Democrat files ethics complaint against Susan Collins over alleged pay-to-play scheme

Former Democrat files ethics complaint against Senator Collins over alleged “pay‑to‑play” scheme

A former Democratic candidate for Cumberland County District Attorney, Valerie Adams, lodged a formal ethics complaint against U.S. Senator Susan Collins on Wednesday, accusing the Republican of steering millions of federal contracts to a defense‑contracting firm in exchange for campaign contributions. The complaint, directed to the Senate Select Committee on Ethics, cites a ProPublica investigation that alleges Collins directed contracts worth roughly $8 million to the Hawaii‑based company Navatek in return for political donations from its chief executive, Martin Kao.

Adams, who once campaigned for Collins, says she is “troubled” by the allegations. In her letter to Committee Chairman James Lankford, R‑Okla., and Vice‑Chairman Christopher Coons, D‑Del., Adams writes:

“It is difficult to conceive of behavior more improper than accepting campaign contributions in return for directing taxpayer‑funded government contracts to an out‑of‑state company. The reporting from ProPublica suggests Senator Collins may have done just that. It is the Committee’s duty to get to the bottom of this.”

Collins and her campaign have denied the claims, labeling the allegations “outrageous.” In a statement, spokesperson Blake Kernen said, “This is getting to be pathetic. For the third consecutive week, a recently failed Democratic candidate has parroted false charges that they know nothing about against Susan Collins.”

The ethics complaint is one of many that can be filed by anyone online. The Senate’s bipartisan ethics panel—composed of three Republicans and three Democrats—has investigated senators in the past, including former Democrat Al Franken in 2017 and former New Jersey senator Robert Menendez in 2018. Most complaints are dismissed, though the committee has conducted formal probes when warranted.

Allegations behind the complaint

The ProPublica report, released earlier this year, details a series of interactions between Senator Collins, Navatek, and its CEO Martin Kao. According to the article, Collins would not meet with Kao in 2018 unless he donated to her 2020 reelection campaign. A photograph released by Collins’s campaign shows the two men meeting in the senator’s office in February 2018—months before Kao made a contribution. The report also states that Kao, who pleaded guilty to money‑laundering and bank‑fraud charges in 2022 and is currently serving a federal sentence, used a shell company to funnel a $150,000 donation to the Collins‑aligned 1820 PAC, a group barred from receiving contributions by federal contractors. Kao allegedly coordinated this donation with the leader of a pro‑Collins super PAC in exchange for “millions in government contracts” for Navatek.

Navatek had been partnering with the University of Maine on a U.S. Navy project that required federal funding. In a televised debate earlier this month, Collins said she had begun working with Navatek in 2017, before any donations were made. She added, “I worked very closely with the university. We advanced that proposal. The head of Navatek at the time, unfortunately, was a crook. He is now in jail, where he belongs.”

The ProPublica piece also reports that the FBI’s anti‑corruption squad was preparing a wide‑spectrum investigation into Collins and other members of Congress based on statements Kao gave investigators between 2022 and 2024. That probe, according to the outlet, was shelved after President Trump returned to office in 2025 and anti‑corruption units were disbanded.

Reactions from both sides

Adams says the filing is not politically motivated. “I am a former Collins supporter who has been watching these developments with growing concern,” she told reporters. “There’s never been a more important time to demand the best of our elected officials, and I truly believe that.”

Collins’s campaign manager, Steve Abbott, responded on Tuesday that neither the senator nor her office had been accused of wrongdoing after a 2021 interview with investigators about Kao. “No new investigations have been launched since then,” Abbott said. “We remain fully compliant with all federal rules.”

The complaint arrives amid a broader Democratic push to highlight alleged corruption in Collins’s tenure. Democratic officials are attempting to portray Collins’s role as chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee as a conduit for special‑interest influence. An ongoing campaign, funded with $3.4 million, seeks to expose alleged improprieties in her record, including the Navatek allegations.

What the ethics committee will do

The Senate Select Committee on Ethics receives and screens every complaint it receives. While most complaints are dismissed, the committee can open an investigation, request documents, and hold hearings. The committee has the authority to recommend disciplinary actions, including censure, removal of a senator from committee assignments, or, in extreme cases, expulsion.

It remains unclear whether the committee will act on Adams’s complaint. The decision will hinge on the committee’s assessment of the evidence presented, the credibility of the sources, and whether the allegations fall within the committee’s jurisdiction.

Context for Maine voters

The dispute comes