Martin Kao
Martin Kao | |
|---|---|
| Spouse | Tiffany Jennifer Lam |
Martin Kao is an American former businessman, currently serving an 87-month term in federal prison for wire fraud.[1][2] Kao was the president and CEO of Navatek LLC, a Hawaii-based engineering firm and US defense contractor.[3]
Career
[edit]In 2022, Kao was sentenced to 87 months in prison for wire fraud, after fraudulently obtaining over $12.8 million in loans from the Paycheck Protection Program.[1][4]
In September 2024, a judge allowed Kao to attend classes at Harvard University in advance of his sentencing.[5]
In October 2025, Kao was sentenced to 33 months in prison for engineering a scheme to send over $200,000 in illegal campaign donations to Senator Susan Collins and a super PAC that supported her 2020 reelection bid.[6][7] The illegal donations were made following Navatek receiving an $8 million federal contract that Collins secured funding for, and subsequently celebrated during an August 2019 ceremony with Navatek executives, including Kao.[6]
Susan Collins pay-to-play probe
[edit]In September 2026, ProPublica published a report detailing an investigation into Kao and his relationship with Senator Susan Collins.[8]
The FBI shut down the probe in 2025.[8]
Personal life
[edit]Kao is married to Tiffany Jennifer Lam.[9]
References
[edit]- 1 2 U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Hawaii (February 13, 2025). "Former Hawaii CEO Sentenced to 87 Months Imprisonment on Covid-Relief Fraud and Bank Fraud". www.justice.gov. Retrieved 2026-09-22.
- ↑ Berg, William Turton, Avi Asher-Schapiro, Molly Redden, and Kirsten (2026-09-22). "The FBI Anti-Corruption Squad Was Circling Susan Collins — Until Trump Got in the Way". ProPublica. Retrieved 2026-09-22.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ↑ Lewis, Kaitlin (2026-09-22). "ProPublica report on Susan Collins FBI probe: Key takeaways". The Boston Globe. ISSN 0743-1791. Retrieved 2026-09-22.
- ↑ https://news.bloomberglaw.com/coronavirus/hawaii-ceo-charged-with-12-8-million-covid-relief-fraud-scheme
- ↑ Grube, Nick (2024-09-12). "Convicted Hawaii Defense Contractor Will Attend Harvard While Awaiting Sentencing". Honolulu Civil Beat. Retrieved 2026-09-22.
- 1 2 Grube, Nick (2025-10-20). "Former Hawaiʻi Defense Contractor Gets Prison Time For Illegal Donations". Honolulu Civil Beat. Retrieved 2026-09-22.
- ↑ Tau, Byron; Bykowicz, Julie (2021-05-19). "FBI Probes Defense Contractor's Contributions to Sen. Susan Collins". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2026-09-22.
- 1 2 Thrush, Glenn; Feuer, Alan; Barrett, Devlin (2026-09-22). "F.B.I. Shut Down Inquiry Into Top Ally of Senator Susan Collins". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-09-22.
- ↑ Yurow, Jeremy (2026-09-01). "Racketeering claims survive against former defense contractor's wife". Courthouse News Service. Retrieved 2026-09-22.