Full Breakdown
FBI Bribery Probe Involving Sen. Susan Collins Ends After Administration Change
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: Inquiry Launched, Expanded, Then Dropped
In 2024, the FBI opened a corruption inquiry after former Navatek CEO Martin Kao told agents his defense-contracting firm had secured federal contracts by “bankrolling” campaigns of powerful politicians, including Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine). Agents considered widening the probe, but work ceased in early 2025 when President Donald Trump began his second term. No charges have been filed against Collins, her staff, or Navatek.
Background & Context
The allegations stem from a 2022 guilty plea by Kao, who was convicted of wire fraud, money-laundering, bank fraud and campaign-finance violations unrelated to the Collins matter. While serving his sentence, Kao provided a detailed account of a “pay-to-play” scheme to FBI investigators, hoping for leniency. The FBI’s anti-corruption unit (CR-15) interviewed Kao for roughly two years before the unit was dismantled under the Trump administration, which also saw senior agents and a DOJ attorney leave the case.
Data & Statistics
- Kao allegedly donated $150,000 to Collins’s super PAC through a shell company in late 2019, plus $40,000 routed through his father’s name.
- ProPublica reports Navatek received roughly $32 million in naval contracts in Maine, with a draft defense-budget bill later allocating $21.5 million to the company.
- Kao’s total alleged contributions to politicians total about $900,000.
- He is serving an 87-month federal prison term for unrelated fraud; a concurrent 33-month term for campaign-finance crimes was also imposed.
Official Statements & Responses
The Department of Justice, under the Biden administration, examined the Navatek matter and concluded its review in 2021, according to statements from Collins’s deputy chief of staff Annie Clark.
Criticism & Opposition
Democratic Senate candidate Troy Jackson, Collins’s opponent in the 2026 Maine race, labeled the alleged conduct “corruption of the highest order.”
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Timing of the shutdown: ProPublica notes the investigation ended coincidentally with Trump’s return to office, while some sources suggest senior bureau officials questioned Kao’s credibility, leading to a discretionary closure.
- Evidence of wrongdoing: FBI officials familiar with the case said they “did not uncover much evidence” to corroborate Kao’s claims, yet ProPublica’s documents include emails that appear to link Collins’s staff to contract advocacy.
- Contract values: Reported figures range from $21.5 million in a draft bill to “some $40 million” in total contracts awarded to Navatek, reflecting differing internal estimates.
- Scope of the probe: Rolling Stone describes a broader “bipartisan” investigation of over a dozen lawmakers, whereas other outlets focus solely on Collins.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The seven-year-old allegations made against Senator Collins and her staff in this piece are categorically false. There have never been any allegations of wrongdoing by the Collins for Senator campaign, and the campaign was never the target of the FBI investigation,” — Annie Clark, Collins’s deputy chief of staff
- “The fact that the FBI and Biden-led Department of Justice thoroughly examined the Navatek matter demonstrates this,” — Annie Clark
- “The Collins campaign cooperated fully with the FBI throughout the investigation,” — Annie Clark
What’s Next
The Senate race in Maine is slated for November 2026. Collins and Jackson remain neck-and-neck in polls, with the ProPublica report expected to shape voter perceptions. No further federal action has been announced, and the FBI has not re-engaged the case since 2021.