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Maine Dems hammer Collins over report of pay-to-play probe. GOP senator calls it 'completely false'
PBS • • nation
Key Points:
- A ProPublica report alleges that Senator Susan Collins' super PAC solicited a $500,000 donation from defense contractor Navatek in exchange for $32 million in Navy contracts, leading to indictments of Navatek executives; Collins denies the claims and calls the key accuser a liar.
- The FBI states the allegations were investigated years ago with no evidence implicating Collins or her campaign, and the Justice Department review found nothing improper.
- Democrats, including Collins' opponent Troy Jackson, have condemned the allegations as serious corruption and demand answers ahead of the competitive November Senate race in Maine.
- The report highlights a broader decline in corruption investigations during the early months of the Trump administration, including disbanding key DOJ and FBI units.
- Senate Majority Leader John Thune dismisses the allegations as a politically motivated attack against Collins, who is seeking her sixth term in a state Trump lost in 2024.
