Susan Collins still working with operatives tied to straw donation scheme
Maine Senate race in the eye of a pay‑to‑play inquiry
A federal investigation into a fraudulent political donation has put U.S. Senator Susan Collins at the center of a controversy that could influence the final weeks of Maine’s 2026 Senate campaign. The inquiry, sparked by a 2019 email from convicted fraudster Martin Kao, points to two of Collins’ close associates—Scott Reed, head of the Pine Tree Results Super PAC, and MacKenzie Dolan, co‑founder of the fundraising firm The Morning Group—as having been aware of a scheme to funnel a $150,000 donation through a shell company. Neither Collins nor her allies have been charged, but the allegations are being weaponized by her opponent, former Senate President Troy Jackson, and Democratic campaigners who are pressing for a formal ethics complaint.
The chain of events
The story began on December 13, 2019, when Martin Kao, then CEO of the investment firm Navatek, sent an email to Scott Reed and MacKenzie Dolan from an address linked to “navatekllc.com.” In the message, Kao explained that he was setting up a new bank account for a fictitious group called the Society of Young Women Scientists and Engineers and that he would arrange a check for the 1820 PAC—a pro‑Collins super‑PAC—by year‑end. Two weeks later, the 1820 PAC received a $150,000 check that would eventually be routed into the Pine Tree Results Super PAC, which has been a major fundraiser for Collins.
Kao pleaded guilty in 2022 to money‑laundering and bank‑fraud charges and to an illegal contribution to the 1820 PAC. He is currently serving a seven‑year sentence in federal prison. During the plea, he admitted that his plan involved a “straw” donation that concealed the true source of the money. He also claimed that he had tried to shift blame onto Collins, her staff, Reed, and Dolan in order to reduce his sentence—a claim his attorney and federal investigators have dismissed.
The key players
| Name | Role | Connection to Collins |
|---|---|---|
| Scott Reed | Leader of Pine Tree Results Super PAC and former head of the 1820 PAC | Long‑time fundraising partner; directed the 2025‑26 Collins for Senator campaign |
| MacKenzie Dolan | Co‑founder of The Morning Group, a fundraising firm | Co‑founded 1820 PAC; received over $300,000 from Collins’ 2025‑26 campaign, and $1.1 million from Pine Tree Results |
| Martin Kao | Convicted fraudster, former Navatek CEO | Originated the illegal donation; pleaded guilty in 2022 |
| Susan Collins | U.S. Senator, candidate for re‑election | Target of allegations; campaign denies wrongdoing |
Reed and Dolan have not been charged with any crimes. Collins’ campaign has repeatedly stated that they were “thoroughly investigated” and “cleared by the FBI in 2021.” The spokesperson, Blake Kernen, said, “Martin Kao was the guilty party and he was sentenced to seven years in federal prison. Martin Kao tried to get his sentence reduced by blaming Senator Collins, her staff, Scott Reed, and MacKenzie Dolan for his criminal conduct. The FBI, the Biden Department of Justice, and the Federal Election Commission didn’t believe him and the judge did not offer him any leniency.”
Funding ties
The financial entanglements are extensive. During the 2025‑26 campaign, Collins’ campaign committee, Collins for Senator, paid The Morning Group more than $300,000 for fundraising services. The Morning Group, in turn, has received at least $1.1 million from Pine Tree Results. The two super‑PACs—Pine Tree Results and 1820 PAC—have long coordinated, and both have joint fundraising agreements with Collins’ other campaign entities, including Dirigo PAC, her leadership committee.
In 2020, the 1820 PAC—then led by Reed—accepted the illegal $150,000 donation from Kao. The same year, The Morning Group was hired to provide fundraising services for Reed’s organization and for the 1820 PAC.
Democratic response
The investigation has become a rallying point for Democrats in the race. On September 29, the Senate Majority PAC issued a memo outlining a strategy to link alleged corruption to rising living costs, a narrative that has been amplified by a multimillion‑dollar ad campaign. Local Democratic groups staged a press conference outside Collins’ office and filed a formal ethics complaint against her.
Senator Collins has countered that the investigation is “basically built on a convicted felon’s word” and that the federal investigators corroborated some of Kao’s claims but that the alleged “pay‑to‑play” scheme was not actionable. “ProPublica’s coverage is unhinged,” she said in a statement.
The Democratic attorney who filed the ethics complaint alleged that Collins had used her influence to benefit her son, who was an Augusta lobbyist while Collins was in power. Jackson, who is challenging Collins in the November election
