Portland, ME – Today, one year after Susan Collins voted with her Republican colleagues to block the release of the Epstein files, Maine Democrats held a press conference calling out Collins for betraying women and selling out to Donald Trump and the Epstein class.

Watch the full press conference here.

“Of the many, many votes that Collins has taken over her 30 years in the Senate that have betrayed Mainers, this vote may do more than any other to summarize why Collins cannot be re-elected this November,” said Devon Murphy-Anderson, Executive Director of the Maine Democratic Party. “Collins’ lack of backbone to stand up for women and for survivors and for Mainers is not the type of representation that we deserve.”

“Susan Collins voted to protect powerful men who are accused of raping and trafficking children,” said Representative Nina Milliken (D-Blue Hill). “She voted against the release of the Epstein files. She further violated the trust of survivors, sexual violence, and of women and girls across this state and across this country.
And that’s just one of the ways she had voted to harm women and girls in her time in office.”

“The message was, not only do I not protect women, but I will protect the people who actually did this harm,” said Betsy Sweet, a women’s advocate. “She said, about Trump once famously, ‘I think he’s learned his lesson.’ Well, I think all the billionaires learned their lesson a year ago today. And that is that Susan Collins is on their side. She will vote to protect them.”

“Donald Trump may be able to count on Susan Collins,” said Representative Sophie Warren (D-Scarborough). “JD Vance may be able to count on Susan Collins. The billionaires funding Republican politics may be able to count on Susan Collins. But the question that ought to matter is can Maine people count on Susan Collins? For too many families that I represent, that answer is decisively no.”

Read more about how Susan Collins voted to block the release of the Epstein files and how her re-election campaign is heavily funded by Epstein associates:

• Portland Press Herald: Collins votes with Republicans to defeat Democrats’ effort to force release of Epstein files

• Bangor Daily News: Susan Collins and Senate Republicans barely defeat effort by Democrats to force release of Epstein files

• The Daily Beast: Embattled Republican Senator Blasted Over ‘Epstein Donors’