Trump FBI Dropped Susan Collins Bribery Probe

Federal agents looked into whether a top ally of Sen. Susan Collins helped route illegal campaign cash her way—then quietly walked away. The FBI opened the inquiry under President Biden after Martin Kao, the CEO of defense contractor Navatek, told investigators he had discussed skirting campaign finance laws with a Collins political adviser in 2019, the New York Times reports. Kao, now in prison on unrelated fraud charges, claimed he used a shell company to send $150,000 to a super PAC backing the Maine Republican in exchange for millions of dollars in Navy contracts, per Pro Publica.

But officials say the bureau found little to back up his story and closed the probe last year under President Trump, concluding there was no evidence Collins or her team broke the law. The timing of the disclosure—weeks before a tight election that could affect Senate control—has triggered accusations of political interference. Collins labeled the story "truly outrageous" and a "political hit job," stressing that her campaign cooperated fully and eventually sent the donations to a local school rebuilding effort. Her Democratic challenger, Troy Jackson, is using the episode to paint her as tied to Trump, saying Trump "helped her cover it up." The FBI insists any suggestion of a cover-up is "totally false."