FBI says earlier inquiry found nothing implicating Collins
Federal Bureau of InvestigationFederal law-enforcement agency, speaking through spokesperson Ben Williamson
The FBI says its earlier inquiry found nothing implicating Collins or her campaign and rejects suggestions that it did.
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.
“and ultimately found nothing implicating Senator Collins or Senator Collins’ campaign. Any suggestion otherwise is totally false.”
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Did Susan Collins Trade Federal Contract Support for Navatek Campaign Donations?
Former Navatek chief executive Martin Kao told FBI agents that Susan Collins and people around her knowingly participated in an arrangement connecting campaign support to federal-contract assistance. Collins's office, an FBI spokesperson and several participants dispute that account. Criminal proceedings and an FEC settlement established illegal contributions by Navatek-linked actors, but no public charge or court finding establishes that Collins knowingly joined a quid pro quo.
Source and context
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 asked the FBI about both the earlier campaign-finance inquiry and the later bribery investigation prompted by Kao's cooperation.
After the quotation
Williamson did not answer the outlet's questions about the reported 2024 investigation and separately defended personnel removals under the Trump administration.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Relative to the allegation that Collins knowingly participated in the arrangement, the FBI says its earlier investigation found nothing implicating her or her campaign and calls contrary suggestions false. This is a denial, limited to the earlier investigation.
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- People and groups discussed
- Susan Collins
More from this case
Read the full caseCollins calls the Navatek allegations completely false
“The allegations are completely false ... We have a picture of his meeting with me and with other people in my office that is many months before he ever made a single contribution ... He spun this story up again in the hopes that the judge would be lenient, or the prosecutor would be.”Read statement
Abbott says a photo disproves the claim that Kao had to donate before meeting Collins
“ProPublica has the theory that Martin Kao, based on Martin Kao's word, had to make a donation before he could get in to see Susan Collins. As you can see from that picture, it's not true”Read statement
Collins campaign says it has no record of Collins calling Kao to thank him
“Neither Susan Collins nor anyone who worked for her believes that she made a call”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "FBI says earlier inquiry found nothing implicating Collins". First published: 2026-09-22. Last updated: 2026-09-22. https://disputeindex.com/events/1518-the-fbi-says-its-earlier-inquiry-found-nothing