Report: Trump Halted FBI Anti-Corruption Investigation Into Collins
The FBI was developing a bribery investigation tied to Sen. Susan Collins and defense contractor Navatek when the Trump administration dismantled DOJ public corruption units, ending the probe, ProPublica reported Monday.
- $500,000 donation was requested from Navatek executives by the Collins super PAC in 2019.
- $150,000 flowed to the Collins super PAC through a shell company after the meeting.
- $32 million in naval contracts was what Navatek CEO Martin Kao claimed Collins promised, per an internal email.
- Nearly $900,000 in total donations tied to Kao reached dozens of politicians from both parties.
Why it matters: Kao was indicted in 2022 for illegal campaign contributions and cooperated with the FBI through late 2024, providing a 50-page document naming lobbyists, staffers, and members of Congress. Agents said the evidence was consistent with his account of widespread influence-peddling.
- Navatek received over $40 million a year in federal funding, but ProPublica found the company's research never produced military products the Navy wanted to buy.
- Proving congressional bribery requires an explicit quid pro quo — a legal bar the Supreme Court has raised in recent rulings — meaning the investigation faced significant hurdles even before it was shut down.
How 18 sources split on this story
Where they split: The core dispute is whether the investigation collapsed because of insufficient evidence and legitimate personnel decisions, as the FBI contends, or because the Trump administration's restructuring of the DOJ halted a viable probe into congressional corruption.
Center coverage, 7 sources: The center focuses on the mechanics of the investigation — the evidence gathered, the legal challenges of proving bribery, and the DOJ personnel changes — without drawing conclusions about motive.
Forbes2hSusan Collins Bribery Report Throws Wrench Into Razor-Thin Senate Battle
Newsweek21mSusan Collins blasted by Troy Jackson over report on FBI probe—"Corruption"NOTNOTUS56mSusan Collins Denies Wrongdoing After Bombshell Report on FBI Corruption Probe - The Washington SunProProPublica11hThe FBI Anti-Corruption Squad Was Circling Susan Collins — Until Trump Got in the Way
TMZ2hSenator Susan Collins Was Under Investigation By FBI for BriberyYNYahoo News7hTrump's White House reportedly shut down a corruption probe into Maine Sen. Susan CollinsLeft coverage, 10 sources: The left frames the story as Trump protecting a Republican ally from accountability while simultaneously destroying the DOJ's capacity to pursue any congressional corruption.
Rolling Stone3hSusan Collins Was Target of Federal Bribery Case … Until Trump Gutted the FBITNRThe New Republic4hFBI Was Targeting Susan Collins in Bombshell Bribery Probe—Until Trump
Raw Story3hGinni Thomas pal ensnared in alleged campaign finance cover-up: report
AlterNet8hCorruption alert: Trump saved Susan Collins from sweeping FBI investigation
Mediaite6hFBI Anti-Corruption Investigators Targeted Susan Collins in Bribery Probe — But Then Trump Happened: Report
MSNBC2hFBI’s anti-corruption team eyed Susan Collins’ operation. Then Trump’s purge began.
Political Wire2hSusan Collins Was Target of FBI Bribery Probe
Talking Points Memo7hThe FBI Anti-Corruption Squad Was Circling Susan Collins — Until Trump Got in the WayTBGThe Boston Globe2hProPublica report on Susan Collins FBI probe: Key takeawaysTruTruthout4hTrump’s FBI Scrapped Bribery Investigation Linked to Sen. Susan Collins
What’s next: FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson said an earlier inquiry found nothing implicating Collins or her campaign and called contrary suggestions false.
- Collins' office denied any wrongdoing, calling the allegations outlandish.
- The career attorney on the Kao case resigned; an agent involved was removed over her prior role in a Trump-related investigation.
- Would the expanded bribery probe have produced charges against Collins or other lawmakers if it had proceeded?
- Which other members of Congress, from either party, were named in Kao's 50-page cooperation document?
- Does Kao's credibility as a convicted felon seeking a reduced sentence undercut the evidentiary value of his account?