Hidden in the Shadows

She fit the mold. After finishing college Susan Collins went to work for a U.S. Senator. Her first job. The chief of staff who hired her went on to become a lobbyist. When she turned fifty-nine, still single, she married him.

Following her own road, working with senators, congressmen, politicians, she learned how Washington politics works – ran for Senate herself. Won.

She won four straight elections then, in 2020, found herself trailing a Democrat.

Martin Kao, a corrupt businessman from Hawaii, gave politician’s contributions to get government contracts. A lobbyist, heading Collins Superpac, asked him for a six-figure contribution; seeking more defense contracts in Maine, Kao hid his donation behind a phony company so no one could see his name, gave $150,000.

Collins won.

The FBI locked eyes on the shell company – nailed Kao for ‘pay to play’ after the election. Started investigating politicians Kao said he bribed – including Collins.

Collins got a break.

Back in the White House, fuming about Biden and Jack Smith prosecuting him, Trump fired FBI agents who helped Smith. He saw that as justice, revenge. Didn’t mean to help Collins. But it ended the FBI’s investigation into ‘pay to play.’

Trump’s fighting to hold onto the Senate this election. Republicans can only lose four seats. They’re trailing in six. And Collins is running again. In Maine. A swing state Trump lost.

She was ahead until the story about Kao giving $150,000 to her Superpac – to get government contracts – along with a trove of FBI documents, landed in newspapers. She’s behind now.

Angry, Collins called Kao a crook, a liar in jail, called his story ‘a smear job.’ Said no one should believe him. What’s the truth?

It’s a fact that Kao gave Susan Collins’ campaign $150,000. It’s also a fact he got government contracts in Maine. And Collins helped him. But that doesn’t prove Kao told Collins – ‘I’ll give you $150,000 if you’ll get me government contracts’ – and she said, Yes.

Washington politicians live in a murky world, lined with spiderwebs – corruption lurks in the shadows. Is Collins guilty? FBI agents set out to find the answer. But a spider’s web stopped them. The truth remains hidden in the shadows.

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