Republican Susan Collins dismisses allegations of corruption as ‘completely false’
Maine senator refutes claim from ex-Navatek CEO that he funded Collins’s Super Pac in exchange for naval contracts
TL;DR
- Senator Susan Collins denies allegations of trading federal contracts for campaign cash, calling them 'completely false'.
- The allegations stem from claims by former Navatek CEO Martin Kao, who is serving time for fraud and campaign finance crimes.
- Kao alleged his company won federal funding by bankrolling politicians, with Collins as his main patron.
- Collins states the University of Maine, not Navatek, requested her support for a research grant and she was unaware of Kao.
- ProPublica reported on FBI evidence and legal records corroborating parts of Kao's account, including emails suggesting communication between Kao and Collins's Super Pac.
- Collins attributes the complaint to 'partisan Democrats' and a local lawyer.