The New York Times has a new article headlined “ Democrats Show Strength in Michigan Senate Race but Trail in Maine, Polls Find. ” It highlights the divergent electoral prospects of two Democratic Senate candidates: Michigan’s Dr.
Page A3From§Eachthe sunrise edition — 3 October 2026
THE FILING
Collins's office denies any allegations exist, then she spends a day disputing them.
As it ran on the front
The headline on the document says the quiet part first: "We Uncovered Bribery Allegations Involving Susan Collins." ProPublica is specific about what's new here: the existence of an FBI investigation into that scheme, confirmed in print for the first time. All together now — line one: an investigation, reported for the first time, dated September 22nd, filed, footnoted.
The responses arrived same day, and the order matters. Collins's office called the allegations "categorically false," adding that "there have never been any allegations of wrongdoing by the Collins for Senator campaign." Hours later, Troy Jackson, her Democratic opponent in a race he has every reason to make about this, called it "corruption of the highest order" and said Collins "delivered millions in taxpayer dollars for a corrupt donor bankrolling her campaign." The senator herself waited until the next morning to answer in her own voice: a "political hit job," she said September 23rd, and then she did to a witness what you cannot do to a document — she questioned Martin Kao's credibility, the same contractor executive the filing already named as the scheme's architect.…
…(cont) Ten days after the filing, on October 2nd, the race arrived at a number: tied. CBS's poll shows Collins and Jackson even, Jackson drawing voters who want change, Collins holding a share of voters who disapprove of Trump but not, evidently, of her. The poll does not mention Kao. It does not mention the FBI. It mentions a tie, and leaves the reader to decide what put it there.
All together now, line two: a spokesperson calls a filing false the same day it's filed; the opponent calls it corruption the same day; the senator calls it political the next morning; the poll, ten days later, calls it even. The sequence does not require you to believe what ProPublica alleges. It requires only that you count how many of those responses are built from emails and legal records, and how many are adjectives.
“Her office says there's nothing here, then the senator spends a whole news cycle arguing with the guy she says can't be believed — that's not a denial, that's homework. Ten days later the race is tied, so whatever she's covering, it isn't costing her a point yet. Watch the money and the contracts, not the adjectives.”
“There's nothing here, categorically — although the senator did spend the next day explaining why the man making the allegation can't be trusted, which is maybe not "nothing." This report lands in the middle of a close Senate race, which tells you everything about the timing — except the tie in the polls came ten days after the story broke, not before. Bad timing for somebody; I'm not saying who.”
The receipts
Troy Jackson is boosted by those looking for change, while Collins peels off some Trump disapprovers.
The post Watch: We Uncovered Bribery Allegations Involving Susan Collins appeared first on ProPublica .
In special elections, Democrats have retained 10 points more of their previous turnout than Republicans Ballotpedia, 26 February 2026
Susan Collins tied with Troy Jackson in Maine Senate race, new CBS News poll showsDemocrat Troy Jackson has pulled into a tie with Republican Sen. Susan Collins in Maine's battle for U.S. Senate.
· Susan Collins aide dismisses ProPublica corruption allegation as ‘categorically false’ from the morgue, 22 Sep 2026
· 'Incredible Story of Corruption': Bombshell Report Puts Susan Collins at Center of Massive Bribery Scheme from the morgue, 22 Sep 2026
· Susan Collins tears into bribery allegations as new claims emerge during critical Senate battle from the morgue, 23 Sep 2026
· 'Corruption of the Highest Order,' Says Troy Jackson After Explosive Susan Collins Report from the morgue, 22 Sep 2026
This page is a back-issue: the story as it ran, receipts as they were. The current edition is at the front. The byline is a pen name for a column drafted by a machine and checked by the editor: how this is made.