New allegations of President Donald Trump’s FBI shutting down an investigation of alleged “quid-pro-quo behavior” centered around a bipartisan duo that included a longtime ally.
Last month, ProPublica released a report contending that the campaign staff of Maine Sen. Susan Collins (R) was spared scrutiny when the FBI shut down an investigation into alleged wrongdoing. Tuesday, similar accusations flew as the outlet connected a Hawaiian naval defense contractor to South Carolina Rep. James Clyburn (D) and late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R) with an alleged bribery scheme.
Suggesting that Trump’s executive leadership was at fault for shielding lawmakers from oversight, ProPublica wrote on X, “We’re back with our second story about how Trump’s purge of the FBI killed a sweeping bribery probe in D.C. This time, we take you to South Carolina, where two powerful politicians escaped scrutiny: Sen. Lindsey Graham and Rep. James Clyburn.”
We’re back with our second story about how Trump’s purge of the FBI killed a sweeping bribery probe in D.C.
This time, we take you to South Carolina, where two powerful politicians escaped scrutiny:
Sen. Lindsey Graham and Rep. James Clyburn.
THREAD 👇 https://t.co/vwXtR0ckxU
— ProPublica (@propublica) October 20, 2026
The report contends that then-Navatek CEO Martin Kao told the FBI how executives and a lobbyist for the defense contractor met with Graham in March 2020, agreeing to a $10 million government contract.
In return, the senator was alleged to have asked for a $100,000 campaign donation commitment. It was further suggested that a similar arrangement was allegedly made with Clyburn and South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson in 2019.
Regarding the investigation that was launched in 2025, Kao admitted to agents that his “business model consisted of bribing public officials in exchange for government contracts,” as it was detailed that he took charge in 2019, seven years after the death of Hawaii Sen. Daniel Inouye (D), who was said to have had a “close relationship” with Navatek.
Kao also admitted the research Navatek did for the federal government “was often worthless.”
According to the report, under his plan dubbed “the method,” Kao opened offices in select lawmakers’ states and forged partnerships with universities toward generating research funding proposals. Navatek worked with the University of South Carolina toward a $9.5 million ask of the congressmen with aims at further funding amounting to $90 million.
A spokesperson for Graham told ProPublica that the senator’s office included the $9.5 million on the budget upon request while denying the alleged campaign funding motivation.
Where it concerned Kao, who pled guilty in 2022 to a loan fraud scheme and making illegal campaign donations, he told the FBI his admissions would “constitute a vast criminal bribery scheme if they could be proved in court.”
Sentenced to 87 months in prison, he spoke with the FBI in 2025 with hopes of a reduced sentence. Meanwhile, former Navatek executives Duke Hartman and Joshua Knight, who co-founded naval research company Integer Technologies, were also investigated, but not charged.
Kao told ProPublica from detention that it’s “corruption at its best … But I am the only one rotting in prison.” Though not subjects of the investigation, the lawmakers could be subjects in the future.
Reacting to the report, an FBI spokesperson spoke with The Hill and called the ProPublica reporting “false,” accusing the outlet of peddling “half-baked misleading claims from former FBI personnel and a convicted felon to spin a predetermined narrative.”
“Additionally, as we have said repeatedly, personnel are only removed at this FBI if they have been found to have acted unethically, undermined the mission or engaged in weaponization of law enforcement,” added the spokesperson. “Any suggestion otherwise is false.”
Much the same had been said in response to previously reported claims from ProPublica that the FBI shut down an investigation tying Maine Sen. Susan Collins’ political adviser to a campaign fund scheme with Kao, who, in addition to his over seven-year sentence for wire fraud, money laundering and bank fraud, is serving 33 months for improperly funneling $200,000 to Collins’ 2020 campaign.
What’s more, Justice Department spokesperson Audrey Cook told ProPublica, “Under President Trump, the Justice Department is rooting out the weaponization, corruption, and institutional rot that ran rampant under [President] Joe Biden’s two-tiered system of justice.”
Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
- Ramaswamy campaign takes responsibility for ad featuring rival’s estranged mother — political feud turns personal - October 21, 2026
- American prisoner Stephen Hubbard’s ordeal in Russia ends with his release - October 21, 2026
- Mamdani and El-Sayed join forces ahead of midterms — Democrats’ socialist wing gets a new showcase - October 21, 2026
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.