The truth about the Collins family and The County | Opinion

Sam Collins Denounces Misrepresentations in Aroostook County Op‑Ed

Caribou, Maine – 2026‑10‑18

The president of S.W. Collins Co. and brother of U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Sam Collins, has issued a rebuttal to a recent op‑ed that he says contains a number of false claims about his family and the residents of Aroostook County. The original piece, written by local political commentator Tommy Pinette, was published on September 6 and ran in the opinion section of the Maine Sunday Telegram. Pinette’s article accused the Collins family of living in “private, $60,000‑per‑year schools,” flying private jets, and using political clout to block food‑bank programs in the county.

Collins, who has spent his life in Caribou, said he was surprised to hear that the “Collins family members are shipped to private, $60,000‑per‑year schools” and that “they fly in private jets.” He added that the family’s “home theater” is a ten‑year‑old iPad and that his daughters drive a “20‑year‑old partially rusted car to school.” “We all attended Caribou High School,” Collins said, adding that he and his siblings remained in town and that the family’s seven children also graduated from the same school.

The former op‑ed also asserted that every Collins family member in politics has been a Republican and that the family had used political influence to block resources and community food programs. “That is simply false,” Collins said. “There are family members who identify as Democrats, and even our great‑great‑grandfather, S.W. Collins, served as a Democrat in the Maine Legislature. Our great‑grandfather, H.D. Collins, was a Democrat before switching to the Republican party.”

Collins, who heads a manufacturing company that he says “has a mission to be an active positive influence in the communities in which we live and work,” explained that the Collins family has a long history of civic involvement in Aroostook County. “For generations, our family and company have contributed financial support to improve life here and throughout Maine,” he said. “Members of our family have joined our neighbors to serve on numerous boards and organizations spanning education, healthcare, veterans and economic development.”

He described the county’s farmers, who he says are “among the hardest‑working people in Maine,” as operating businesses subject to changing weather, labor constraints and international competition. “Calling Aroostook County families ‘oligarchs’ may align with popular political rhetoric, but it does little to illuminate the realities of living here today,” Collins said. “The community, including schools, public organizations, nonprofits and economic development groups, works hard to secure government and private funding to improve our area and enable services and infrastructure that would be otherwise unaffordable.”

The response also touches on the broader issue of fact‑checking in journalism. Collins said, “Disagreement does not justify fabrication. A telephone call would have corrected the op‑ed’s false claims.” He added, “Newspapers play an essential role in our democracy precisely because readers expect them to distinguish fact from fiction. An opinion page should provide broad latitude for argument and criticism, but attaching the word ‘opinion’ to an article should not relieve a newspaper of responsibility for verifying claims, especially those easily checked.”

He concluded by encouraging readers who disagree with Senator Collins politically or with the direction of Aroostook County to engage in vigorous debate, but emphasized that “the issue here is larger. Disagreement does not justify fabrication.” He urged the Maine Sunday Telegram to uphold the same standard of fact‑checking it expects from its own readers.

The original op‑ed was written by Tommy Pinette, a local political commentator who has previously supported Maine’s governor Troy Jackson and opposed Senator Susan Collins. Pinette’s piece described Aroostook County as a “deindustrialized borderland” dominated by oligarchs and portrayed local farmers as a privileged owner class responsible for the region’s economic problems.

The response has been published by the Maine News Now and reflects Collins’ view that the allegations were “entirely fabricated” and that the Maine Sunday Telegram should have verified the claims before publishing. The article was written in an objective tone, presenting the facts as stated by Collins without additional editorial commentary.