Public disputes concerning lobbying organizations, political influence, advocacy spending, access to officials, and claims about the effect of organized interests on public policy.
Published coverage on this page: 4 cases · 24 statements. Statements are ordered newest first.
Rula Jebreal called Hakeem Jeffries a "bought and paid by AIPAC monkey" and an "errand boy" while denying racial intent, then apologized. The Congressional Black Caucus called the words racist; Wajahat Ali and Joy-Ann Reid stressed context but criticized the language.
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24 matching statements
Role at the time: Civil liberties litigation organization representing Edward Krenik
Statement summary
NCLA calls CPSC's ban on Krenik unconstitutional retaliation.
Quotation excerpt
“Speaking out shouldn’t get you shut out. 🚫 After Edward Krenik raised concerns with the White House about the @USCPSC and Commissioner @FeldmanCPSC, the agency barred him from its facilities and restricted his access to agency personnel.…”
“Speaking out shouldn’t get you shut out. 🚫 After Edward Krenik raised concerns with the White House about the @USCPSC and Commissioner @FeldmanCPSC, the agency barred him from its facilities and restricted his access to agency personnel. NCLA is suing to stop this unconstitutional retaliation and defend his rights to free speech, to petition the government, and to due process.”
What this label refers to
Relative to CPSC's access ban, NCLA expressly calls the restriction retaliation and says it violates speech, petition and due-process rights.
Role at the time: NCLA president and chief legal officer
Response to this claim
Security concerns justify restricting Krenik's in-person access and requiring approved nonphysical communication channels.
Quotation excerpt
“Federal agencies are not personal fiefdoms. NCLA looks forward to getting to the bottom of what happened here. If Acting Chairman Feldman has pursued a personal vendetta to keep someone from lobbying folks at his agency, that is highly…”
“Federal agencies are not personal fiefdoms. NCLA looks forward to getting to the bottom of what happened here. If Acting Chairman Feldman has pursued a personal vendetta to keep someone from lobbying folks at his agency, that is highly improper—indeed, it would be sufficient cause for his removal.”
The subject is the CPSC staff security restriction on Krenik's in-person access and communication. Chenoweth says a personal vendetta to obstruct lobbying would be improper and could justify removal, if investigation establishes it.
Role at the time: Senior litigation counsel at the New Civil Liberties Alliance
Statement summary
Rollins argues that the delay in imposing Krenik's ban undermines the security rationale.
Quotation excerpt
“If a security threat were real, it would not sit quietly for almost a year. The timing of the bar tells the story: CPSC and Acting Chairman Feldman acted within days of the Senate restoring the Commission’s quorum, just when Mr. Krenik’s…”
“If a security threat were real, it would not sit quietly for almost a year. The timing of the bar tells the story: CPSC and Acting Chairman Feldman acted within days of the Senate restoring the Commission’s quorum, just when Mr. Krenik’s advocacy would matter most. The right to petition keeps government answerable to the governed, and it means nothing if officials can banish those with whom they disagree.”
What this label refers to
Relative to CPSC's ban on Krenik, Rollins argues that the timing supports a retaliatory explanation and criticizes the restriction on lobbying.
Role at the time: U.S. senator from Maine and Republican candidate for reelection
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.
Quotation excerpt
“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…”
“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.”
What this label refers to
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: Campaign manager for Susan Collins
Statement summary
Collins campaign manager Steve Abbott points to a photo of Collins meeting Kao in her office months before any donation and says it shows that ProPublica's account, that Kao had to donate before he could see Collins, is not true.
“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”
What this label refers to
The case asks whether Collins traded support for Navatek's federal contracts for campaign donations. Abbott rejects a central part of that account, that Kao had to donate before meeting Collins, so we used the denies label.
Role at the time: Republican U.S. senator from Maine, through campaign spokesperson Blake Kernen
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”
What this label refers to
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.
Role at the time: Co-host of The Majority Report
Statement summary
On The Majority Report, Emma Vigeland introduces Susan Collins's response to the Navatek reporting and says the accusations are well documented by ProPublica.
Quotation excerpt
“Here is Susan Collins getting pressed about this story on the Wall Street Journal podcast, and she says she's very offended about these accusations that are well-documented by one of the only outlets doing real journalism in this country…”
“Here is Susan Collins getting pressed about this story on the Wall Street Journal podcast, and she says she's very offended about these accusations that are well-documented by one of the only outlets doing real journalism in this country anymore, ProPublica.”
What this label refers to
Relative to the allegation that Collins traded contract support for Navatek donations, Vigeland calls the accusations well documented and dismisses Collins's offense at them. That treats the reported arrangement as established and condemns it.
Role at the time: U.S. Senator for Maine, the senator whose conduct is at issue
Statement summary
Collins personally denies the pay-to-play allegations, citing a 2021 Biden Justice Department finding of no wrongdoing by her, her office, or her campaign, and calls the ProPublica report a political hit job driven by Democratic tactics; she also calls Kao a liar with multiple federal convictions.
“In 2021, the Biden Justice Department found there was no wrongdoing by anyone on my campaign staff, my office or me. This is absolutely outrageous. It's clearly a political hit job.”
What this label refers to
On whether she traded federal contract support for Navatek campaign donations, Collins says the Biden Justice Department already investigated and found no wrongdoing by her, her staff, or her campaign. That is a direct denial that the alleged conduct occurred, not merely a dispute over how the story is framed.
Role at the time: Campaign manager for Susan Collins
Statement summary
Steve Abbott denied that Collins exchanged contracts for campaign money and rejected the allegation that her campaign charged for meetings.
“did not happen”
What this label refers to
Abbott explicitly denies that the alleged exchange happened.
Role at the time: Senate majority leader
Statement summary
John Thune rejected the suggestion that Collins participated in a pay-to-play scheme, calling the allegations politically motivated.
“a political hit job”
What this label refers to
Denies the alleged exchange; does not defend bribery.
Role at the time: University of Maine spokesperson (Samantha Warren), speaking for the university
Statement summary
University of Maine spokesperson Samantha Warren says ProPublica misrepresented UMaine's research and Collins's role supporting it, clarifies that the Navy funding was for basic research rather than the 3D-printed boat itself, and says UMaine has not worked with Navatek or its successor since 2021.
“misrepresented UMaine's research and development, which Senator Collins has long and effectively championed”
What this label refers to
On whether Collins traded federal contract support for Navatek donations, UMaine's spokesperson does not take a position on Collins's conduct toward Navatek. Instead she disputes how ProPublica characterized the university's own research relationship, correcting that Navy funding supported basic research rather than boat purchases and noting the university's work with Navatek ended by 2021. That challenges the story's description of UMaine's role without endorsing or condemning Collins's alleged exchange.
Role at the time: Executive director of the Maine Democratic Party (Devon Murphy-Anderson), speaking for the party
Statement summary
Maine Democratic Party executive director Devon Murphy-Anderson, at a press event responding to the ProPublica report, says Mainers deserve transparency and accountability and calls on Collins to explain whether federal funding decisions were based solely on Maine's interests or on something else.
Quotation excerpt
“Mainers deserve transparency, and we deserve accountability. We deserve to know exactly what happened. We deserve to know whether taxpayer dollars were always being directed solely based on the interests of Maine people, or if there was…”
“Mainers deserve transparency, and we deserve accountability. We deserve to know exactly what happened. We deserve to know whether taxpayer dollars were always being directed solely based on the interests of Maine people, or if there was something else at play.”
What this label refers to
On whether Collins traded federal contract support for Navatek donations, Murphy-Anderson does not assert that the exchange happened. She demands transparency and accountability and frames the outcome as an open question, whether the funding decisions were driven solely by Maine's interests or by something else, leaving the conclusion contingent on facts she says have not yet been provided. That combination of demanding answers while withholding a settled verdict is a conditional position rather than an outright condemnation.
Role at the time: Democratic U.S. Senate nominee challenging Collins in Maine
Response to this claim
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.
“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.”
Relative to the alleged exchange of campaign support for contract assistance, Jackson expressly calls the conduct corruption and attacks Collins for it. This is substantive condemnation.
Role at the time: Deputy chief of staff to U.S. Senator Susan Collins
Response to this claim
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.
Quotation excerpt
“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…”
“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.”
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.
Role at the time: Founder of Navatek, in a statement to ProPublica
Statement summary
Steven Loui, who founded Navatek and later regained control of the company after selling it to Martin Kao, said Kao's approach to winning contracts was unethical and illegal and a departure from how he ran the company before selling it, and said Navatek received no Collins-supported funding after Kao's arrest.
“The company received no Collins-supported funding after Martin Kao's arrest, nor should it. What Martin Kao and his cabal did was wrong.”
What this label refers to
Loui condemns Kao's individual conduct and distances the company he founded from it, but does not address whether Collins herself was aware of or complicit in the arrangement. This reframes the wrongdoing as Kao's alone rather than directly evaluating Collins's conduct, so it challenges the scope of the allegation rather than condemning or excusing Collins.
Role at the time: Navatek lobbyist and co-founder of Strategic Marketing Innovations
Response to this claim
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.
“I did not advise Navatek officials, nor would I advise any client, that support from Sen. Collins was contingent on campaign donations.”
Relative to the alleged exchange, Mandigo expressly says he did not make support contingent on donations and never observed such behavior from Collins or her staff. This directly denies the alleged conduct.
Role at the time: Former Navatek strategist and lobbyist
Response to this claim
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.
Quotation excerpt
“The political contributions I discussed with Kao were understood by me to be lawful political contributions. I never participated in, witnessed, or had knowledge of any illegal political contribution, bribe, or agreement to exchange a…”
“The political contributions I discussed with Kao were understood by me to be lawful political contributions. I never participated in, witnessed, or had knowledge of any illegal political contribution, bribe, or agreement to exchange a political contribution for an appropriation, contract, or other official action.”
Relative to the alleged Collins–Navatek exchange, Winer denies his own knowledge, participation and advice but does not make a categorical claim about every other participant. He therefore challenges the characterization and evidentiary link rather than fully denying the case-level conduct.
Role at the time: Federal law-enforcement agency, speaking through spokesperson Ben Williamson
Response to this claim
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.”
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.
Role at the time: Chair of 1820 PAC
Response to this claim
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.
“I understand Martin Kao is now sitting in federal prison. I never had any communications with Senator Collins [or] her staff about Martin Kao and/or Navatek.”
Relative to the alleged knowing Collins–Navatek exchange, Reed denies communicating with Collins or her staff about Kao or Navatek. The statement contests a key attribution but does not deny every part of the alleged arrangement, so “Challenged the characterization” is more precise than a full denial.
Role at the time: Journalist and commentator writing personally, also identifying himself as Jebreal's friend
Statement summary
Beinart condemned Jebreal's wording, acknowledged her apology, and defended her wider record against bigotry while asking people to judge her on more than this incident.
“Rula Jebreal used racist language to criticize Hakeem Jeffries. Her comments were clearly wrong.”
What this label refers to
His full post unequivocally rejects the language. Defending the person’s overall record and asking for decency do not excuse using the words; mixed would conflate evaluation of conduct with evaluation of character.
Role at the time: CPSC staff, in a letter signed by security specialist James Webb
Response to this claim
Security concerns justify restricting Krenik's in-person access and requiring approved nonphysical communication channels.
Quotation excerpt
“Your recent conduct has been determined to pose a credible threat to agency personnel and federal operations. Your repeated abusive and disruptive behavior, along with your continued attempts to contact staff using improper and unauthorized…”
“Your recent conduct has been determined to pose a credible threat to agency personnel and federal operations. Your repeated abusive and disruptive behavior, along with your continued attempts to contact staff using improper and unauthorized communication channels, constitute serious violations of federal property regulations and security directives.”
The subject is the staff restriction on Krenik's access. The CPSC staff letter supplies its security justification; the Commission did not approve the memorandum.
Role at the time: Company, through government affairs director Timothy Powderly
Statement summary
Apple says its contribution complied with the law and its civic-giving standards.
“This contribution was handled ethically, honestly, and in full compliance with the law”
What this label refers to
The reference point is corporate ballroom funding. Apple expressly justifies its contribution as ethical and lawful.
Role at the time: U.S. representative, co-signing a congressional inquiry
Statement summary
Min co-signs the joint letter questioning Apple's contribution and the risk of improper influence.
“Your interest in action — or inaction — from the Trump Administration creates the risk of a quid-pro-quo exchange of a contribution to the ballroom for regulatory or other favors from the federal government.”
What this label refers to
The reference point is corporate funding of the ballroom while donors have federal business. Min joins the letter criticizing that arrangement.
Role at the time: U.S. senator, co-signing a congressional inquiry
Statement summary
In a joint letter to Apple, Warren and colleagues say the company's federal business creates a risk of improper influence through ballroom funding.
“Your interest in action — or inaction — from the Trump Administration creates the risk of a quid-pro-quo exchange of a contribution to the ballroom for regulatory or other favors from the federal government.”
What this label refers to
The matter under scrutiny is corporate funding of the ballroom while donors have federal business. The letter criticizes the conflicts and possible influence this creates.
Mark Chenoweth is president and chief legal officer of the New Civil Liberties Alliance. His legal career includes positions in federal agencies, Congress and the Washington Legal Foundation. He graduated from Yale College and the University of Chicago Law School. He was the first chief of staff to U.S. Representative Mike Pompeo. He previously worked as in-house counsel for Koch Industries and as a regulatory associate at Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering. He clerked for U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Danny J. Boggs.
1 case and 1 statement
Kara Rollins is a lawyer and senior litigation counsel at the New Civil Liberties Alliance. Her work includes administrative and constitutional law.
1 case and 1 statement
United States Senator and Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Maine.
1 case and 3 statements
Steve Abbott is a Maine attorney and political aide who has managed Susan Collins's Senate campaigns. He previously served as her chief of staff. He served as chief of staff for 25 years and managed her 2002, 2008, 2014 and 2020 reelection campaigns. In March 2026, Collins named him manager of her 2026 campaign.
1 case and 2 statements
Emma Vigeland is an American progressive political commentator and journalist and a co-host of The Majority Report with Sam Seder. She previously worked as a field reporter, producer and commentator for The Young Turks.
1 case and 1 statement
John Thune is a U.S. senator from South Dakota and the Senate majority leader.
1 case and 1 statement
Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Maine.
1 case and 1 statement
Annie Clark is a political communications professional who serves as deputy chief of staff to U.S. Senator Susan Collins. She previously served as Collins's communications director from 2015 to 2025, including as communications director for Collins's 2020 reelection campaign, and later worked at ROKK Solutions.
1 case and 1 statement
Steven Loui founded the defense engineering firm Navatek in 1978 and sold it to Martin Kao on an earn-out arrangement under which Kao took roughly 99% ownership. Navatek under Kao’s leadership operated separately from Loui and his other companies, and Loui was not involved in Kao’s lobbying activity. Loui later regained control of the company after Kao’s arrest, renaming it Pacific Marine (PacMar).
1 case and 1 statement
Glen Mandigo is a retired government-relations executive and former registered lobbyist. He co-founded Strategic Marketing Innovations, a Washington firm focused on federal appropriations, technology, defense, energy and research funding, and served as its president and chief executive officer.
1 case and 1 statement
Andy Winer is a Washington government-relations and public-affairs professional and attorney. He previously served as chief of staff to U.S. Senator Brian Schatz, held senior roles at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Strategies 360, and has advised government, nonprofit and private-sector clients on federal policy and appropriations.
1 case and 1 statement
Scott Reed is a Republican political strategist and campaign consultant. He has served as a senior political strategist for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and as chairman of 1820 PAC, an independent-expenditure committee formed to support Susan Collins's 2020 Senate campaign.
1 case and 1 statement
