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A colossal ProPublica investigation published last week has made national headlines, and its implications for South Carolina are significant, to say the least.
Entitled “The FBI Anti-Corruption Squad Was Circling Susan Collins — Until Trump Got in the Way,” the article alleges that Martin Kao, CEO of defense contractor Navatek, illegally bribed U.S. senator Susan Collins, prompting the FBI to investigate her.
Shortly after that investigation began, the FBI reportedly opened another investigation into U.S. senator Lindsey Graham after he attended a steak dinner in South Carolina with Kao. According to ProPublica, Navatek had been “eyed for a rapid expansion” in the Palmetto State
Both investigations were ultimately called off after Donald Trump took office in 2025.
For Graham and his political allies, the end of the federal investigations appeared to bring a significant reprieve. But things changed when S.C. first circuit solicitor David Pascoe announced his campaign for South Carolina attorney general.
The reason was straightforward: the state’s top prosecutor has broad investigative authority, and a Pascoe administration could have potentially scrutinized Graham’s meeting with Kao, particularly in light of the FBI’s investigation into the contractor and his alleged efforts to bribe a sitting United States senator.
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On May 21, 2026, Graham and Laura Loomer both communicated directly with President Trump, with these interactions confirmed by the parties on social media. That same day, Trump and Loomer took to social media to attack Pascoe.
The timing raised an obvious question: Why was the president weighing in on the South Carolina attorney general’s race as the United States was entering the early stages of war with Iran? No definitive public explanation was given.
For Graham and elements of the South Carolina political establishment, Pascoe presented a serious problem. If elected attorney general, he could have had the authority and independence to investigate the circumstances surrounding Graham’s meeting with Kao.
Pascoe has built his political reputation around an approach to prosecution that he says places justice and the rule of law above party affiliation or personal relationships. That independence was particularly significant in this race.
The Republican nominee, David Stumbo, presented a different set of political calculations. Stumbo’s consultants previously worked for Graham’s political action committee, creating an obvious political connection between the two camps. Critics argued Stumbo would therefore be less likely to pursue an investigation involving Graham.
Stumbo is also currently facing allegations that he improperly took $36,000 from his own office.
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RELATED | LINDSEY GRAHAM RED PILL UPDATE
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Taken together, the stories involving Graham, Navatek, Loomer and Stumbo raise a much larger question: how much money and political influence were brought to bear in an effort to prevent David Pascoe from winning the South Carolina attorney general’s race? Some estimates put the figure in the millions, although the total has not been publicly established.
What is clear is that powerful political interests had a significant stake in the outcome. If those interests were willing to spend heavily to defeat Pascoe, the question becomes ‘why?’ One possible explanation is the prospect of a future investigation into Graham’s meeting with Kao.
Trump’s intervention provided Graham with one layer of political protection, while the South Carolina political establishment provided another. Given the intensity of the opposition to Pascoe, it is reasonable to ask whether Graham and his allies feared the possibility of an investigation if Pascoe were elected.
The answer matters because the attorney general is supposed to serve the interests of South Carolina — not the interests of a political machine.
It is a story that deserves considerably more scrutiny. And so, to whoever is elected attorney general in November: I would encourage you to investigate any connections between Graham’s current political associates and Navatek, Martin Kao, or the meeting that took place in South Carolina.
If there is nothing there, an investigation should establish that. If there is, South Carolinians deserve to know.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Josh Bazzle is a South Carolina-based political journalist.
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7 comments
Crooks protecting fellow crooks! Nothing new here, but the added sunshine and exposure IS appreciated greatly, Mr Bazzle! I have long wondered the real reason that Trumpstein cannot keep his damn nose out of our state’s politics; whether promoting Nikki Haley to UN Ambassador and making Henry McMaster Governor, or endorsing McMaster for Governor so that we were stuck with him for ten years, or endorsing warmonger chickenhawk Lindsey Graham for another long six years as our US Senator. Thankfully, God or fate intervened and took Lindsey off the ballot, but Trumpstein wasn’t through meddling in our politics. He conspired with McMaster to put Graham’s “Little Sister” in our Senate seat, and shortly afterward, to stick us with her for a full six year term. Unfortunately, South Carolina has a lot of Trumptards, sheep, and clapping seals, who will do whatever Trumpstein tells them to do.
Personally, I think Annie Andrews will make a horrible Senator, but I would rather see her get it than “Little Sister”, who Trump wants to ram up our butts, so badly. We need to vote against any and all Trump puppets like “Little Sister” and for anyone who will obstruct Trump’s many nefarious agendas, including his latest perpetual war for Israel, at any cost.
I was looking forward to Pascoe as AG. I really hope the “whys” of him being shut out get more closely examined.
Keep digging, Mr Bazzle!
Regardless of party, this is exactly why all registered SC voters should elect Richard Hricik Attorney General. We need checks and balances in government, when all high level offices held by one hyper partisan ilk that is where corruption flourishes. Hricik is a very capable jurist and is taking no campaign money, that’s right none, so he’s beholden to no one but the voters.
May want to give Tiffany Boozer a look for State Comptroller, an actual accountant, that would be refreshing. The Treasurer and Comptroller’s offices numbers have jived for years.
No thanks, why should we elect an unqualified ambulance chaser to be be the states top prosecutor or an online educated government bureaucrat for comptrolller
If Lindsey was setting up a bribe for himself, he wouldn’t be telling his political consultants about it. He may have had tremendously bad neocon political positions, but he was not stupid. If the crossover consultants assisting Stumbo were trying to also dissuade him from inquiring into Lindsey, it would be for generic loyalty reasons, not because of knowledge of a bribe, and even that is just ad hoc assumption on the part of the writer. But since Stumbo wasn’t in office, its more likely that the topic never even came up. He cites no proof whatsoever. Also, from what I’ve heard and read, the 36k issue on Stumbo appears to be a matter of travel reimbursements and lagging paperwork, not skimming the till or some other willful malfeasance. Pascoe himself didn’t seem to regard it as worthy of any meaningful discussion, being knowledgeable of how those clerical things work.
“If Lindsey was setting up a bribe for himself, he wouldn’t be telling his political consultants about it.”
I get the feeling that Ladybugs didn’t have to take bribes himself, the cash never has to touch his hands at all.
Now, if that same cash happens to go to some other young college boy, and that young college boy happens to have been seen around Ladybugs at some kind of party, hotel, congressional building bathroom… Well, that isn’t his fault guys!
Russia said Ukraine killed lindsay because he was about to be indicted for fraud. Who knows?
I still think he was poisoned on that trip to Ukraine.