We have documented statements by Susan Collins on 2026 Midterm Elections, Abortion, and Campaign Finance, among other topics. Read the quotations, original sources and related cases below.
Case updates
Interested in the Navatek allegations against Susan Collins?
Get an email if Collins releases her Navatek communications, if investigators reopen the matter, or if new records support or undercut Kao's account.
Important updates only. Free. Confirm your email to start. Unsubscribe anytime. How we handle your email.
Role at the time: Republican U.S. senator from Maine
Condemned
Statement summary
Asked about Witkoff's remark while campaigning, Collins calls Putin a warmonger and a thug who is not a humanitarian and is the aggressor in the war against Ukraine.
“I would describe Putin as a warmonger, a thug. He's certainly not a humanitarian. He is the aggressor in the war against Ukraine.”
Open source (opens in a new tab)Witkoff faces backlash for calling Putin a "humanitarian": "Embarrassing and outrageous" · CBS NewsFull article (updated October 21, 2026, 5:13 p.m. EDT)
Why we used this label
The case looks at Witkoff calling Putin a humanitarian. Collins rejects that description and calls Putin a warmonger, so we labeled it a condemnation.
Role at the time: U.S. senator from Maine and Republican candidate for reelection
Denied
Statement summary
Asked about the Senate ethics complaint, Collins says the allegations are completely false and were rejected by the Justice Department, the FBI and the Federal Election Commission. She says a photo shows Kao met her months before he made any contribution and that he revived the story hoping for leniency.
“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.”
Open source (opens in a new tab)Republican Susan Collins dismisses allegations of corruption as 'completely false' · The Guardian
Why we used this label
The case asks whether Collins traded support for Navatek's federal contracts for campaign donations. Collins rejects the allegation outright and disputes the account's timeline, so we used the denies label.
Role at the time: U.S. senator from Maine and Republican nominee
Condemned
Statement summary
Collins condemns adding justices to alter the Court's balance as undermining judicial independence.
“What we want is a Supreme Court that is insulated from politics. ... To try to pack the court by increasing the numbers goes completely against the vision of those who wrote the Constitution. ... it's inconsistent with the whole idea of the Supreme Court being insulated from politics. ... That would make it a totally political body.”
Watch the original video (opens in a new tab)Maine U.S. Senate debate: Collins and Jackson41:19-44:38 Supreme Court question and exchange (Jackson 41:47-42:41; Collins 42:58-44:09 and 44:15-44:31; Jackson reply 44:32-44:37); 46:15-46:57 Citizens United
Why we used this label
The reference point is increasing the number of Supreme Court justices. Collins condemns adding justices to alter the Court's balance as undermining judicial independence.
Role at the time: U.S. senator from Maine and Republican candidate for reelection
Condemned
Statement summary
Collins says Jackson's hybrid ads with the DSCC, which she says has taken money from 28 billionaires and more than 190 corporate PACs, violate his promise to reject corporate-PAC money.
“They are hybrid ads with the DSCC. The DSCC has received funding from 28 billionaires and more than 190 corporate PACs. That totally violates the promise that Troy made.”
Watch the original video (opens in a new tab)Maine Public video of the October 15 Maine U.S. Senate debateCorporate-PAC answer at 14:31; candidate-to-candidate exchange on the DSCC ads from 20:23 to 24:24
Why we used this label
Reference point: whether the ads paid for by Women for Troy, the DSCC and Jackson's campaign break his pledge to reject corporate-PAC money. Collins says they do and calls the arrangement a violation of his promise. We used Condemned rather than Challenged the characterization because she criticizes the arrangement itself, rather than Jackson's description of it.
Role at the time: U.S. senator from Maine; signatory to the joint October 15 letter
Condemned
Statement summary
Susan Collins co-signed the October 15 letter asking the Defense Department inspector general to investigate reported communications and intelligence-sharing disruptions in Ukraine. The letter questions oversight of Starlink and Starshield services.
“Any restrictions on these capabilities, particularly without advance notification, raise serious questions about the Department of Defense’s contractual oversight and its responsibility to ensure continuity of essential services.”
Read the official statement (opens in a new tab)Nine senators request an investigation of Ukraine communications disruptionsPages 1-2: concerns and investigation requests; page 3: nine signatures
Why we used this label
The reference point is the restriction and its oversight. The signers criticize the lack of notice and question the Department of Defense response. Their investigation request leaves the cause and responsible officials unresolved.
Role at the time: U.S. senator from Maine, signing a joint statement with six senators
Condemned
Statement summary
In a joint statement, Collins and six other senators say the diesel decision conflicts with the 2022 law and call for its reversal.
“President Trump’s decision to allow Russian diesel imports to the U.S. runs directly counter to that law. The Administration has also failed to consult with Congress or submit any explanation to justify its decision as required by statute.”
Role at the time: Republican U.S. senator from Maine, through campaign spokesperson Blake Kernen
Denied
Statement summary
Asked by the Portland Press Herald whether Susan Collins called Navatek CEO Martin Kao to thank him for a 2019 super PAC donation, her campaign spokesperson said there is no record of the call and that neither Collins nor anyone who worked for her believes she made it.
“Neither Susan Collins nor anyone who worked for her believes that she made a call”
Open source (opens in a new tab)Portland Press Herald: The laws tied to the Collins-Navatek allegations are 'crystal clear.' Enforcing them is another matter.Section "Did Collins actually call Kao to thank him?"; statements from campaign spokesperson Blake Kernen.
Why we used this label
The case asks whether Collins traded federal contract support for Navatek campaign donations. ProPublica reported that a Reed aide sought Kao's number because Collins "would like to call Martin to thank him." The campaign denies the call took place, so we labeled it Denies.
Envoy Steve Witkoff called Vladimir Putin a humanitarian after Russia freed American Stephen Hubbard. Senators from both parties rejected the label, calling Putin a killer and a war criminal; President Trump said it could be used for the purpose of freeing Hubbard.
Troy Jackson says he is open to adding Supreme Court justices alongside ethics reform and term limits. Susan Collins says expansion would undermine judicial independence and turn the Court into a political body. They differed at their October 15 Maine Senate debate.
Susan Collins says Troy Jackson broke his pledge to reject corporate-PAC money by running ads paid for in part by the DSCC, which takes corporate-PAC donations. Jackson said at their October 15 debate that the ads were made without his approval.
Musk says Washington controls Starshield limits. Dixon argues SpaceX still bears responsibility. Ukrainian officials and U.S. lawmakers criticize the October restrictions and seek answers about who authorized them.
Trump said Russia would supply millions of tons of diesel after a call with Putin, and Treasury authorized Russian diesel imports until April 2027. Zelenskyy and lawmakers in both parties objected.
Hegseth confirmed a 20% reduction in general and admiral positions, with a January 1, 2027 deadline. He defended the changes as accountability; senators questioned their military justification and scope.
The European Commission president offered to open the door for Canada to become the European Union's first associate member. Mark Carney welcomed the ambition, Pierre Poilievre set red lines, and Donald Trump threatened tariffs. Nobody has defined what the status would mean.
An ICE officer fatally shot Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero during a Biddeford vehicle stop. Officials said his car moved toward the officer; the available public footage does not resolve the decisive moment.
An issue tracker recording where members of Congress and 2026 midterm candidates stand on the unauthorized Iran war, based on their votes on war-powers resolutions, campaign statements, and public remarks.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin says ICE would go to polling places only for a threat or a warrant, and DHS says ICE is not planning operations targeting them but arrests could follow a threat. Three lawsuits allege that position violates federal law.
Collins's final vote was no. Jackson says her earlier procedural vote still makes her responsible for the Medicaid reductions; Collins cites the rural-health fund she secured.
Martin Kao alleged that Susan Collins knowingly linked Navatek campaign support to federal-contract assistance. Collins's office and other participants deny a quid pro quo, while official records establish separate illegal contributions by Navatek-linked actors.
