Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins has denied allegations made in a ProPublica report claiming the FBI targeted her in a corruption investigation. Collins described the report as a "political hit job" during a press conference on Capitol Hill.
The ProPublica report alleges that a Republican consultant solicited large donations for Collins' campaign from defense firm Navatek and its former CEO Martin Kao in exchange for federal contracts. It also states that the FBI sought to investigate Collins and the donor in 2024, but the investigation was reportedly halted after President Donald Trump returned to office and made cuts to the FBI.
ABC News has not independently verified the claims made in the ProPublica report. Martin Kao did not provide comments for the article.
Collins stated, "The Biden Justice Department found that there was no wrongdoing by any one of my campaign staff, my office, or me," calling the allegations "absolutely outrageous."
Annie Clark, Collins' deputy chief of staff, noted that the Biden administration, FBI, and Department of Justice had thoroughly investigated the Navatek matter, asserting that the Collins campaign cooperated fully with the FBI and that the issues were resolved in 2021.
FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson confirmed that the agency investigated the claims against Collins years ago and found no evidence implicating her or her campaign. However, Williamson did not address questions regarding the alleged new investigation in 2024.
Collins, who is running for reelection in a closely watched Senate race in Maine, expressed frustration over the timing of the allegations, stating, "It's very frustrating and unfair to have it brought up this close to the election."
She maintained that Navatek was awarded defense contracts for valuable developments in 3D printing research for boats, asserting that the allegations in the ProPublica report are completely false.
Clark reiterated that the allegations are categorically false and that there have never been any allegations of wrongdoing by the Collins campaign.
Collins' campaign manager, Steve Abbott, labeled the allegations as false and outrageous.
Democratic candidate Troy Jackson, Collins' opponent in the Senate race, responded to the report by stating, "the jig is up," and described the situation as "corruption of the highest order."
PacMar Technologies, formerly Navatek, stated that it is a victim of Martin Kao's illegal conduct and has been working to address the damage to its reputation.
As of now, Donald Trump has not commented on the ProPublica report.