--- title: "FBI probe into Susan Collins and donor reportedly ended after Trump returned to office" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/fbi-probe-into-susan-collins-and-donor-reportedly-ended-after-trump-returned-to" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/fbi-probe-into-susan-collins-and-donor-reportedly-ended-after-trump-returned-to" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/fbi-probe-into-susan-collins-and-donor-reportedly-ended-after-trump-returned-to.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/fbi-probe-into-susan-collins-and-donor-reportedly-ended-after-trump-returned-to" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-09-22T11:46:43.799Z" source_reported: "2026-09-22T11:31:40.000Z" updated: "2026-09-22T11:46:43.799Z" trust_score: 70 critic_score: 70 hype_score: 45 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-09-22T13:00:51.323666+00:00" --- # FBI probe into Susan Collins and donor reportedly ended after Trump returned to office *An investigation into alleged pay-to-play between the senator and a defense contractor was reportedly halted.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 70 of 100, higher is better. Reporting is corroborated by two full reports and five digests, with claims attributed to named individuals and documents. - Craft 70 of 100, higher is better. The reporting clearly separates facts from comment and provides specific details about the events. - Hype 45 of 100, lower is better. Headlines suggest a direct link between Trump and the investigation's demise, which is not fully supported by the body. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - The FBI sought to launch a pay-to-play investigation into interactions between Senator Susan Collins and defense contractor Navatek's CEO, Martin Kao, in 2024. - Navatek's CEO, Martin Kao, allegedly offered a $500,000 donation to Collins' super PAC in exchange for guarantees of federal funding. - Navatek reportedly funneled an initial $150,000 through a shell company to the super PAC. - The FBI investigation reportedly ended after Donald Trump returned to office, with no one working for Collins being charged. In late 2019, a fundraiser for Senator Susan Collins met with executives from the defense contractor Navatek. The fundraiser, Scott Reed, reportedly solicited a $500,000 donation from Navatek's CEO, Martin Kao. Kao allegedly offered the donation in exchange for Collins guaranteeing tens of millions in federal funding for the company. Navatek reportedly planned to funnel the donation through a shell company to conceal its source. An initial $150,000 was reportedly sent to Collins' super PAC through this method. In 2022, Kao was indicted for illegal campaign contributions, but no one associated with Collins was charged. ## Disagreement on investigation timeline The Gilmer Mirror and ProPublica report that the FBI sought to launch a sweeping pay-to-play investigation into Collins' interactions with Kao in 2024. Maine Public and Bangor Daily News state that the FBI sought to launch a sweeping political bribery probe after catching the contractor's CEO making illegal contributions, with the second Trump administration dismantling the unit handling the inquiry. The Gilmer Mirror and ProPublica also state the investigation reportedly ended after Donald Trump returned to office. ## What the coverage left out None of the left-rated or centre-rated reports mention the FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson's statement that the agency investigated claims against Collins years ago and "ultimately found nothing implicating Senator Collins or Senator Collins’ campaign." ## Who covered it Shares of the 11 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 64% (7) - Centre: 36% (4) - Right: 0% (0) 0 of 11 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-09-22T13:00:51.323666+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 7 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-09-22T14:00:38.272Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - Left-rated reports led on the FBI's attempt to launch a pay-to-play investigation into Senator Susan Collins and a top donor, Martin Kao. The reports stated the investigation was reportedly halted after Donald Trump returned to office, with ProPublica and The Gilmer Mirror noting the FBI sought to launch the probe in 2024. These outlets detailed that Kao allegedly offered a $500,000 donation to Collins' super PAC in exchange for guaranteed federal funding. They also reported that Navatek funneled an initial $150,000 through a shell company to the super PAC. ProPublica and The Gilmer Mirror quoted the headline "The FBI Anti-Corruption Squad Was Circling Susan Collins, Until Trump Got in the Way" and highlighted that Kao was indicted for illegal campaign contributions while no one working for Collins was charged. Maine Public, Bangor Daily News, and Raw Story also used similar headlines and stated the FBI sought to launch a sweeping political bribery probe involving Collins and others before the second Trump administration dismantled the unit handling the inquiry. ### Centre - Centre-rated reports focused on the FBI's alleged investigation into Senator Susan Collins and a top donor, Martin Kao, which was reportedly ended after Donald Trump returned to office. The Portland Press Herald and The Gilmer Mirror used the headline "The FBI anti-corruption squad was circling Susan Collins, until Trump got in the way." Both reports mentioned that the FBI sought to launch a sweeping pay-to-play investigation examining interactions between Collins and Kao. The Gilmer Mirror also provided details about the alleged solicitation of a $500,000 donation from Navatek's CEO in exchange for federal funding guarantees and Kao's subsequent indictment for illegal campaign contributions. ### Right No separate framing summary. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - high: 5 - unknown: 2 - veryHigh: 4 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Joe.My.God.](https://joemygod.com/2026/09/collins-accused-of-steering-defense-deal-to-donor) — Collins Accused Of Steering Defense Deal To Donor - [mainemorningstar.com](https://mainemorningstar.com/2026/09/22/the-fbi-anti-corruption-squad-was-circling-susan-collins-until-trump-got-in-the-way) — The FBI anti-corruption squad was circling Susan Collins — until Trump got in the way • Maine Morning Star - [Portland Press Herald](https://pressherald.com/2026/09/22/the-fbi-anti-corruption-squad-was-circling-susan-collins-until-trump-got-in-the-way) — The FBI anti-corruption squad was circling Susan Collins — until Trump got in the way - [Central Maine News](https://centralmaine.com/2026/09/22/the-fbi-anti-corruption-squad-was-circling-susan-collins-until-trump-got-in-the-way) — The FBI anti-corruption squad was circling Susan Collins — until Trump got in the way - [Lewiston Sun Journal](https://sunjournal.com/2026/09/22/the-fbi-anti-corruption-squad-was-circling-susan-collins-until-trump-got-in-the-way) — The FBI anti-corruption squad was circling Susan Collins — until Trump got in the way - [The Gilmer Mirror](https://gilmermirror.com/2026/09/22/the-fbi-anti-corruption-squad-was-circling-susan-collins-until-trump-got-in-the-way) — The FBI Anti-Corruption Squad Was Circling Susan Collins — Until Trump Got in the Way - [Alternet](https://alternet.org/trump-susan-collins) — Corruption alert: Trump saved Susan Collins from sweeping FBI investigation - [Raw Story](https://rawstory.com/susan-collins-2677913319) — FBI anti-corruption squad was circling Susan Collins — until Trump got in the way - [Bangor Daily News](https://bangordailynews.com/2026/09/22/politics/elections/fbi-anti-corruption-squad-susan-collins-joam40zk0w) — The FBI anti-corruption squad was circling Susan Collins — until Trump got in the way - [ProPublica](https://propublica.org/article/fbi-susan-collins-navatek-campaign-donations-investigation) — The FBI Anti-Corruption Squad Was Circling Susan Collins — Until Trump Got in the Way - [Maine Public](https://mainepublic.org/politics/2026-09-22/the-fbi-anti-corruption-squad-was-circling-susan-collins-until-trump-got-in-the-way) — The FBI anti-corruption squad was circling Susan Collins — until Trump got in the way ## Questions **What was the alleged pay-to-play scheme involving Senator Susan Collins?** The FBI reportedly sought to investigate allegations that Navatek CEO Martin Kao offered a $500,000 donation to Senator Susan Collins' super PAC in exchange for guarantees of tens of millions in federal funding. Navatek allegedly funneled an initial $150,000 through a shell company. **What happened to Martin Kao?** Martin Kao, the CEO of Navatek, was indicted in 2022 for making illegal campaign contributions. He reportedly cooperated with the FBI, providing details of the alleged scheme in exchange for a potential reduction in his prison sentence. **Did anyone working for Susan Collins face charges?** According to the reports, no one working for Senator Susan Collins was charged in connection with the investigation into Martin Kao and Navatek's alleged campaign contributions. **Why did the FBI investigation reportedly end?** The FBI investigation into the alleged pay-to-play scheme reportedly ended after Donald Trump returned to office. Reports suggest that specialized FBI and Department of Justice teams handling public corruption investigations were dismantled during that period. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/fbi-probe-into-susan-collins-and-donor-reportedly-ended-after-trump-returned-to. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "FBI probe into Susan Collins and donor reportedly ended after Trump returned to office", https://mediabias.news/politics/fbi-probe-into-susan-collins-and-donor-reportedly-ended-after-trump-returned-to