AI Governance
Data Centers
Drones
Climate
Privacy
2026 Maine Senate
Bob Dylan
Last Update: 10/03/2026 at 8:01 PM EST
Navatek–Collins Contract Allegations
Coverage from Maine AFL-CIO, National Memo, and others
ProPublica reporting described allegations that former Navatek chief executive Martin Kao linked campaign contributions to efforts to secure Navy contracts involving the company, including reported contacts between Collins’s office and the Navy.
Collins denied wrongdoing, and the FBI said earlier investigative work found nothing implicating her or her campaign. Reports also described efforts to pursue a broader inquiry that did not proceed after federal public-corruption teams were dismantled, prompting questions about investigative accountability and political responses from Collins’s critics.
Key Issues
The contribution–contract link remains disputed
Reporting describes Navatek-linked contributions to Collins-aligned political groups alongside Collins’s office advocating for Navatek-related contracts. Whether those events constituted an exchange remains unproven and contested; Collins denies wrongdoing, and no Collins associate has been charged.
Federal scrutiny ended without resolving the broader allegations
Reports say a later, broader public-corruption inquiry into Kao’s allegations stalled or ended after investigators and specialized teams were removed or depleted; the FBI’s statement that an earlier inquiry found nothing implicating Collins concerns a separate review. Reporting also describes the FEC as unable to investigate or penalize violations while lacking a quorum.
The allegations are a funded campaign attack
Democrats have made the allegations an accountability message against Collins, with a reported $3.4 million ad campaign framing her federal-contract record as a corruption liability. Collins’s campaign disputes the accusations, and reporting notes the ad’s effect on voters is uncertain.
Looking Back
11 Day Timeline
Sep 22
Sep 24
Sep 25
Sep 27
Sep 29
Sep 30
Oct 2
All Articles83 articles
Important
In 2024 and early 2025, FBI agents examined Martin Kao's reported fundraising and Navatek contract ties to Susan Collins in connection with Maine and federal Navy funding.
9/29/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
FBI agents investigating Martin Kao continued examining his ties to Susan Collins' political operation into early 2025, including investigative work connected to Honolulu.
9/28/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
ProPublica reported on September 23, 2026, that the FBI had planned in 2024 to examine whether Maine Sen. Susan Collins knew about illegal Navatek-linked donations, but no new investigation has been announced.
9/27/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
FBI agents examined allegations involving Susan Collins, Martin Kao, Navatek and a pro-Collins super PAC through early 2025, including a two-day interview in Honolulu in September 2024.
9/24/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
Maine Democrats criticized Sen. Susan Collins in Portland on Wednesday over reported Navatek campaign contributions as the 2026 Senate race approached, while Collins and the FBI disputed allegations of her involvement.
9/24/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
During Susan Collins' 2026 reelection campaign in Maine, Collins denied reported allegations linking Navatek political contributions to Navy contracts, while Democrat Troy Jackson called for further answers.
9/24/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
During the 2026 campaign in Maine, Troy Jackson accused Sen. Susan Collins of steering federal contracts to a donor, while Collins' office and the FBI denied evidence of wrongdoing.
9/23/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
ProPublica reported that federal investigators examined allegations involving Susan Collins, Navatek contracts, and campaign support around the 2024 election in a probe touching Maine's Senate race.
9/22/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
Six weeks before Maine's November 2026 Senate election, ProPublica reported that the FBI had planned a 2024 inquiry into Susan Collins' Navatek dealings, prompting denials and Democratic criticism in Maine.
9/23/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
ProPublica reported in 2026 that an FBI investigation examined alleged Collins-linked donations and Navatek contracts in Maine and Washington.
9/22/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
FBI agents investigated alleged Navatek contributions and federal contracts involving Susan Collins in Maine and Washington, D.C., but a proposed broader inquiry later stalled.
9/22/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
Troy Jackson accused Susan Collins of benefiting from an alleged Navatek-linked campaign finance scheme in Maine ahead of the 2026 Senate election.
9/22/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
ProPublica reported that Martin Kao's allegations about donations and federal contracts became an issue in Susan Collins' 2026 Senate campaign in Maine, after FBI inquiries spanning 2020 to 2025.
9/22/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
During the 2026 Maine Senate contest, Martin Kao's allegations about concealed donations to Susan Collins's campaign became a campaign issue in Maine, while the FBI brought no charges against Collins or her associates.
9/22/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
In the final weeks of the 2026 Senate contest in Maine, Senate Majority PAC launched a $3.4 million attack ad targeting Susan Collins over disputed allegations.
10/2/2026 • Outside Spending & Advocacy • General
Republican senators defended Susan Collins in Washington on Wednesday, September 23, after ProPublica reported a day earlier that the FBI had pursued a corruption investigation involving the Maine senator.
9/24/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
In Maine's 2026 Senate race, Susan Collins faces renewed scrutiny over alleged campaign donations and defense-contract assistance as Democrat Troy Jackson presses for answers.
9/22/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
Campaign finance experts say federal contractor donation restrictions and bribery laws frame allegations involving Susan Collins and Martin Kao as Collins seeks reelection in Maine in 2026.
10/1/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
In September 2025, ProPublica reported in the United States that alleged Navatek-linked donations benefiting Susan Collins are subject to federal campaign finance and bribery laws as she seeks reelection in Maine.
10/1/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
In 2025, FBI agents and Justice Department attorneys were removed from a federal inquiry into Martin Kao's alleged campaign-finance links to Susan Collins in Maine and Hawaii.
9/24/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
In 2025, the FBI investigation into Martin Kao's allegations involving Susan Collins, her campaign network and Navatek ended in the United States after agents and Justice Department lawyers working on the case left their roles.
9/23/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
Maine Democrats criticized U.S. Sen. Susan Collins on Wednesday in Portland after a ProPublica report described a planned FBI inquiry into alleged Navatek campaign contributions ahead of the November election.
9/23/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
Ahead of Maine's 2026 Senate race, ProPublica reported on Martin Kao's Navatek funding efforts and political contributions involving Susan Collins, while Maine Question 1's contribution cap faced a federal court challenge.
9/23/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
Federal agents examined Martin Kao's allegations about Navatek donations and Navy contracts in Maine through late 2024, before former officials said the inquiry stalled.
9/22/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
ProPublica reported that a federal probe into alleged contribution-for-contract activity involving Collins's political network stalled after Donald Trump returned to the White House in 2025.
9/22/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
In 2024, FBI agents pursued a Maine-linked public-corruption investigation involving Susan Collins, Martin Kao, Navatek contracts, and political contributions before the inquiry stalled after personnel changes in Washington.
9/22/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
ProPublica reported that FBI agents' Navatek corruption inquiry involving allegations tied to Susan Collins was disrupted after federal staffing changes, as Collins seeks reelection in Maine in 2026.
9/22/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
ProPublica reported in 2025 that an FBI inquiry into alleged Navatek contributions and contracting involving Susan Collins was abandoned after Donald Trump returned to the White House.
9/22/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
FBI agents investigated in 2024 whether Martin Kao and Navatek-linked donations to Susan Collins allies were connected to federal contract advocacy in Maine and Washington.
9/22/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
In 2024, FBI agents examined allegations involving Martin Kao, Susan Collins and Maine federal contracts, but former officials later said the inquiry had effectively ended.
9/22/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
ProPublica reported that federal investigators halted a broader Navatek bribery inquiry after Donald Trump's 2024 election victory, while Susan Collins and her representatives denied wrongdoing in Maine.
9/22/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
In September 2024 in Honolulu, FBI agents interviewed Martin Kao about allegations involving Susan Collins and examined records connected to her staff and a pro-Collins super PAC.
9/23/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
In 2024, FBI agents examining Martin Kao's allegations and records investigated whether Navatek-linked contributions and federal contract advocacy implicated Susan Collins, whose reelection campaign is underway in Maine.
9/22/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
WinSenate launched a $3.4 million ad campaign Friday in Maine, accusing Sen. Susan Collins of steering federal contracts in exchange for campaign contributions.
10/2/2026 • Campaign Messaging & Media • General
WinSenate launched a $3.4 million ad campaign in Maine on Friday, using a ProPublica report to target Republican Sen. Susan Collins with disputed corruption allegations.
10/2/2026 • Campaign Messaging & Media • General
ProPublica reported that FBI investigators developed evidence about Navatek contributions and federal contracts involving Sen. Susan Collins in Maine, as she seeks reelection in 2026.
9/23/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
ProPublica reported that the Justice Department halted a potential 2019 bribery inquiry involving donations to a Susan Collins super PAC and Navatek contracts tied to Maine and Rhode Island.
9/25/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
Susan Collins denied ProPublica's allegations about campaign donations and federal contracts on Tuesday in Washington, as the FBI said an earlier inquiry found nothing implicating her campaign.
9/24/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
In reporting published during the 2020s, ProPublica detailed how FBI agents continued investigating Susan Collins's ties to Martin Kao and Navatek through early 2025, including a 2024 interview in Honolulu.
9/24/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
Ahead of Maine's 2026 Election Day, ProPublica reported in Portland that FBI records support allegations linking Martin Kao's donations to Susan Collins and federal defense contracts, prompting Maine Democrats to seek renewed scrutiny.
9/24/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
In 2025, the FBI said it had concluded an investigation into alleged illegal contributions tied to a Susan Collins fundraiser in Maine, finding no evidence implicating Collins or her campaign.
9/24/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
During the 2026 Maine Senate race, Democrat Troy Jackson is using Navatek-related corruption reporting to challenge Republican incumbent Susan Collins in Maine.
9/25/2026 • Candidates & Campaigns • General
Before Maine early voting was scheduled to begin October 5, Maine Democrats demanded answers from Sen. Susan Collins over reported Navatek contract and campaign donation links.
9/23/2026 • Campaign Messaging & Media • General
Interesting
In reporting published as Susan Collins faces Democrat Troy Jackson in Maine's 2026 Senate race, ProPublica described federal questioning of convicted contractor Martin Kao over alleged campaign-related contract favors, while other reporting said investigators found little corroborating evidence.
9/23/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
Maine Democrats criticized Sen. Susan Collins on Wednesday near her Portland office over ProPublica's report of a planned 2024 FBI inquiry into alleged campaign-finance misconduct.
9/23/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
During Susan Collins' 2026 reelection campaign in Maine, Democrats challenged her over ProPublica's report alleging a link between campaign donations and federal contracts, while Collins' office and the FBI said investigations found no wrongdoing.
9/23/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
The FBI ended its investigation into alleged Collins campaign donations in 2025, as reports brought renewed scrutiny to the Maine senator's 2026 reelection race.
9/23/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
ProPublica reported allegations involving Susan Collins's super PAC and Navatek during the 2026 Maine Senate race, prompting challenger Troy Jackson to call for answers as Collins's office denied wrongdoing.
9/23/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
The FBI closed its investigation in 2025 into alleged illegal campaign donations involving a Collins fundraiser in Maine as Collins pursued reelection in the 2026 Senate race.
9/23/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
ProPublica reported on alleged links between Martin Kao's donations, Navatek funding requests, and Susan Collins's campaign before Collins's 2026 reelection contest in Maine.
9/22/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
On Tuesday, ProPublica's reporting on a closed FBI investigation and alleged donations drew scrutiny to Susan Collins's 2026 Senate campaign in Maine.
9/22/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
In Augusta, Maine, on Tuesday, ProPublica reported that contractor Martin Kao alleged links between donations and federal contracts involving Susan Collins, as Democrat Troy Jackson publicized the claims in the 2026 Senate race.
9/22/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
ProPublica reported Tuesday that a federal inquiry into donor Martin Kao's ties to Susan Collins and Maine naval contracts had ended, prompting campaign denials and criticism in Maine.
9/22/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
Six weeks before the competitive Maine Senate election, ProPublica reported that the FBI had planned a 2024 inquiry into Susan Collins' Navatek dealings, prompting denials and criticism in Portland.
9/23/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
ProPublica reported that, from 2019 through late 2024, FBI investigators examined alleged donation-for-contract exchanges involving Susan Collins, Martin Kao, and Navatek in Maine and Hawaii.
9/23/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
The FBI closed in 2025 an investigation into campaign-finance allegations involving adviser Scott Reed and Susan Collins' 2020 Senate campaign in Maine.
9/23/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
ProPublica challenged Collins campaign claims about Martin Kao's donations and government contracts during the 2026 U.S. Senate campaign in Maine.
9/24/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
During the 2026 Maine Senate campaign, Sen. Susan Collins rejected ProPublica's allegations of a renewed FBI corruption probe tied to Navatek contracts, while Democrat Troy Jackson criticized her in Maine.
9/24/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
During the 2026 Maine Senate campaign, some surveyed voters said ProPublica's reporting on allegations involving Susan Collins had shifted support toward Democrat Troy Jackson.
9/28/2026 • Voters & Public Opinion • General
Six weeks before the 2026 midterms in Maine, allegations that Senator Susan Collins directed federal support to Navatek for political contributions intensified scrutiny of her close contest with Democrat Troy Jackson.
9/23/2026 • Campaign Messaging & Media • General
Maine voters are weighing corruption allegations involving Republican Sen. Susan Collins during the 2026 U.S. Senate race in Maine.
10/1/2026 • Voters & Public Opinion • General
Maine Democrats challenged Susan Collins on Wednesday over reported Navatek contribution allegations six weeks before the 2026 Senate election in Portland, Maine.
9/23/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
During the 2026 Maine Senate contest, Susan Collins disputed ProPublica's allegations about Martin Kao and Navatek contracts, while Democratic challenger Troy Jackson called for answers in Maine.
9/23/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
Maine Democrats challenged Sen. Susan Collins in Portland on Wednesday over ProPublica's report of a planned FBI investigation into Navatek contributions, six weeks before the 2026 Senate election.
9/23/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
Maine Democrats criticized Sen. Susan Collins after a ProPublica report described an FBI inquiry into Navatek donations, six weeks before the Maine Senate election.
9/23/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
On Wednesday in Portland, Maine Democrats renewed corruption allegations against U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, and campaign manager Steve Abbott denied that Collins traded access or contracts for donations.
9/23/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
The FBI closed a 2025 probe into alleged illegal campaign donations tied to Susan Collins' 2020 reelection as the allegations resurfaced in Maine's 2026 Senate race.
9/23/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
During the 2026 Maine Senate race, ProPublica reported allegations linking Susan Collins, Martin Kao and Navatek federal contracts, while Collins and FBI officials denied wrongdoing.
9/22/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
In coverage of Maine's 2026 Senate race, ProPublica reported that Martin Kao told the FBI he routed concealed donations to support Susan Collins.
9/22/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
ProPublica reported Tuesday that former Navatek CEO Martin Kao told the FBI he routed nearly $200,000 to Collins-linked political committees, renewing scrutiny in Maine's 2026 Senate race.
9/22/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
Maine Democrats and Troy Jackson criticized Susan Collins in Maine on Wednesday after a ProPublica report described a planned FBI inquiry into Navatek contributions.
9/23/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
Six weeks before the 2026 midterms in Maine, ProPublica reported allegations of a funding-for-contributions arrangement involving Senator Susan Collins and Navatek, which Collins's office denied.
9/23/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
ProPublica reported Tuesday that the FBI had planned a 2024 inquiry into alleged Navatek contributions to Susan Collins, six weeks before Maine's Senate election.
9/23/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
Maine Democrats criticized Sen. Susan Collins in Portland on Wednesday after a ProPublica report detailed an alleged FBI inquiry into campaign contributions tied to Navatek ahead of the 2026 election.
9/23/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
The FBI reportedly closed a 2025 inquiry into alleged campaign-finance routing involving a Collins adviser and Navatek founder Martin Kao, in connection with Maine Sen. Susan Collins' 2020 campaign.
9/23/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
ProPublica reported in 2026 that the FBI had questioned Martin Kao about alleged Navatek-linked contributions to a pro-Collins super PAC tied to a Maine contract, while the FBI said it found nothing implicating Collins or her campaign.
9/22/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
During the 2026 U.S. Senate campaign in Maine, Democratic candidate Troy Jackson demanded an accounting and congressional inquiry after a report questioned Navatek contracts and Collins-linked super PAC contributions.
9/22/2026 • Campaign Messaging & Media • General
ProPublica reported Thursday in Portland, Maine, that FBI materials supported allegations involving Martin Kao, Susan Collins' 2020 campaign, and Navatek contracts, while no wrongdoing was alleged against Collins or her staff.
9/24/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
Maine Democratic Party leaders renewed corruption allegations against Sen. Susan Collins on Wednesday at her Portland office, six weeks before the November election, citing new reporting about donor Martin Kao.
9/23/2026 • Campaign Messaging & Media • General
Maine Democratic Party leaders demanded answers Tuesday in Maine after ProPublica reported allegations that Susan Collins's office linked Navatek federal contracts to campaign donations.
9/23/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
Additional
ProPublica reported that FBI investigators examined Sen. Susan Collins over alleged Navatek-linked payments and contracts, in an inquiry involving Maine, Washington, and Hawaii that continued through 2024.
9/23/2026 • Legal & Ethics Developments • General
During the 2026 U.S. Senate campaign in Maine, allegations involving Susan Collins and Navatek renewed scrutiny of Collins as Democratic challenger Troy Jackson contests her seat.
9/24/2026 • Campaign Messaging & Media • General
ProPublica reported Tuesday that a 2019 FBI corruption investigation involving Susan Collins could become an integrity issue for Maine voters in the 2026 Senate race.
9/23/2026 • Voters & Public Opinion • General