FBI investigating massive scheme to illegally finance Sen. Susan Collins' 2020 re-election bid

[zuul]

Source: Axios

The FBI is investigating what it describes as a massive scheme to illegally finance Sen. Susan Collins' 2020 reelection bid, Axios has learned.

What's happening: A recently unsealed search warrant application shows the FBI believes a Hawaii defense contractor illegally funneled $150,000 to a pro-Collins super PAC and reimbursed donations to Collins' campaign. There's no indication that Collins or her team were aware of any of it.

Collins helped the contractor at issue, then called Navatek and since renamed the Martin Defense Group, secure an $8 million Navy contract before most of the donations took place.

Former Navatek CEO Martin Kao was indicted last year for allegedly bilking the federal government of millions in coronavirus relief loans.

Read more: https://www.axios.com/susan-collins-reelection-investigation-finance-scheme-11280676-b9f6-480d-a47f-c33f3f7ab4ca.html?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=editorial&utm_content=politics-susancollins

[zuul]

1. more from the article:

The big picture: Federal prosecutors say Kao used a shell company to funnel $150,000 in Navatek funds to a pro-Collins super PAC called 1820 PAC.

According to the FBI, Kao and his wife set up a sham LLC called the Society for Young Women Scientists and Engineers. Navatek then wrote the LLC a $150,000 check, investigators say, which was passed on to the super PAC.

Government contractors are barred from donating to federal political committees, and investigators suspect the donations were attempts to evade that prohibition.

Investigators say bank records also show that Kao illegally reimbursed family members who donated to Collins' campaign, and that Navatek reimbursed some of Kao's colleagues for their contributions.

That's known as a "straw" donation, and it's prohibited by law. The Collins campaign's fundraising solicitations also require donors to certify that they are in fact donating their own funds.

The allegedly reimbursed donations came in clusters, according to federal contribution records, between June and September 2019, and amounted to less than 0.2% of the Collins campaign's total fundraising.

The warrant application quotes an email exchange between Kao, who had just maxed out to Collins' campaign, and the senator's Maine finance director. "If you have friends or family members that would be willing to donate please don’t hesitate to send them my way," the Collins staffer wrote.

[malthaussen]

2. Senator Collins is concerned.

Of course, neither she nor her staff were aware of such shenanigans. Of course.

-- Mal

[rpannier]

11. I hear she is concerned

And she believes Kao has learned from this experience

[Trueblue1968]

14. LOCK UP SUZY Q !!!!!!!! 18 years in the slammer with Big Bubba as her room-mate !!

[PSPS]

3. Standard GOP off-the-shelf money laundering scheme

Navatek a.k.a. Martin Defense Group buys collins' influence to get $8 million of taxpayer money and dutifully kicks back $150K as a "campaign contribution" plus an unknown amount to other "donors" to shield their visibility. It may actually be true that collins was unaware of this one particular setup because there are so many of them.

[chowder66]

4. I hope they are looking into McConnell's campaign as well. nt

[Blue Owl]

5. Maybe it's time for Mitch to be McConncerned

[bluestarone]

6. Tip of the iceberg

I'm sure of that.

[Orrex]

7. I'm sure that Sen Collins will issue a statement

As soon as McConnell tells her what to say.

[ShazzieB]

8. I'm sure she's quite concerned.

[50 Shades Of Blue]

9. "There's no indication that Collins or her team were aware of any of it."

[jaxexpat]

10. How else is patent incompetence resurrected every 6 years? Collins is a bad joke.

I'm thinking Maine could be the real template for actual voter fraud. The fraud which QOPs have searched everywhere for. Everywhere except for where it may actually exist.

[AZ8theist]

12. Investigate the ELECTION FRAUD, nevermind the campaign finance:

On the eve of the election:

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2020-election-forecast/senate/maine/

And after:

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-elections/maine-senate-results

This result, much the same as Moscow Mitches in Kentucky, was clearly screwed. Yet all we here about is how BIDEN SOMEHOW IS ILLEGITIMATE.

BULLSHIT. The Repukes stole election after election in 2016 and 2020. Yet not a peep from anyone. And 2022 will have EVEN MORE ratfucking by Repukes.

Our democracy is doomed.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

13. She is concerned I'm sure

[DallasNE]

15. This Is Exactly Why Dark Money Has To Go

It leads to events like this.

[Historic NY]

16. Oh.....Susan's getting all bunched up...

[Marcuse]

17. Hey, as far as she's concerned it was a legal bribe.