/26]
The Super PAC’s Lawyer Suggested That The “Society” Which Was the Shell Company, Make A Charitable Donation In Maine To Appear Like A Legitimate Nonprofit. According to ProPublica, “Inside Navatek, Kao shifted into damage control mode. He spoke to Reed and the super PAC’s lawyer, Cleta Mitchell, and began to hatch a cover-up. In an email released in civil litigation, Mitchell suggested the society make charitable donations — preferably in Maine — which would make it seem like a legitimate nonprofit. ‘I want to be sure that the LLC proceeds with the ideas we discussed — giving scholarships and recognition to women in engineering, etc.,’ wrote Mitchell. ‘That would help both of us, I think.’ Mitchell added, ‘We should develop a plan and timetable, so there are some scholarships given over the next several months, and particularly, perhaps in Maine, where the bad press was.’” [ProPublica, 9/22/26]
Kao Was Indicted For The Illegal Campaign Contributions But Nobody Working For Collins Was Charged. According to ProPublica, “Three years later, Kao holed up in a conference room to recount the Corner Bakery meeting to a group of four FBI agents and federal prosecutors. The FBI had seen through his shell company ruse, and in 2022 a grand jury indicted him for making illegal campaign contributions. No one working for Collins was charged.” [ProPublica, 9/22/26]
HEADLINE: Susan Collins Still Working With Operatives Tied To Straw Donation Scheme [Portland Press Herald, 10/13/26]
Despite The Role Scott Reed And Amy Abbott Played, They Still Remained In Collins Inner Circle. According to ProPublica, “Both Scott Reed and Amy Abbott remain in Collins’ inner circle. Abbott is the finance director for her 2026 reelection effort, and Reed again chairs the main Collins super PAC. Abbott, who is married to Collins’ campaign manager, referred questions to the senator’s communications staff. Clark told ProPublica that Abbott and other campaign staff were interviewed by the FBI and that the campaign was never a target of the investigation.” [ProPublica, 9/22/26]
Reed Had A Close Relationship With Collins And Her Husband Daffron. According to the New York Times, “One of his closest relationships was with Senator Susan Collins of Maine, and her husband, Tom Daffron, a former Capitol Hill staffer and lobbyist.” [New York Times, 9/24/26]
2001: Daffron Joined Reed’s Lobbying Shop, Chesapeake Enterprises. According to the New York Times, “Mr. Reed went on to manage Bob Dole’s presidential campaign in 1996. Mr. Daffron led the unsuccessful bid by Mr. Dole’s wife, Elizabeth Dole, for the Republican presidential nomination in 2000. When Mr. Daffron joined Mr. Reed’s lobbying shop, Chesapeake Enterprises, in 2001, Mr. Reed quipped to The Washington Post: ‘It’ll be one-stop shopping for any Dole memorabilia.’” [New York Times, 9/24/26]
2020: Reed Started To Use His Political Network To Bankroll A Super PAC Backing Collins. According to the New York Times, “That same year, Mr. Reed leveraged his wide political network to bankroll a super PAC boosting Ms. Collins’s re-election campaign. After she won a tough race against Sara Gideon, the Democratic candidate, Mr. Reed touted Ms. Collins’s refusal to endorse President Trump’s bid for a second term, saying it ‘reinforced Susan’s independence, that she’s above party politics, that she’s for Maine.’” [New York Times, 9/24/26]
HEADLINE: Operative At Center Of ProPublica Report Is Still A Top Outside Money Man For Susan Collins [Bangor Daily News, 9/23/26]
HEADLINE: Weeks Before The Election, Susan Collins’s Ties To A Fund-Raiser Are Under Scrutiny [New York Times, 9/24/26]
Reed Now Head Up Pine Tree Results PAC Who Was Spending For Collins And The PAC Has A Joint Fundraising Committee With Collins Campaign. According to Bangor Daily News, “Reed now helms Pine Tree Results PAC, which has booked more than $28 million in ads in Collins’ reelection bid against Democrat Troy Jackson, according to AdImpact data. Her campaign and the Reed-led group raise money together through a joint committee.” [Bangor Daily News, 9/23/26]
2025: Reed’s Lobbying Firm, Chesapeake Enterprises, Paid Collins Husband As An Consultant. According to Bangor Daily News, “Reed’s lobbying firm, Chesapeake Enterprises, paid the senator’s husband, Tom Daffron, as a consultant last year.” [Bangor Daily News, 9/23/26]
Reed Has Previously Faced Separate Complaints That He Has Flouting Campaign Finance Laws. According to Bangor Daily News, “Reed was a central figure in separate complaints from Campaign Legal Center and Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington a decade ago. In those complaints, a Reed-linked group was accused of flouting campaign finance laws. His lobbying firm, Chesapeake Enterprises, faced allegations of failing to file required lobbying reports.” [Bangor Daily News, 9/23/26]
MacKenzie Dolan, Co-Founder Of The Morning Group, Worked With The Collins Aligned 1820 PAC Which Was The Super PAC At the Center Of Kao’s Straw Donation Scheme. According to the Portland Press Herald, “MacKenzie Dolan, who co-founded The Morning Group, worked in 2020 with the 1820 PAC, the main pro-Collins Super PAC. A federal investigator said both Dolan and Reed received an email sent Dec. 13, 2019, from the fraudster, Navatek CEO Martin Kao, updating them on his plans to create a shell company to make a donation to the PAC. The investigator said in court documents that Kao sent the email from an address associated with a ‘navatekllc.com.’ ‘I just received confirmation from our bank that the new account for the Society of Young Women Scientists and Engineers will be up and ready to go by early next week,’ Kao wrote. ‘I’ll be in touch next week re getting 1820 a check by year end. The group sent a $150,000 check to the PAC about two weeks later, ProPublica reported.” [Portland Press Herald, 10/13/26]
This Cycle, Collins’s Campaign Paid Dolan’s Firm, The Morning Group, At Least $300,000 For Fundraising And The Pro-Collins PAC, Pine Tree Results PAC Paid The Firm At Least $1.1 Million. According to the Portland Press Herald, “This cycle, Collins for Senator has paid Dolan’s firm, The Morning Group, at least $300,000 for fundraising services in 2025-26. And the firm has received at least $1.1 million from Pine Tree Results PAC. The Morning Group was also hired by Reed and the 1820 PAC during the 2020 cycle.” [Portland Press Herald, 10/13/26]
Kao Provided The Names Of Lobbyists, Congressional Staffers And Members Of Congress Who Helped Him Trade Cash For Contracts. According to ProPublica, “Over three days at the U.S. attorney’s office in Honolulu, Kao laid out in devastating detail how his operation worked. He gave agents a 50-page document naming dozens of lobbyists, congressional staffers and members of Congress who he said helped him trade cash for contracts. Kao and his close associates had donated nearly $900,000 to dozens of politicians, allowing Navatek to establish operations in half a dozen states with over $40 million a year in government funding.” [ProPublica, 9/22/26]
Kao Claimed That Navatek’s Work For The Government Was Of No Real Value And The Research Never Produced anything The Military Wanted To Buy. According to ProPublica, “Most damningly, Kao told FBI agents and prosecutors, the company’s work for the government was of no real value. Navatek’s research under his stewardship never resulted in products the military wanted to buy, ProPublica found.” [ProPublica, 9/22/26]
The FBI Asked Extensive Questions About His Dealings With Collins And Her Office. According to ProPublica, “Even so, by the end of 2024, the agents had enough evidence to pursue a sweeping bribery probe that could ensnare top lawmakers of both political parties. They asked their supervisors to approve a new investigation and contemplated using undercover operatives to gather more evidence. Although their effort was in its early stages, and it was unclear where it would lead, FBI agents asked Kao extensive questions about his dealings with Collins and her office.” [ProPublica, 9/22/26]
A Former Navatek Executive Claimed That They Targeted Small State Senators Like Collins. According to ProPublica, “‘It was a simple enough play. Let’s find the small states that have complementary universities … [and] let’s get access to their senators,’ Eric Schiff, a former Navatek executive, told ProPublica. ‘I’ve met Susan Collins. You can get access to Susan Collins. Once we got the first things working with Maine, then we said, ‘Well, let’s keep reaching.’ And so we did.’” [ProPublica, 9/22/26]
HEADLINE: F.B.I. Shut Down Inquiry Into Top Ally Of Senator Susan Collins [New York Times, 9/22/26]
After Trump Came In, He Eviscerated And Pushed Out Many Of The Agents Working On The Case Effectively Ending The Probe. According to ProPublica, “The specialized FBI and DOJ teams handling public corruption investigations, some of which were involved in Trump-related cases, were eviscerated. One of the agents who had taken Kao’s confession was pushed out as retribution for her role in investigating Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election. Dozens of agents and prosecutors quit amid the department’s destruction, including the career attorney assigned to Kao’s case. Trump’s Justice Department no longer takes on public corruption in any meaningful fashion, former officials said. The investigation sparked by Kao’s revelations is dead. And the government is no longer talking to an informant who had offered a road map to corruption in Congress.” [ProPublica, 9/22/26]
Officials Familiar With The Investigation Claimed That Additional Evidence To Corroborate Kao’s Claims Could’ve Appeared If They Investigated Further. According to the New York Times, “The inquiry, which was earlier reported by ProPublica, was closed under the Trump administration last year because senior bureau officials questioned the veracity of Mr. Kao’s account, which he began offering around the time he pleaded guilty in 2022. Current and former officials familiar with the investigation, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe a sensitive inquiry, said agents did not uncover much evidence to corroborate Mr. Kao’s claims against the senator and her advisers, including Scott Reed, a fund-raiser for Ms. Collins. But they acknowledged that it was possible more could have surfaced if the investigation had developed further.” [New York Times, 9/22/26]
The FBI Was Now Accused Of Shutting Down The Investigation Due To Political Considerations. According to the New York Times, “The disclosure of the inquiry and its closing came in the final weeks of a midterm election in which Ms. Collins is in a tight race that could help decide control of the Senate. It prompted accusations that the F.B.I.’s decision to shut down the investigation last year was influenced by political considerations — safeguarding a critical seat that could decide which party controls the Senate.” [New York Times, 9/22/26]
Collins Claimed That The ProPublica Article Was A “Political Hit Job.” According to the New York Times, “On Capitol Hill, Ms. Collins pushed back against the article, calling it ‘truly outrageous.’ ‘These are seven-year-old allegations that were thoroughly investigated by the Biden Justice Department and F.B.I. And in 2021, the Biden Justice Department found there was no wrongdoing by any one on my campaign staff, my office or me,’ she said. ‘It is clearly a political hit job.’” [New York Times, 9/22/26]
Collins Claimed That Kao Was A “Liar” And That The Allegations Being Brought Up This Close To An Election Was “Unfair.” According to the New York Times, “‘It is very frustrating and unfair to have it brought up this close to the election,’ she added, noting that the man at the center of the accusations is a twice-convicted felon. ‘He is a liar and that is what he is doing here,’ she said.” [New York Times, 9/22/26]
Collins Implied That The ProPublica Article Was A Hit Job By Chuck Schumer. According to Punchbowl News, “‘It’s obvious if you look at ProPublica. It’s obvious if you look at the tactics that Chuck Schumer always uses.’” [Punchbowl News, 9/23/26]
Collins Claimed That Bribery Allegations Were Democrats “Throwing Everything And The Kitchen Sink At Her.” According to WGME, “At a fundraising event in Gorham Friday, Collins didn't address the allegations directly but claimed democrats are ‘throwing everything and the kitchen sink at her.’ ‘They are not telling the truth and it is so offensive. I need your help in debunking the lies that are out there,’ Collins said.” [WGME, 9/28/26]
Collins Campaign Spokesperson Claimed That The Senator’s Office Hasn’t Been Contacted By The FBI Since The Initial Biden Investigation Ended In 2021 And That “We Will Continue To Vigorously Rebut These False And Desperate Attacks. According to the Portland Press Herald, “Collins campaign spokesperson Blake Kernen said the senator’s office has not been contacted by the FBI since the initial Biden investigation ended in 2021. ‘We will continue to vigorously rebut these false and desperate attacks,’ Kernen said in an email.” [Portland Press Herald, 9/28/26]
Collins Campaign Manager, Steve Abbott, Claimed That There Was No Record That Collins Called Kao But Later Added That Collins “Routinely Thank People for Contributions” And That They “Try To Thank Everybody.” According to ProPublica, “Steve Abbott, Collins’ campaign manager, said at a Wednesday press conference, ‘We have no record of her calling him.’ But he added that such a phone call would not be unusual: ‘We routinely thank people for contributions. … We try to thank everybody.’” [ProPublica, 9/23/26]
Collins Claimed That Reed Was “A Person Of Great Integrity” And Claimed that She Wasn’t Involved In The Super PAC’s Operations. According to Punchbowl News, “‘a person of great integrity’ while also pointing out that she wasn’t involved in the super PAC’s operations.” [Punchbowl News, 9/23/26]
Reed Claimed That He Never Communicated With Collins, Her staff Or Daffron About Kao Or His Company. According to the New York Times, “Mr. Reed, 66, said he never communicated with Ms. Collins, her staff or Mr. Daffron about Mr. Kao or his company.” [New York Times, 9/24/26]
Collins Has Done A Number Of Interviews Since The ProPublica Article But Didn’t Answer CBS 13’s Questions Directly About Martin Kao. According to WGME, “Collins has done several interviews with national media outlets since that time, but hasn't answered CBS 13's questions directly about Martin Kao, the former head of Navatek, who’s now serving time in federal prison.” [WGME, 9/28/26]
HEADLINE: 'We Literally Have The Emails!' Susan Collins Flak Skewered For Denying Corruption Story [Raw Story, 9/22/26]
HEADLINE: Susan Collins Dismissed Our Reporting As Old News. Some Of Her Claims Aren’t True. [ProPublica, 9/23/26]
ProPublica Reporter Molly Redden Claimed That The FBI Has A Lot Of Questions About Collins Involvement In Kao’s Bribery But That The Investigation Was Quickly Cut Off When Trump Dismantled The Investigating Unit. According to Maine Public, “That investigation, you know, it was very new. It wasn't even clear where it was going to lead. We know that as part of that investigation, Collins wasn't officially a target, but FBI investigators had a lot of questions about her. But that work was cut off pretty quickly because the unit that investigates public corruption at the FBI was dismantled. It was sort of purged agent by agent by FBI Director Kash Patel and other Donald Trump appointees. Some of them — you know, one of the agents on this, she had worked on an investigation into Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election, so that was the reason that she got fired, she alleges in a lawsuit. And then meanwhile, the public integrity section at the Justice Department, where there are attorneys that help shape public corruption cases, they sort of work with that FBI unit. They lost their leadership very early in Trump's term after there were orders from Trump's DOJ leadership to drop a corruption investigation into New York City Mayor Eric Adams. A lot of leadership resigned en masse in protest, and then over the coming months, most of the attorneys working there quit or were reassigned — quit in protest, essentially, of the coring out of their mission, including the person who was working on this case.” [Maine Public, 9/22/26]
Redden Claimed That Kao’s Claims Lined Up With Public Evidence. According to Maine Public, “Sure. I mean, we found a couple of — we found a lot of really compelling contemporary documents, and we looked at a lot of what the FBI had gathered. You know, the FBI — they don't seek to launch an investigation just on the basis of what Kao said. They also went and looked at a lot of documentary evidence. You know, one thing they did is use public records to check the timelines of some of the things he was saying, and those matched up. You know, the donations occurred roughly when he said they did, and Navatek did get many tens of millions of dollars in contracts as a result of the Senate Appropriations Committee putting money that was specifically intended for Navatek in the Pentagon budget.” [Maine Public, 9/22/26]
Redden Claimed That She Saw That The FBI Looked At Emails That Indicated Collins Staffers Reached Out To Naval Officials To Steer Contracts To Navatek. According to the Maine Public, “One thing that we saw that the FBI also looked at is there were emails indicating that staffers from Collins' office reached out to naval officials to let them know that the money they had for specific types of research was intended to go to Navatek, and those are supposed to be competitive contracts.” [Maine Public, 9/22/26]
Redden Said She Saw Emails From Navatek As They Spoke With Their Lobbyists About Buying The Cooperation Of Politicians And Saw The Check Navatek And It’s Shell Company Used To Pay Collins’ Super PAC. According to the Maine Public, “So those are things we saw. You know, we saw some really astonishing emails from inside this company, and as they spoke with their lobbyists. And they're talking as if they are buying the cooperation of politicians. You know, we have that image of the check from Navatek and its shell company to the Susan Collins super PAC, but what we also have — because, you know, that check doesn't come in Kao's name or in Navatek's name, it's being routed through a shell company to try to keep the source of the money hidden from the public.” [Maine Public, 9/22/26]
Redden Said That There Were Emails Showed That The Check Was Made In Exchange For Contracts And That There Was An Email Saying Collins Wanted To Call And Thank Him. According to the Maine Public, “But behind closed doors, Kao and the head of Collins' super PAC are emailing, and he's letting them know, 'Hey, you're going to see this check. It's going to be from a shell company. Here's the name of the shell company. It should come through in the next couple of days, and you'll know it's from me.' So according to Kao's version of that meeting, that was important because what Kao claims is that he was making this donation in agreement with the head of Collins' super PAC in exchange for her knowing that he gave the money and making it so that there was a lot of money in the next year's annual budget meant for Navatek. And of course, just looking from the outside, the money comes in and it's anonymous. There's no way to know who sent it. So it's notable to us that he sent these emails, essentially making sure that the head of her super PAC knows that it came from him, so that Collins would know that it came from him, because according to him, that was the arrangement. That her super PAC will let her know, and then there was an email saying, 'Susan Collins wants to call to thank you.'” [Maine Public, 9/22/26]
Redden Said “We Did Not Simply Take The Word Of Kao” And That They Have “The Receipts.” According to Maine Public, “Sure, I mean, none of that is really true. We did not simply take the word of Kao. We conducted our own investigation of his claims. You know, we've got the receipts. We put together timelines. We published emails that we looked at that undergird a lot of our reporting. You know, we really stress tested his claims, and also the FBI stress tested his claims, and that's part of what we're reporting here. But not only that, you know, I think they're hiding the ball here a little bit. They claim that all of this was resolved, but we reported, and we show our evidence, that anti-corruption agents at the FBI were asking about Collins, probing her activities and her campaign staff's activities as recently as late 2024. This was a new investigation that might have implicated her and and her staff. This was not something that was tied up in a bow several years ago. This was something that was happening. It was a live issue right up until Trump's DOJ leadership totally dismantled the FBI and DOJ teams that were handling this public corruption probe.” [Maine Public, 9/22/26]
Collins Claimed The Justice Department And The FBI Cleared Her Five Years Ago But The Investigation At The Center Of ProPublica’s Story Was Based On Claims Made In 2022 To 2024. According to ProPublica, “Collins: ‘In 2021, the Biden Justice Department found there was no wrongdoing by anyone on my campaign staff, my office or me.’ Collins: ‘The Biden-led Justice Department and FBI totally cleared my office, my campaign and me five years ago of these seven-year-old allegations.’ An FBI spokesperson told ProPublica the agency had investigated claims against Collins years ago ‘and ultimately found nothing implicating Senator Collins or Senator Collins’ campaign.’ But the investigation at the center of ProPublica’s story was based on claims Kao made between 2022 through 2024 — not seven years ago, as Collins states. That investigation did not conclude under President Joe Biden but under Trump, in 2025, after his administration purged the agents and Department of Justice attorneys assigned to the case.” [ProPublica, 9/23/26]
[VIDEO] ProPublica Reporter William Turton Said That Despite Super PACS and Campaigns Not Being Able To Coordinate, Reed Who Heads Collins Super PAC Was Described As A Close Friend To Collins Husband. "'Now, this is super interesting because Scott Reed is basically a family friend of Susan Collins and Susan Collins campaign manager spoke about this this week. He said that Scott Reed is close friends with Tom Daffron, who is Susan Collins' husband. Scott Reed is the head of the super PAC that supports Susan Collins and who met with this disgraced defense contractor and solicited a half-million-dollar donation from him. So my understanding is that campaigns and superPACs are not supposed to coordinate, and that's what the Collins campaign has said.'” [MS NOW: All In, 9/24/26]
HEADLINE: Some Maine Swing Voters Rethink Support For Susan Collins After Pay-To-Play Allegations [Portland Press Herald, 9/28/26]
A Democrat Who Was On The Fence About Collins Claimed That The Pay-To-Play Allegations Pushed Her Over The Edge Into Supporting Jackson. According to the Portland Press Herald, “Last week, Portland resident Tara Wheeler said she was barely leaning toward supporting Democrat Troy Jackson. Wheeler said she was struggling with her decision, because she has personally benefited from Collins’ ability, as chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, to bring home federal funding. But after ProPublica’s explosive report Tuesday about an aborted federal investigation into whether Collins helped to steer defense contracts toward a company in exchange for political donations, Wheeler said her choice is clear. ‘I’m very pro-Jackson,’ Wheeler, a 44-year-old Democrat, said Monday without hesitation. ‘I just didn’t expect that from Susan Collins. … That pushed me over the edge like immediately.’” [Portland Press Herald, 9/28/26]
HEADLINE: Maine Veterans Demand Answers From Collins Over Defense Contractor Campaign Donation [Maine Beacon, 9/28/26]
Members Of The Maine Veterans Alliance Held A Press Confrence Questioning Why Collins Helped Navatek Get Millions Despite Their Research Producing Little Value For The Military. According to the Maine Beacon, “Maine veterans gathered in Bangor on Monday to demand answers from Sen. Susan Collins following revelations that federal investigators had been investigating allegations of a pay-to-play arrangement involving the senator and a major campaign donor before the Trump administration shut down the investigation. The veterans, members of the Maine Veterans Alliance (which, like Beacon, is a project of Maine People’s Alliance), questioned why millions of taxpayer dollars went to a defense contractor whose research produced little of value for the military, while veterans continue to struggle with access to health care and housing. ‘Let’s be clear: every defense dollar spent on a donor’s pet project is $1 taken from military readiness, from people we as vets promise to bring home,’ said Tristin Friend, who served in the Maine Army National Guard from 2015 to 2021 and is the veterans organizer at MPA.” [Maine Beacon, 9/28/26]
HEADLINE: It’s Maine’s Turn To Be Concerned About Susan Collins [Editorial – Portland Press Herald, 9/27/26]
HEADLINE: Susan Collins Gets A Brutal Warning From Home-State Paper [Daily Beast, 9/27/26]
The Portland Press Herald Editorial Declared That Collins “Complacent Response To Open Allegations Of Bribery Sends Voters A Very Clear And Disrespectful Message.” According to the Portland Press Herald, “The senator’s complacent response to open allegations of bribery sends voters a very clear and disrespectful message.” [Editorial – Portland Press Herald, 9/27/26]
The Portland Press Herald Editorial Wrote That It Was “Extremely disappointing” To See Collins And Her Staff Move To “Immediately Discredit A Through And Fair Piece Of Investigative Journalism On Political And Personal Grounds.” According to a Portland Press Herald Editorial, “It is extremely disappointing to watch Collins and members of her staff move to immediately discredit a thorough and fair piece of investigative journalism on political and personal grounds.” [Editorial – Portland Press Herald, 9/27/26]
The Portland Press Herald Editorial Wrote That The Collins Campaign Emphasis On The Events Taking Place “Seven Years Ago” Were Attempts To “Detract From The Crux OF The Story” Which Was About The Collapse Of The Investigation Due To The Trump Administration’s Insufficiently Staffed And Uninterested FBI.” According to a Portland Press Herald Editorial, “The Collins campaign’s emphasis on the events taking place “seven years ago” cynically attempts to detract from the crux of the story, which hinges on the collapse of the investigation — reportedly active until the beginning of last year — due to a newly insufficiently staffed and uninterested FBI.” [Editorial – Portland Press Herald, 9/27/26]
HEADLINE: Susan Collins Faced An FBI Investigation Over Dark Money. It’s Still Flowing To Her Reelection Campaign. [HuffPost, 9/30/26]
Pine Tree Results PAC Was Backed By Unknown Contributions That Were Similar To The Dark Money Contributions Kao Did To Collins’ Past PAC. According to the HuffPost, “But Kao was clumsy. The Society of Young Women Scientists and Engineers LLC was registered under his wife’s name, which reporters found easily. The $7.4 million in unknown contributions helping Collins now, however, is masked behind an intricate web of conservative dark money groups that appear to exist solely to hide the true identity of their donors. A spokesperson for Collins did not respond to a request for comment. Pine Tree Results PAC, run by Reed and funded by Collins through a joint fundraising committee, is the biggest recipient of these dark-money donations. The super PAC has received $3 million from Stronger America, Inc., $1.25 million from the Lexington Fund, $500,000 from Condorcet Initiative Corp. and $250,000 each from Ardleigh Impact Corp. and Leon Rachel Corp.” [HuffPost, 9/30/26]
Condorcent Initiative Corp., Ardlweigh Impact Corp, And Leon Rachel Corp. Were all Run By The Same Person And Appeared To Be A Pass Through For Political Donations. According to the HuffPost, “Condorcet Initiative Corp., Ardleigh Impact Corp. and Leon Rachel Corp. are all run by political operative Staci Goede. The former treasurer of the Republican State Leadership Committee, Goede runs a network of dark-money nonprofits that appear to do little more than serve as pass-throughs for political donations to super PACs and other politically engaged nonprofits. Goede did not respond to a request for comment. The Campaign Legal Center filed a complaint with the FEC alleging that Ardleigh Impact Corp. acted as an illegal straw donor for more than $2.5 million in contributions to super PACs in the 2024 election.” [HuffPost, 9/30/26]
American Advancement, Inc. Was Found To Be A Straw Donor During Investigations Into Householder. According to HuffPost, “American Advancement, Inc. is part of a network of dark-money groups run by Ohio lobbyist Tom Norris. Norris’ network has faced multiple legal complaints and investigations. An FEC investigation into Norris’ nonprofit’s involvement in Republican Ohio state Rep. Larry Householder’s 2018 bid to be speaker found that it likely acted as a straw donor for undisclosed individuals or entities. Federal courts ruled that the FEC could publicly disclose the real identities behind those donors, but the agency declined. Householder was convicted on corruption charges in 2023 related to a different set of dark-money contributions from the utility company FirstEnergy that were funneled through a nonprofit to hide their source.” [HuffPost, 9/30/26]
2011: Collins Was The Lead Sponsor Of A Bill That Bar The Federal Government From Requiring Contractors To Disclose Political Spending. According to Zeteo, “There’s a broader history here for Collins, who in 2011 was the lead sponsor of a bill to bar the federal government from requiring contractors to disclose political spending.” [Zeteo, 10/6/26]
HEADLINE: Susan Collins’s Committee Bought Trucks The Army Didn’t Want. Then Campaign Donations Poured In. [Intercept, 10/5/26]
The Army Announced That Additional Orders Of The Humvee Would Be “Excess.” According to the Intercept, “AM General is most famous for producing the Humvee, the iconic military vehicle that trawled the streets of Baghdad during the Iraq War. In 2023, the Army selected the company to produce 20,000 units of a more heavily armored successor known as the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle. The company was ramping up its production line in Indiana when then-Army Secretary Dan Driscoll announced in May 2025 that he would cancel its order, saying the additional deliveries would result in an ‘excess.’ Driscoll’s announcement was part of a larger effort to ‘eliminate waste and obsolete programs.’ ‘Yesterday’s weapons will not win tomorrow’s wars,’ he said.” [Intercept, 10/5/26]
Congress Swooped In To Try To Save The Contract And Humvee Program. According to the Intercept, “Congress has for decades swooped in to save pricey programs with political appeal. Soon after the Army moved to kill the vehicle contract, Congress mobilized to save it. AM General had backing from members of Congress in Indiana, thanks to the jobs on its production line there. It also found backing from legislators in states far from its home.” [Intercept, 10/5/26]
After The Army’s “Excess” Comments, Collins And Associated Committees Accepted $58,000 From Employees And AM General’s PAC. According to the Intercept, “Before the Army put the future of the vehicle in jeopardy, Collins was not a frequent beneficiary of contributions from the company’s workers. She last received campaign funds from AM General or its parent company’s employees more than a decade ago. But after the Army’s ‘excess’ announcement last year, employees and the company’s PAC donated over $58,000 to committees associated with Collins.” [Intercept, 10/5/26]
Collins Touted On Her Website That The Appropriations Committee Decides How Federal Dollars Were Spent And That Susan’s Position Gave Maine “An Outsized Voice At The Table.” According to the Intercept, “On her campaign website, Collins notes that she serves as chair of the ‘powerful’ appropriations committee. ‘This committee decides how federal dollars are spent each year, from national defense and infrastructure to medical research, education, and public safety. Susan’s position gives Maine an outsized voice at the table when critical decisions are made which allows her to deliver serious results for Maine,’ her website states.” [Intercept, 10/5/26]