A Little Context
Footnotes to the Absurd
On September 22, 2026, ProPublica reported that FBI agents had sought approval in late 2024 for a broader public-corruption investigation involving former defense contractor CEO Martin Kao’s allegations about campaign contributions and federal contracts. Kao had pleaded guilty to illegal campaign contributions and fraud, was seeking leniency and had significant credibility problems. No one connected to Sen. Susan Collins was charged.
After President Trump returned to office in 2025, the FBI’s specialized CR-15 anti-corruption unit was dismantled amid the removal or departure of agents and prosecutors. According to ProPublica, the newer inquiry ended before investigators completed their work or reached a conclusion.
Collins vigorously denies any bribery or pay-to-play arrangement. The FBI says an earlier investigation found nothing implicating Collins or her campaign, but it did not answer ProPublica’s questions about the separate inquiry initiated in 2024.
The distinction behind the cartoon is simple: closing the investigative office is not the same as completing the investigation.