Lockheed Martin’s 2023 F-35 Lobbying Blitz and Collins’s Maine Defense Ties

Key points

• Lockheed Martin employees and executives donated $59,500 to Collins’s campaign between May and June 2023, a period when the F-35 program faced criticism from the Government Accountability Office.
• Collins voted to fund 83 new F-35 jets in July 2023, shortly after the donations, citing economic benefits for Maine.
• The Intercept notes a similar pattern with Textron and Howe & Howe, where Collins advocated for the Ripsaw vehicle after the Pentagon canceled its purchase, followed by corporate PAC donations to her committees.
• Collins’s office denies any connection between donations and her support for defense programs, calling the F-35 a bipartisan priority.
• The scrutiny coincides with Collins’s 2026 re-election campaign and prior ProPublica reports on an FBI investigation into a separate pay-to-play scheme involving defense contractor Navatek.

Background

This story builds on earlier coverage of the ProPublica report detailing an FBI investigation into a pay-to-play scheme involving Collins and Navatek, which ended after the Trump administration purged anti-corruption units. The current reporting expands on the broader pattern of defense contractor influence on Collins’s voting record, particularly regarding the F-35 and Ripsaw programs, amid her 2026 re-election bid.

How outlets are covering it

The Intercept frames the donations as part of a coordinated lobbying effort that may have influenced Collins’s support for F-35 funding, while Collins’s office denies any connection, calling the F-35 a bipartisan priority. The Guardian focuses on Collins’s denial of corruption allegations related to Navatek, emphasizing her claims that the allegations are false and recycled. The Portland Press Herald highlights ongoing concerns about Collins’s ties to operatives involved in the straw donation scheme, though the full article is behind a paywall. The outlets differ in emphasis: The Intercept focuses on the F-35 and Ripsaw, while The Guardian and Press Herald focus on the Navatek scandal and its impact on Collins’s re-election.

Why it matters

The story highlights the intersection of defense contractor influence, campaign finance, and congressional voting records, raising questions about the integrity of defense appropriations and the role of lobbying in shaping policy. It also underscores the political risks Collins faces in her 2026 re-election bid amid scrutiny of her ties to defense firms.

What to watch

Collins’s re-election campaign will likely face continued scrutiny over her defense contractor ties and voting record. The outcome of the 2026 Maine Senate race may hinge on how swing voters perceive these allegations and her responses to them.