Susan Collins’ DOJ Votes Under Scrutiny Amid FBI Investigation Concerns

Senator Collins’ Votes Scrutinized Amid Corruption Investigation

Maine’s Senator Susan Collins is under renewed scrutiny following revelations about her past votes to confirm key Department of Justice (DOJ) officials who later weakened a unit dedicated to investigating public corruption. This comes to light as ProPublica disclosed an FBI investigation into Collins regarding an alleged pay-to-play scheme, which was subsequently dropped in 2025 after the Trump administration dismissed the involved agents.

The DOJ unit in question was not directly handling Collins’ investigation. However, her support for officials who diminished its powers could present political challenges as she pursues a sixth term in office, with corruption issues weighing heavily on voters’ minds.

Collins has dismissed the accuracy of ProPublica’s report, yet the media outlet stands firm, offering further evidence to support its claims.

In February 2025, Collins voted to confirm Pam Bondi as attorney general, followed by her support for Todd Blanche, a personal attorney for President Trump, as deputy attorney general in March. These confirmations were met with Republican approval but faced strong Democratic opposition.

Bondi’s past actions include advocating for probes into DOJ personnel critical of Trump, arguing without evidence that the president was a target of a “deep state conspiracy.” Collins justified her support for Bondi by citing a thorough review of “background materials” and “personal in-depth interviews,” as she remarked.

According to NBC News coverage in March 2025, Bondi’s tenure saw the reassignment of numerous DOJ Public Integrity Section staffers, a move criticized by some as weakening efforts to prosecute government corruption. Notably, several members resigned following the DOJ’s decision to halt proceedings against then-New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

David Laufman, a former DOJ official with experience across administrations, noted that these reassignments signaled a shift towards political appointees managing corruption cases, potentially compromising investigative integrity. “It raises serious questions about whether future investigations and prosecutions will be motivated by improper partisan considerations,” said Laufman.

Subsequently, in May 2025, the FBI disbanded the public-corruption squad involved in probing Collins.

Interestingly, Collins did not endorse a letter demanding a congressional inquiry into the weakening of public corruption units, a move supported by other New England senators including Rhode Island’s Sheldon Whitehouse, Connecticut’s Richard Blumenthal, and Vermont’s Peter Welch, as noted in a report.

Facing a challenging reelection campaign against state Senator Troy Jackson, Collins finds herself in a tight race. A September YouGov poll indicates a deadlock between the candidates.