Federal prosecutors abandoned an FBI probe into Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) over alleged pay-to-play schemes just weeks after Donald Trump returned to office in January 2025, according to a ProPublica investigation published Tuesday.
The decision to halt the investigation follows the 2022 guilty plea and 2025 sentencing of Martin Kao, former CEO of defense contractor Navatek, who admitted to funneling nearly $200,000 in campaign donations to Collins’s super PAC via shell companies. Kao told FBI investigators that the donations were part of a broader effort to influence lawmakers, including a $32 million contract commitment he claimed Collins had pledged to Navatek in exchange for the funds.
Collins’s office denied any wrongdoing, calling the allegations “categorically false” in a statement to multiple outlets. Her deputy chief of staff, Annie Clark, reiterated that neither Collins nor her campaign was ever the target of the FBI investigation, despite Kao’s claims to federal agents. The senator’s team has not provided further details on the status of the halted probe.
Kao’s testimony and sentencing
Kao pleaded guilty in 2022 to campaign finance violations and was sentenced in January 2025 to 87 months in prison, just weeks after Trump’s inauguration. ProPublica reported that the FBI’s corruption teams were “hollowed out” following Trump’s return, with key personnel reassigned or removed. Kao’s sentencing occurred amid a broader purge of officials involved in investigations tied to the prior administration.
Political fallout in Maine
The revelations have shifted the dynamics of Collins’s reelection bid for 2026, with her Democratic opponent, Senate President Troy Jackson, accusing her of “corruption of the highest order.” Jackson’s campaign did not respond to requests for additional comment. Political strategists, including Democratic consultant Toby J. McGrath, noted that the story could undermine public trust in Collins if Mainers find the allegations credible, though he cautioned that the impact would depend on whether the narrative “cuts through the noise” in a competitive race.
Details of the alleged scheme
ProPublica’s report, based on interviews with over a dozen sources and legal, corporate, and campaign finance records, alleges that Collins’s super PAC director, Scott Reed, solicited donations from Navatek in exchange for federal contracts. The donations included a $150,000 contribution routed through a shell company, according to the investigation. Kao’s internal emails reportedly referenced Collins’s commitment to steering $32 million in government contracts to Navatek, though no direct evidence of such a pledge has been publicly verified.
FBI’s role and subsequent changes
The FBI launched the investigation in the final months of the Biden administration, but ProPublica reported that the probe was abandoned after Trump’s return, coinciding with the removal of corruption team personnel. The agency has not commented on the status of the case or the reasons for its closure. The Department of Justice also declined to provide details on whether the decision to halt the investigation was influenced by personnel changes.
Collins’s reelection prospects
Collins, a four-term senator, has faced minimal electoral challenges in Maine’s increasingly competitive political landscape. Polling data cited by Newsweek suggests the race was previously considered a toss-up, but the ProPublica report has shifted prediction markets in favor of Jackson. The senator’s campaign has not released internal polling or fundraising figures in response to the allegations.
Navatek’s background
Navatek, a Hawaii-based defense contractor, has received millions in federal contracts over the past decade, including work for the U.S. Navy and Department of Defense. The company’s financial ties to lawmakers have drawn scrutiny in the past, though no prior allegations have implicated Collins directly. Kao’s sentencing documents do not specify whether Navatek as a corporate entity was investigated or charged in connection with the scheme.