WASHINGTON – Maine Sen. Susan Collins' Republican colleagues swiftly came to her defense the day after the news outlet ProPublica published an investigative story that laid out evidence of alleged involvement in a pay-to-play scheme involving a defense contractor.

The story, which came out on Tuesday, Sept. 22, said that records and emails showed the FBI sought to launch a sweeping investigation examining Collins' interactions with a top donor who won lucrative federal contracts. By late 2024, the agency reportedly had enough evidence to pursue a sweeping bribery probe involving Collins and other members of Congress.

But that effort, according to the ProPublica story, evaporated after the Trump administration purged the Justice Department and FBI of its teams that handle public corruption cases.

It's unclear whether the accusations laid out in the article will resonate with Maine voters in November, when Collins is up for reelection in a toss-up race that will prove crucial to whichever party ultimately controls the Senate.

The story does, however, add to a maze of obstacles she's facing to retain her coveted seat in Congress. While she has a track record as a Teflon political candidate in the Pine Tree State, her campaign is already being hurt by an unpopular war, President Trump's trade disputes with Canada and the sudden departure of her initial, scandal-plagued opponent.

Both Collins and her top spokespeople denied any impropriety following the publication of the ProPublica article, saying the Justice Department, dating back to the Biden administration, cleared the senator and her staff of any alleged wrongdoing.