Maine Senator Faces Scrutiny Over Husband’s Consultancy Ties
Maine Senator Susan Collins is under the spotlight as details emerge about her husband’s consultancy activities with a lobbying firm involved in data center developments. Thomas Daffron, Collins’ husband, provided consulting services for Chesapeake Enterprises in 2025, a firm linked to Scott Reed, a central figure in a reported pay-to-play scheme that could impact Collins’ reelection campaign.
The issue of data centers and political integrity has become a prominent concern for voters this year, placing Collins in a defensive position on both fronts.
Daffron, who married Collins in 2012, has a background as a lobbyist and political advisor. The union significantly increased Collins’ net worth, which rose from $250,000 to $2.9 million at the time of marriage, and is now valued at $4.1 million.
According to Collins’ financial disclosures in May, Daffron earned at least $1,000 from Chesapeake Enterprises last year. Senate rules mandate reporting of spousal income exceeding $1,000 but not the exact figures. Daffron was formerly an executive vice president at Chesapeake from 2001 to 2004.
The consulting work occurred while Chesapeake lobbied for Hillwood Investments, chaired by H. Ross Perot Jr., a donor to Collins’ campaign. Hillwood has been involved in developing multiple data centers, including a facility in Texas used by Meta, Facebook’s parent company.
Data centers are controversial due to their high consumption of electricity and water, contributing to rising utility costs. A New York Times/Siena poll indicates 61% of Americans oppose nearby data center construction, with several Maine communities enacting moratoriums.
Reed, Chesapeake’s registered lobbyist for Hillwood in 2025, lobbied on “real estate investments.” He also leads Pine Tree Results, a super PAC supporting Collins. In 2019, the FBI investigated Reed over a donation from Navatek, a defense contractor. Former Navatek CEO Martin Kao, now imprisoned for wire fraud, claimed the donation was to secure federal contracts through Collins, which she facilitated.
The investigation into Reed concluded after Donald Trump’s return to the presidency. ProPublica first reported the alleged scheme, which Collins has denied, questioning the report’s legitimacy while defending Reed.
Collins backed the Ratepayer Protection Act to require data centers to pay their electricity costs. However, Senate Democrats criticized the bill as ineffective, noting it only suggests hearings and standards, without enforcing them.
The bill failed in the Senate on September 30. Facing reelection, Collins is considered a vulnerable Republican incumbent. Her Democratic challenger, state Sen. Troy Jackson, advocates for data center projects to prove their benefits for Mainers before approval.
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