Graham Platner says Susan Collins is corrupt. Here’s what her record says.

 Graham Platner speaks during a rally on Thursday about his anti-corruption policy proposals in front of the building in Portland that houses the office of Sen. Susan Collins. (Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer) [](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/election-2026/) _[Read all of our coverage](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/election-2026/) of Maine's 2026 election or stay up to date with the latest developments through the [Maine Political Report](https://www.pressherald.com/mprnewsletter/) in your inbox or [text messages](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/01/11/maine-political-news-sent-right-to-your-phone-sign-up-for-text-alerts-from-our-editor/) from politics editor Kirby Wilson._ Graham Platner’s campaign is trying to build a narrative that U.S. Sen. Susan Collins is corrupt by accusing her of using her power and influence to benefit herself and her husband. The most recent salvo came on Thursday, as the political newcomer and Democratic senate nominee rolled out a “[corruption crackdown” agenda](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/06/25/graham-platner-rolls-out-anti-corruption-platform-in-senate-race/) in front of Collins’ Portland office. One plank of that platform was called “the Collins Rule,” which would stop members of Congress from introducing legislation that could monetarily benefit their spouses. Platner’s campaign has said that years ago, Collins co-authored a bill to benefit her husband, Thomas Daffron, and his lobbying firm. His team has highlighted the increase in Collins’ personal wealth while in the Senate. And it has accused her of using her seniority to direct $76 million in federal contracts to benefit her husband. Collins’ longtime adviser and campaign manager Steve Abbott did not mince words when speaking with reporters after Platner’s news conference. Abbott said Platner is accusing Collins of committing a crime. “He’s lying,” Abbott told reporters, as Platner’s aides watched. “Susan Collins has not funneled any money to Tom Daffron. That’s against the law. That’s a criminal activity. He’s accusing her of engaging in a criminal activity with no evidence.” Advertisement One of Platner’s claims echoes a line of attack used by Democrats against Collins six years ago that fact-checkers rated “mostly false.” The goal seems to be to turn Collins’ experience and seniority into a liability in one of the most consequential Senate races in the country. Democrats need to flip four seats this fall to regain control of the Senate. Maine is viewed as their best opportunity, since Collins suffers from low approval ratings and she is the only Senate Republican running in a state that supported Democrat Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. We took a closer look at Platner’s claims, which are central to the argument he’s presenting to voters that Collins is “spineless and corrupt.” Did Collins’ husband benefit from a bill she wrote? Collins co-authored the Accountability in Government Contracting Act in 2007. It primarily sought to eliminate a 3% withholding tax for all federal contractors. The bill, which aimed to make the bidding process more favorable to smaller firms, passed the Senate unanimously. Daffron was registered as a lobbyist in 2006-07, and then served as the chief operating officer of Jefferson Consulting Group until 2016. But the bill was not specific to Daffron or his employer. Daffron did not marry Collins until 2012, though they have known each other since the 1970s, when they both worked for Maine U.S. Sen. William Cohen. Advertisement A similar attack was used in 2020 by former Maine Speaker of the House Sara Gideon, Collins’ Democratic opponent that year. The claim was rated [“mostly false” by Politifact](https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2020/oct/05/sara-gideon/claim-maine-sen-susan-collins-acted-help-her-husba/), which described Collins’ bill is “bipartisan and broad.” “While her future husband’s lobbying firm, Jefferson Consulting Group, could have been affected by the measures, there is no evidence Collins acted specifically to benefit him,” it reported. Has Collins’ wealth increased while in office? Platner has also called attention to Collins’ increase in wealth over the last 15 years, suggesting that it stems from corruption. “We have seen a U.S. senator increase their wealth by 21 times in 15 years,” Platner said on Thursday. “That does not seem like the outcome of someone who is dedicated to getting money and some form of legalized corruption out of our political system.” But Abbott said Collins’ personal wealth increased significantly when she got married to Daffron, an accomplished professional who served as senior vice president and chief operating officer of the Baltimore Orioles from 1990-94. Daffron also served as campaign manager for Elizabeth Dole’s 1999 presidential run and held prominent roles for Sens. Cohen, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Fred Thompson of Tennessee. Advertisement Collins has said that she has not traded any stocks since she’s been a U.S. senator. “Her financial situation changed dramatically once she got married, which is not uncommon for any of us who got married,” Abbott said. Collins did oppose a measure in 2011 that would have required federal contractors to disclose their political spending. But at the time, [she expressed concerns](https://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/senator-collins-provision-protecting-federal-contracting-politics-passes-committee) that such disclosures would only increase the risk of political favoritism in the contracting process. Did Collins steer federal contracts to her husband’s clients? Platner’s campaign has accused Collins of directing $76 million in federal contracts to the lobbying firm that Daffron had worked for over the course of a decade. But federal agencies are tasked with awarding those contracts, not Congress. Lawmakers just allocate the money to the agencies. And the bulk of the contracts were awarded under President Barack Obama. Platner was pressed on his claim at his news conference, and he doubled down. Advertisement “Any normal person can see that if you are directly tied to the power of the United States senator, and you yourself benefit from it, and that senator’s household benefits from it, that there’s obviously some form of connection there,” Platner said. How cozy is the relationship between Collins’ family and the super PAC funding her run? Platner’s campaign also pounced on a report from [Zeteo](https://zeteo.com/p/susan-collins-husband-lobbyist-pine-tree-results), a progressive online news outlet, linking Daffron to Pine Tree Results, a super PAC that is spending millions on attack ads to benefit Collins’ reelection campaign. Last year, Daffron was paid more than $1,000 for providing consulting for Chesapeake Enterprises, according to Collins’ financial disclosure. Chesapeake Enterprises lists Scott Reed as its chairman in paperwork filed with the Texas secretary of state. Reed is a corporate lobbyist, former strategist for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and former executive director of the Republican National Committee. He is also the chairman of Pine Tree Results, according to records from the Virginia secretary of state’s office. Neither Reed, nor PAC treasurer Theodore Koch, returned calls on Wednesday. Daffron said in a written statement that he has known Reed for 40 years and they have worked together on projects for “various clients” of Chesapeake Enterprises. “In every instance, I have complied with all of the Senate’s reporting requirements,” Daffron said. “I understand that (Reed) also volunteers for Pine Tree Results. I am very pleased that a person with his remarkable skills has donated his time to an organization that is working to reelect Susan.” Copy the Story Link Tagged: [election 2026](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/election-2026/), [Graham Platner](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/graham-platner/), [senate 2026](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/senate-2026/), [Susan Collins](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/susan-collins/) [](https://www.pressherald.com/author/randy-billings) [Randy BillingsStaff Writer](https://www.pressherald.com/author/randy-billings) Randy Billings is a government watchdog and political reporter who has been the State House bureau chief since 2021. He was named the Maine Press Association’s Journalist of the Year in 2020. He joined. [More by Randy Billings](https://www.pressherald.com/author/randy-billings)