Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) is facing renewed scrutiny after a ProPublica report detailed how defense contractor CEO Martin Kao allegedly told FBI agents about a wide-reaching campaign cash bribery scheme involving Collins’ office and several other lawmakers.
The report also noted that President Donald Trump later fired the FBI agents investigating the matter, tying the dismissals to separate political disputes. In response, Collins’ deputy chief of staff, Annie Clark, posted a lengthy statement on X disputing the story’s claims.
“The seven-year-old allegations made against Senator Collins and her staff in this piece are categorically false,” Clark wrote. “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.”
Clark also argued that ProPublica had relied on the account of someone with a serious criminal record. “ProPublica took the word of someone who pled guilty to five counts of money laundering, three counts of wire fraud, one count of bank fraud, and making false submissions to the FEC,” she wrote, suggesting Kao fabricated allegations against Collins in hopes of securing a more favorable plea outcome.
The rebuttal was met with skepticism from commentators and political observers. Maine-based commentator Anthony Emerson wrote, “Annie, we literally have the emails and the check. Your boss is (expletive)d.”
Journalist Matt Friedman of NJ Playbook pushed back on the characterization that the report relied solely on Kao’s account. “ProPublica did a hell of a lot more than just take the guy’s word,” he wrote. “The donations to the super PAC are documented. And they published emails between the donor and the head of the super PAC that discussed hiding the source of the money. Don’t insult our intelligence.”
Democratic communications aide Isi Breen argued that Clark’s statement sidestepped the specific allegations. “If you read this very long rejoinder, you see the only arguments it really makes are ‘the FBI didn’t prosecute,’ and ‘that guy is a criminal,'” Breen wrote. “Not any actual rejection of the specific claims made in the article. Not that it matters anyway, cuz ProPublica has the email records!”
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee’s account took a more pointed approach, posting a photo of Collins with Trump alongside the remark, “Because as we all know, Susan Collins would never trust the word of a convicted felon.”
Pat Dennis, head of the liberal group American Bridge, suggested more revelations could be coming. “Would be a real shame if there turned out to be more that was going to come out soon and elements of this statement had to be walked back,” he wrote.