Sep 23, 2026 · 58 min
Alleged Navy contract ties collide with grassroots organizing
Concerning Collins' Corruption (feat. Missy McGinnis and Katie Paris of Red, Wine & Blue)
The episode pairs scrutiny of alleged political influence over an $8 million Navy contract with a close look at how grassroots networks convert community into electoral power.
- 1The episode examines allegations that Susan Collins helped facilitate an $8 million Navy contract linked to political donations.
- 2Red Wine and Blue leaders describe relational organizing as a way to turn personal networks into electoral action.
- 3The organization aims to grow from more than 700 local groups to as many as 2,000 by 2028.
Don't miss
Missy McGinnis and Katie Paris explain how Red Wine and Blue hopes to scale from more than 700 local groups to as many as 2,000 by 2028 without losing local responsiveness.
The brief
The episode opens with allegations that Senator Susan Collins helped secure an $8 million Navy contract for Navitech, followed by political donations and reported scrutiny of the FBI investigation.
The focus then shifts from Washington allegations to local organizing, as Missy McGinnis and Katie Paris describe Red Wine and Blue’s network of more than 700 groups.
Their central argument is that relational organizing works through personal conversations: friends and acquaintances can make voting feel social, local, and actionable.
McGinnis and Paris outline a plan to reach 1,500 to 2,000 groups by 2028, expanding into rural, exurban, and urban communities while adapting to local needs.
The conversation’s standout tension is scale versus intimacy: a growing national network must preserve grassroots listening while turning community ties into electoral action.