Full Breakdown
Collins vs. Jackson: Pay-to-Play Allegations Shape Maine Senate Race
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: Allegations and Campaign Responses
A ProPublica investigation released in 2024 alleges that former Navatek CEO Martin Kao gave Senator Susan Collins campaign contributions in exchange for federal Navy contracts awarded to Navatek. The report says Kao told FBI agents that Collins helped secure roughly $32 million in contracts after a $150,000 donation—channeled through a shell company—was made to a Collins-aligned super-PAC. The story emerged weeks before the general election, in which Collins seeks a sixth Senate term against Democratic challenger Troy Jackson.
Background & Context
ProPublica notes that the FBI’s inquiry into Kao’s claims continued through 2024 and was effectively halted after President Donald Trump took office, with the investigation’s final phase ending in early 2025 when Trump-appointed officials dismissed many corruption-focused teams.
Data & Statistics
- Requested donation from Navatek to the Collins super-PAC: $500,000 (2019).
- Actual donation routed through a shell company: $150,000.
- Contracts Navatek received from the Navy: about $32 million.
- Kao’s criminal record: convictions for money-laundering, bank fraud, false FEC filings, and a current 87-month federal prison sentence.
Official Statements & Responses
- “The Biden-led Justice Department and FBI totally cleared my office, my campaign and me five years ago of these seven-year-old allegations,” — Susan Collins
- “I’m telling you this is completely false,” — Susan Collins
- “I need your help in debunking the lies that are out there,” — Susan Collins
- “Categorically false.” — Susan Collins
- Troy Jackson called the report “corruption of the highest order” and “the worst type of corruption.”
- Senate Majority Leader John Thune dismissed the accusations as a “political hit job.”
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the status of the FBI investigation. Collins’ claim that a 2021 review cleared her applies only to earlier allegations; the newer 2022-2024 claims remain unaddressed. The University of Maine publicly refuted the campaign’s claim that a recently launched boat incorporated Navatek research, stating the university has not worked with Navatek since 2021.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The Biden-led Justice Department and FBI totally cleared my office, my campaign and me five years ago of these seven-year-old allegations,” — Susan Collins
- “That's obviously the worst type of corruption,” — Troy Jackson
- “I need your help in debunking the lies that are out there,” — Susan Collins
- “One of the important findings in the story was that the head of the company and others said that the work Navatek did with the University of Maine was of little value,” — William Turton, ProPublica reporter
- “This is one of several falsehoods the campaign has offered in response to our story,” — William Turton, ProPublica reporter
What's Next
The Senate race will be decided later this month, with a televised debate scheduled for early October. Both campaigns are expected to continue emphasizing—or denying—the Navatek allegations as voters head to the polls.