BREAKING: FBI Investigates Late Senator Lindsey Graham and Democrat James Clyburn for Bribery!
The Allegations Against Lawmakers
The FBI investigated whether South Carolina lawmakers Lindsey Graham, James Clyburn and Joe Wilson were involved in an alleged congressional bribery scheme tied to millions of dollars in federal defense contracts awarded to Hawaiian naval contractor Navatek, according to a report published Tuesday by ProPublica.
The investigation centered on allegations made by Navatek CEO Martin Kao, who told federal investigators that the company’s business model involved bribing public officials in exchange for government contracts.
According to the report, Graham allegedly agreed to help secure a $10 million government contract for Navatek in South Carolina after meeting with company executives and a lobbyist in March 2020. Kao alleged that Graham asked him to pledge $100,000 to his reelection campaign in exchange.
The Federal Funding and University Connection
Navatek allegedly pursued similar arrangements involving Clyburn and Wilson after approaching their offices in early 2019.
The company recruited the University of South Carolina for a joint research project and sought $9.5 million in federal funding. A spending bill containing that funding passed in December 2019.
The FBI Investigation
The FBI launched its investigation in early 2025. Kao told investigators that Navatek’s research for the federal government was often worthless and described a strategy of establishing offices near powerful lawmakers and partnering with local universities to pursue federal research funding.
However, Kao was a convicted fraudster seeking to reduce his prison sentence. He had pleaded guilty in 2022 to making illegal campaign donations and a loan fraud scheme and was sentenced to 87 months in prison.
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The Trump Administration and FBI Case
ProPublica reported that the investigation effectively stalled after President Donald Trump’s return to the White House, with the two FBI agents investigating the alleged scheme no longer at the agency.
The FBI disputed the report, calling its claims misleading and false. Representatives for Graham, Clyburn and Wilson also denied wrongdoing or defended their compliance with campaign finance rules.
Legal Status
Graham, Clyburn and Wilson were not subjects of the investigation at the time described in the report, although investigators reportedly indicated they could become subjects in the future. No criminal charges were reported against the lawmakers in connection with the alleged scheme.
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