Sen. Collins Responds to Attack Ads from Schumer-Linked PAC
Senator Susan Collins, a Republican from Maine, is speaking out against ads launched by a political action committee associated with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York. The Majority Forward PAC has initiated a substantial ad campaign costing $700,000, targeting Collins as she considers running for a sixth term, although she hasn’t officially announced her candidacy yet.
The ads, titled “Greed” in a 30-second spot and “This Life” in a 15-second version, claim that Collins benefits personally from her opposition to a stock trading ban in Congress. According to her office, the ads use images of Collins appearing in luxury settings to suggest she has profited from her position as a lawmaker.
The narrative of the ads states that Collins is guilty of “the worst kind of greed,” specifically accusing her of exploiting insider information for stock trading. A voiceover claims she opposes bipartisan legislation that would restrict members of Congress from engaging in such trading, asserting that, “Our representatives should serve the people of Maine, not line their pockets.” However, it’s worth noting that while Collins herself does not own any shares, her husband, Tom Duffron, does, although no trades have occurred since last year. Collins’s office insists that his investment activities are managed by third-party advisors without her involvement.
In response, Collins’s office noted, “Senator Collins never bought, sold, or owned any shares during her time in the Senate,” emphasizing that Duffron’s investment decisions are strictly handled independently. The Majority Forward spokesperson criticized Collins for not supporting a law favored by a significant majority in her state, saying she has refused to back the congressional stock trading ban.
Democrats are keen on having Governor Janet Mills enter the race against Collins, but Mills hasn’t yet made an official announcement regarding her potential candidacy. Meanwhile, Collins did not support a recent bill proposed by Senator Josh Hawley, which sought to ban stock trading among lawmakers. Instead, she suggested that lawmakers should focus on enforcing existing regulations against insider trading more effectively.
Interestingly, President Trump, along with all Republican members of the Senate Homeland Security and Government Accountability Committee, voted against the same trading ban. Collins, however, is not part of that committee.
In a surprising turn, some in Congress, including R-Fla. Representative Anna Paulina, have praised the push for a stock trading ban as a “massive victory” for accountability.
