FBI protest investigations stories

Oct 20, 2026

FBI investigated Lindsey Graham and James Clyburn for bribery until Trump took office

The FBI was investigating whether Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) were involved in a bribery scheme connected to Hawaiian naval defense contractor Navatics until the probe was shut down after Trump's inauguration in January 2025.

Oct 20, 20263 sources

Top claims

▪Former Navatek CEO Martin Kao pleaded guilty in 2022 to making illegal campaign donations and loan fraud, receiving an 87-month prison sentence in 2025
▪In early 2025, the FBI initiated a bribery investigation designating former Navatek executives Duke Hartman and Joshua Knight as formal subjects while tracking interactions with lawmakers Lindsey Graham, James Clyburn, and Joe Wilson
▪Former Navatek CEO Martin Kao told the FBI that Representative James Clyburn requested $100,000 in campaign contributions during a meeting in exchange for official support

People involved

Donald Trump

Subtopics

Congress1 Trump administration1 U.S. domestic politics1

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