Records show FBI scrutiny of Collins continued into 2025, ProPublica reports
The inquiry into Senator Susan Collins’ ties to Navatek ended after Trump administration personnel removals, before its full findings were available.
ProPublica reports that FBI agents continued examining Senator Susan Collins’ and her associates’ ties to Navatek and former chief executive Martin Kao into early 2025. The inquiry ended in 2025 after the Trump administration removed agents and Department of Justice lawyers assigned to the case.
Collins and her representatives have said an earlier investigation cleared her and her campaign. The FBI told ProPublica that an investigation begun in 2021 found nothing implicating Collins or her campaign, and no one in her orbit was charged as a result. ProPublica says the later inquiry concerned claims Kao made between 2022 and 2024 and had not concluded under the Biden administration.
According to ProPublica, Kao met FBI agents for a two-day interview in September 2024 and provided a 50-page document of allegations, including claims about Collins. Kao, Navatek’s former CEO, pleaded guilty to campaign finance and fraud offences and told law enforcement he exchanged campaign contributions for government contracts.
Kao’s credibility was challenged by Collins’ deputy chief of staff. ProPublica says a December 2024 FBI document stated that emails and other records corroborated some of Kao’s statements. The outlet says it reviewed FBI and legal records and interviewed people familiar with the inquiry.
The supplied material does not establish that Collins or her associates committed wrongdoing, or provide the inquiry’s full findings. ProPublica reports that the review ended before reaching a conclusion after the assigned personnel were removed.
