Full Breakdown
Collins Campaign Faces Pay-to-Play Allegations Amid Tight Maine Senate Race
By Drooid · · How we work
Alleged Pay-to-Play Scheme and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Probe
A ProPublica investigation released in September 2026 alleges that Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) directed federal defense contracts to Navatek, a Hawaii-based contractor, in exchange for a $150,000 contribution to her super-PAC funneled through a shell company. Navatek’s former CEO, Martin Kao, told FBI agents the donation followed Collins’ office promising “tens of millions of dollars” in Navy contracts. An FBI anti-corruption unit opened a preliminary inquiry in 2024, but the probe was closed in 2025 after the Trump administration reshuffled the bureau’s leadership.
Background and Context
Martin Kao pleaded guilty in 2022 to campaign-finance violations, money-laundering, wire fraud and bank fraud and was sentenced to 87 months in early 2025. Collins, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, has highlighted her ability to bring federal dollars to Maine, including an $8 million Navy-funded 3D-printed boat project and a $21.6 million defense-budget allocation for Navatek in 2019.
Data and Statistics
- Donation: $150,000 routed through a shell company to Collins’ super-PAC.
- Contracts: Navatek received an $8 million Navy contract and later secured additional projects worth tens of millions of dollars, including the 2019 $21.6 million allocation.
- Polls: A CNN/SSRS poll on September 14 2026 showed Jackson leading 48 % to 45 %; a Newsweek poll of 644 likely voters gave Jackson a narrow lead within a 4.3-point margin of error.
Official Statements & Responses
Scott Reed, director of Collins’ super-PAC, said the FBI’s response to the ProPublica piece was that any suggestion of wrongdoing is “totally false.”
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
ProPublica’s narrative relies heavily on Kao’s testimony, which the report labels as having “credibility issues.” FBI officials, speaking on the record, say the agency “found nothing implicating Senator Collins,” and no charges have been filed against her or her staff.
Verbatim Quotes
- “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, deputy chief of staff
- “This is corruption of the highest order,” — Democrat Troy Jackson, state senate president
- “I think the allegations are very damaging to the institution of government and of course, Sen. Collins will have to answer those herself,” — State Auditor Matt Dunlap
Timeline
- 2022: Martin Kao pleads guilty to campaign-finance violations.
- 2024: FBI anti-corruption unit begins preliminary inquiry based on Kao’s statements.
- Early 2025: Kao sentenced to 87 months; Trump administration restructures FBI, leading to the probe’s closure.
- September 2026: ProPublica publishes the report; polls show a tight race; Collins’ team issues a formal denial.
What’s Next
The first televised debate is scheduled for October 6 2026, hosted by WGME in Portland. Both campaigns continue to spend heavily as the race is classified as a toss-up by the Cook Political Report, with control of the U.S. Senate hinging on the outcome in Maine.