As the controversy surrounding Senator Susan Collins' ties to Hawaii-based defense contractor Navatek became a focal point in her re-election campaign, she and her top staff made several claims that have been criticized as misleading. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had been investigating Collins, her aides, and a pro-Collins super PAC for their relationship with Navatek over the past few years. However, after President Donald Trump returned to office, he replaced many federal agents and lawyers involved in high-profile corruption cases, including those working on the Navatek investigation, effectively halting the probe before it could reach a conclusion. Collins and her campaign repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in interviews with the media. Some of the statements she and her representatives made, however, have been called inaccurate. Collins claimed that the Biden administration's Justice Department found no wrongdoing involving her, her staff, or her campaign. She also said that the Biden-led Justice Department and FBI had cleared her office, campaign, and herself of allegations that were seven years old. An FBI spokesperson confirmed that the agency had investigated claims against Collins years ago and found no evidence implicating her or her campaign. The original investigation was based on statements made by Martin Kao, the former CEO of Navatek and a major donor who had pleaded guilty to campaign finance and loan fraud. Kao provided new allegations about his interactions with elected officials, including Collins, during a two-day interview with FBI agents in September 2024. FBI records show that the agency remained interested in Collins and her staff's conduct until the most recent phase of the investigation was halted under Trump’s administration. Kao received no leniency for his cooperation during his sentencing, which resulted in an 87-month prison term. Despite his criminal history, FBI documents indicate that some of Kao’s claims were corroborated by emails and other evidence. Annie Clark, Collins’ deputy chief of staff, stated that the FBI and the court did not believe Kao. However, ProPublica, a news organization, did not rely solely on Kao’s word. Instead, they reviewed a large amount of evidence collected by the FBI, examined thousands of pages of legal documents, and interviewed many individuals familiar with Navatek and the FBI’s inquiry to confirm much of Kao’s account. Kao claimed that Scott Reed, head of the Collins super PAC, promised to inform the senator that Kao was behind a large, anonymous donation to the super PAC made through a shell company. Emails between Reed and Kao confirmed that Kao had told Reed the name of the shell company used for the $150,000 donation. An email from someone working for Reed to a Navatek representative requesting Kao’s number so Collins could thank him was consistent with Kao’s version of events. Collins’ campaign manager, Steve Abbott, said there was no record of her calling Kao, but he added that such a call would not be unusual, as it is common for politicians to thank donors. Reed did not answer detailed questions about the donation but stated he had not spoken to Collins about Kao, noting that Kao is now in federal prison.