How Trump’s FBI Purge Saved Lindsey Graham and James Clyburn From a Bribery Investigation

On March 3, 2020, Senator Lindsey Graham met with executives from a Hawaiian naval defense contractor called Navatek at a private dining room in Washington, D.C. The executives, Martin Kao, a CEO, and his staff, insisted on a $40,000 campaign contribution from Graham for a 45-minute meeting. Kao, confident in the outcome, told a Navatek lobbyist and a fellow executive that they could simply inform him of his agreement to "stop by and say 'yes'," as Kao wrote in an email.

During the meeting, Graham discussed a $10 million government contract for Navatek in South Carolina, and Kao reportedly asked for a $100,000 contribution to his reelection campaign. In early 2025, the FBI launched a major bribery investigation into Capitol Hill, with the dinner between Graham and Kao serving as its focal point.

Kao confessed to FBI agents that Navatek bribed public officials for government contracts, including Graham and other influential politicians like Rep. James Clyburn and Rep. Joe Wilson. Kao's admissions could have led to a major bribery case, but the FBI's anti-corruption team was disbanded by President Donald Trump, and the key investigators left after Trump-appointed officials restricted their ability to file new cases.

As a result, the investigation into Graham, Clyburn, and Wilson's alleged bribery involvement has been abandoned, making the case effectively closed.