Federal investigators sought to open a sweeping corruption inquiry into Sen. Susan Collins' ties to a defense contractor before the case died after Donald Trump regained the presidency. Documents and emails cited by ProPublica suggest the FBI examined a pay-to-play scheme involving $150,000 in donations from Navatek CEO Martin Kao, who allegedly funneled funds through a shell company to a super PAC supporting the senator in 2024.

Naval officials were pressured by Collins' office to award specific contracts to Navatek, including an $8 million award in 2019, while Kao allegedly expected $32 million in total funding. Collins' deputy chief of staff rejected the allegations as "categorically false," stating that the FBI and Justice Department resolved the Navatek matter in 2021. The campaign characterized Kao as a convicted felon who fabricated claims to deflect from his own prison terms for money laundering and wire fraud.