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AI analysis

Fact check

“The investigation at the center of ProPublica’s story was based on claims Kao made between 2022 through 2024, not seven years ago, as Collins states.”
VerifiedConfidence: HIGH

Reasoning

The supplied evidence contains explicit language confirming the timeframe of Kao's claims (2022‑2024) and clarifies that Collins was referring to an earlier FBI investigation that began in 2021. This directly supports the claim that the investigation discussed by ProPublica was not seven years old.

On confidence: The ProPublica article directly states that the investigation central to its story was based on claims Kao made between 2022 and 2024, contradicting Collins' assertion of a seven‑year‑old investigation.

Important context

The claim concerns the timing of the investigation referenced by Susan Collins versus the timeline reported by ProPublica. The article clarifies that the investigation under discussion concluded under the Trump administration in 2025, not during the Biden administration.

Evidence

Supporting (2)

Limitations

The assessment relies solely on the provided ProPublica excerpts; no additional sources were consulted to corroborate the timeline beyond this article.

Last verified:
Sep 27, 2026, 4:48 AM CDT
Pipeline:
2.1.0
Claim type:
Factual

Where this claim appeared

Susan Collins Dismissed Our Reporting as Old News. Some of Her Claims Aren’t True.

ProPublica · William Turton