Annie Clark calls the Collins allegations categorically false
Deputy chief of staff to U.S. Senator Susan Collins
“The seven-year-old allegations made against Senator Collins and her staff in this piece are categorically false. 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.”
Source and context
Original post
About this source
Primary statement from Collins's deputy chief of staff responding to the ProPublica report. Clark disputes the allegations, attacks Kao's credibility, describes the campaign's cooperation with investigators and says the FBI has not contacted the office about Kao since 2021.
Reporting
About this source
Anchor investigation reporting previously undisclosed FBI cooperation interviews, internal company emails, campaign and lobbying communications, and responses from Collins's office, the FBI, Scott Reed, Glen Mandigo, Andy Winer and Steven Loui. The article says Kao had credibility incentives and that no one working for Collins was charged.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
ProPublica reported Kao's account and documents it said were consistent with parts of an alleged pay-to-play arrangement involving Collins, Navatek and 1820 PAC.
After the quotation
Clark challenged Kao's credibility, described the campaign's cooperation with investigators and said the FBI had not contacted Collins's office about Kao since 2021.
How this statement is classified
Responding to: Susan Collins knowingly participated in a pay-to-play arrangement in which Navatek campaign support was exchanged for her office's assistance obtaining federal contracts.
The label describes this statement’s response within the context above.
Why this label?
Relative to the alleged knowing exchange of Navatek campaign support for federal-contract assistance, Clark explicitly says the allegations against Collins and her staff are false. That is a direct denial, not merely a challenge to wording.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Martin Kao
Did Susan Collins Trade Federal Contract Support for Navatek Campaign Donations?
Explore the case context, sources and public responses.
More from this case
Read the full case“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.”Read statement
“The company received no Collins-supported funding after Martin Kao's arrest, nor should it. What Martin Kao and his cabal did was wrong.”Read statement
“I did not advise Navatek officials, nor would I advise any client, that support from Sen. Collins was contingent on campaign donations.”Read statement