ProPublica reported that FBI investigators examined allegations that campaign contributions were linked to federal-contract assistance involving Sen. Susan Collins and Navatek, a defense contractor led by Martin Kao. The reporting does not establish that Collins committed bribery: she denies wrongdoing, and the FBI has said an earlier investigation found nothing implicating her or her campaign. ProPublica says that FBI statement did not address the newer investigative phase it described.
What are the allegations involving Susan Collins?
ProPublica’s report centers on Martin Kao, Navatek’s former CEO, and political contributions made in 2019. According to Kao’s account to investigators, Scott Reed, head of a pro-Collins super PAC, met with him and other Navatek executives and sought a $500,000 donation. ProPublica reports that Kao then sent an initial $150,000 contribution to the super PAC through a shell company to conceal its source. Reed’s email response, as quoted in the report, was: “Very smart.”
ProPublica says that weeks later Kao told his team Collins had committed to securing $32 million in naval contracts for Navatek. The outlet says it reviewed a company email containing Kao’s claim; this is an account attributed to Kao, not an independently adjudicated agreement or proof that Collins made such a commitment.
ProPublica also reports that Kao and close associates donated nearly $900,000 to dozens of politicians, while Navatek obtained more than $40 million a year in government funds as it established operations in several states. Those are amounts reported by ProPublica and are not court findings about Collins.
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What evidence does ProPublica say it reviewed?
ProPublica says it reviewed FBI evidence and thousands of pages of legal records, and interviewed dozens of people familiar with Navatek and the inquiry. The newsroom says it independently corroborated much of Kao’s account. Its report describes evidence and investigative activity; it does not report a finding that Collins accepted a bribe.
Kao’s account is central to the allegations, and his credibility and possible incentive are contested. ProPublica reports that a grand jury indicted Kao in 2022 for illegal campaign contributions and that he later disclosed a broader scheme to the FBI in hopes of reducing his sentence. That indictment concerns Kao; it does not by itself establish Collins’ knowledge or guilt. Collins called ProPublica’s reporting a “smear job” and said it relied on the words of a twice-convicted felon.
What did Collins, the FBI and Navatek say?
- Collins’ office: Deputy chief of staff Annie Clark said the office “vigorously” denies bribery and pay-for-play allegations and “fully cooperated” with the FBI. The Associated Press also reported that Collins called the allegations “completely false” and attacked Kao’s credibility.
- The FBI: A spokesperson told ProPublica it “ultimately found nothing implicating Senator Collins” or her campaign. The spokesperson did not address ProPublica’s questions about the newer phase described in its reporting, so the statement should not be read as resolving that later phase.
- Navatek’s founder: Steven Loui described Kao’s methods as “unethical and illegal” and said the company fully complied with law enforcement.
What is known about the FBI inquiry?
ProPublica reports that investigators documented new information in late 2024 and considered a wider corruption inquiry. It says that later investigation stalled after changes to the FBI and Justice Department teams handling public-corruption cases. These are ProPublica’s descriptions of investigative activity, not an agency finding of guilt.
The sources available for this account do not establish the formal current status of that newer phase. They also do not show that Collins was charged with or convicted of bribery. The FBI’s statement that an earlier investigation found nothing implicating Collins or her campaign is relevant, but it does not answer the separate questions ProPublica raised about the later phase.
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How to interpret the reporting
- An allegation is not a finding: ProPublica describes claims and investigative evidence; the reporting does not establish that Collins took a bribe.
- Keep the claims distinct: The $150,000 donation is a contribution ProPublica says Kao routed through a shell company. The $32 million figure is a contract commitment Kao allegedly told his team Collins had made. Neither amount is a court finding about Collins.
- Account for the competing positions: ProPublica says it corroborated much of Kao’s account, while Collins disputes the reporting and Kao’s credibility. The FBI’s quoted statement addressed its earlier investigation, not the newer phase ProPublica described.
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