Maine Democratic Senate candidate Troy Jackson is escalating his attack on Republican incumbent Susan Collins, saying a new ProPublica investigation reveals "corruption of the highest order" and demanding answers about defense contracts tied to a convicted donor. Collins's team has dismissed the allegations as "categorically false."
The report, published Wednesday, ties Collins to a pay-to-play scheme involving Navatek, a Hawaii-based defense firm, and its former CEO Martin Kao, who is now serving a federal prison sentence for COVID-19 relief fraud, money laundering, and bank fraud. ProPublica alleges that Collins, as chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, steered millions in taxpayer dollars to Navatek after her super PAC received contributions from Kao.
According to the report, Scott Reed, who led a super PAC supporting Collins, met with Navatek executives at a Corner Bakery in Washington, D.C., to solicit payments. In one instance, Kao allegedly routed $150,000 to the super PAC through a shell company, and two months later, he told executives that Collins would secure $32 million in naval contracts for the firm. Kao later cooperated with federal investigators, but the public corruption unit handling his case was reportedly dismantled after President Trump took office in 2025.
Jackson, a state senator and union organizer, seized on the report in a statement, saying, "This is corruption of the highest order. Susan Collins delivered millions in taxpayer dollars for a corrupt donor bankrolling her campaign, and then Donald Trump helped her cover it up." He added, "No wonder she voted with him 96% of the time and has rubberstamped his agenda to hurt Maine." Jackson called for a full accounting of every contract and conversation involving Collins's office, declaring, "The jig is up."
Collins's deputy chief of staff, Annie Clark, responded on X, calling the report "categorically false." She noted that the Collins campaign had "cooperated fully with the FBI throughout the investigation" during the Biden administration, producing all requested documents and making witnesses available. Clark stressed that "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." She added that the matter was resolved in 2021 and that the FBI has not contacted the campaign about Kao since.
The ProPublica report also highlights broader concerns about federal oversight of defense contracting, as well as the political fallout from Trump's clashes with the media and his administration's handling of investigations into his allies. The report notes that the public corruption team that interviewed Kao either left or was fired after Trump took office, raising questions about political interference in ongoing probes.
Collins's office and the FBI did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Hill has reached out for further clarification.
The allegations come as Collins faces a tough reelection battle in a state that has trended Democratic in recent cycles. Jackson, who has positioned himself as a progressive champion, has made ethics and accountability central to his campaign. The ProPublica report could become a flashpoint in the race, though Collins's allies are likely to point to the lack of formal charges and the FBI's prior investigation as evidence of her innocence.
Political analysts note that while the report may energize Democrats, its impact on independent voters remains unclear. Collins has survived previous attacks on her record, including her vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, by projecting a moderate, independent image. However, the Navatek story, with its detailed allegations of quid pro quo, could test that reputation.
For now, Jackson is pressing for a congressional inquiry, while Collins's camp is firmly denying any wrongdoing. The outcome may hinge on whether additional evidence emerges or whether the story fades amid the broader news cycle.
