An FBI investigation into allegations of a pay-to-play scheme involving Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, was reportedly shut down after Donald Trump returned to the White House and purged leadership in the Department of Justice and FBI. The probe, which had been building momentum based on the cooperation of a defense contractor executive, is now considered dead, according to a ProPublica report.
The investigation reportedly began in 2024, stemming from information provided by Martin Kao, the former CEO of Hawaiian defense contractor Navatek. Kao, who was indicted for making illegal campaign contributions, began cooperating with the FBI in late 2024, detailing what he described as a widespread influence-peddling operation involving politicians. Kao claimed that Navatek funneled donations to politicians in exchange for government contracts, and he specifically implicated Collins and her office in such dealings.
According to ProPublica's reporting, Kao detailed how he met with Scott Reed, the head of the Collins super PAC, in late 2019. At this meeting, Kao proposed a $500,000 donation from Navatek, which was banned from making political contributions as a government contractor, in exchange for Collins securing tens of millions of dollars in additional federal funding for the company. Kao reportedly used a shell company to obscure the donation's origin. Two months later, Kao claimed Collins committed to securing $32 million in naval contracts for Navatek.
Collins' office has vigorously denied Kao's allegations, calling them "outlandish." Annie Clark, Collins' deputy chief of staff, stated that the senator's office fully cooperated with the FBI investigation and that the issues were resolved in 2021 when the Collins campaign returned illegal contributions made by Kao without their knowledge. The FBI spokesperson, Ben Williamson, stated that the agency had investigated claims against Collins years ago and found nothing implicating her or her campaign, calling any suggestion otherwise "totally false."
However, ProPublica reported that a new investigation, sparked by Kao's detailed confessions, was launched in 2024. This probe reportedly included extensive questioning about Kao's dealings with Collins and her office. Agents believed they had enough evidence to pursue a broader investigation into bribery of members of Congress. This included questions about a steak dinner Kao shared with Sen. Lindsey Graham.
Despite the progress, the investigation allegedly stalled when Trump returned to the White House. The ProPublica report claims that Trump's administration purged specialized FBI and DOJ teams handling public corruption investigations. Agents involved in Kao's case were reportedly pushed out, and career attorneys assigned to corruption cases resigned. According to former officials cited by ProPublica, the Trump Justice Department ceased taking on public corruption cases in any "meaningful fashion."
Kao pleaded guilty in 2022 to fraud and campaign finance crimes. He cooperated with investigators, providing a 50-page document detailing Navatek's dealings with over a dozen members of Congress and their staff. He was sentenced to 87 months in prison. Kao reportedly told FBI agents that "It takes two to tangle" and that politicians, including Collins, were willing participants in his scheme.
Navatek, which initially benefited from earmarks and later from appropriations secured through lobbying and donations, saw its annual revenue grow significantly under Kao. However, the company's practices were called into question after a nonprofit good government group flagged a suspicious $150,000 donation to the Collins super PAC from a shell company. This led to an FEC complaint and subsequent discovery of Kao's illegal activities.
Collins is currently campaigning for reelection, highlighting her role on the appropriations committee and the funding she directs to Maine. Her campaign staff, including her finance director, Amy Abbott, and Scott Reed, who chairs the main Collins super PAC, remain in her inner circle. Abbott is the finance director for her 2026 reelection campaign.