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Graham Platner, a Democratic campaigner for nan US Senate, has rejected an explosive caller study astir his curen of women, insisting that allegations of abusive behaviour are “politically motivated”.
Platner, a progressive moving for predetermination successful Maine, was responding to a New York Times article published connected Thursday that included an question and reply pinch a Republican operative who accused him of womanizing, beingness misconduct and making troubling comments astir rape.
The claims prompted caller calls for Platner, 41, who has faced scrutiny complete past societal media posts and a tattoo recognized arsenic a Nazi symbol, to retreat from adjacent week’s Democratic superior successful Maine, though he gave nary hint of doing so.
The New York Times said its study was based connected interviews pinch much than 2 twelve group including Lyndsey Fifield, 40, whom nan insubstantial described arsenic “a Virginia blimpish who has worked for right-leaning groups and Republican campaigns”.
According to nan newspaper, Fifield dated Platner from astir 2013 to 2015 and recovered him “cavalierly contemptuous” of women, adding that his violative online posts “reminded maine of conscionable really overmuch he hated women”. In a 2016 diary entry, she described him arsenic “the astir toxic virtually abusive man connected world who destroyed my life”.
In nan article, Fifield alleged that Platner often grabbed her by nan shoulders and erstwhile yanked her retired of a taxi by her wrist. “During 1 argument, she recalled, he twisted her limb down her back, shoved her into a chamber and held nan doorway closed from nan different broadside truthful she couldn’t get out, telling her to stay location until she was ‘calm’.”
The Times noted that Platner “strongly disputes” immoderate claims of beingness intimidation aliases altercations, and said it could not independently corroborate Fifield’s relationship of them.
Fifield further recalled that Platner would sharpen an axe while watching TV, and near an AR-15 lying astir successful his Washington apartment. She said he described women arsenic “hatchet wounds”, a crude reference to female anatomy, and many times asserted, “If anybody ever collapsed successful here, I would rape them,” adding that this would not beryllium successful “a intersexual way, not successful a cheery way”.
Fifield told nan paper: “He was like, I would rape them to show them that I’m dominant.”
Fifield besides formed uncertainty connected Platner’s declare that he was unaware that his tattoo was a Nazi awesome until it became nan halfway of contention past year. “After all, she said, he had taught her nan connection for it years earlier, referring to it arsenic ‘my Totenkopf,’” nan Times reported.
Fifield antecedently worked for nan Heritage Foundation, a rightwing thinktank successful Washington that produced Project 2025, a blueprint for nan 2nd Donald Trump administration, and spent a little spell connected Republican Nikki Haley’s 2024 statesmanlike predetermination campaign. She is now a visiting fellow astatine a blimpish group called Independent Women.
Platner’s run said successful a statement: “Let’s beryllium very clear: This is simply a lifelong GOP operative who’s dedicated her profession to electing Republicans.”
The New York Times cited captious comments from 2 different women. Jenny Racicot, 41, a Democrat from Maine, who said she dated Platner betwixt 2019 and 2021, told nan paper: “When I saw nan aged comments that he made online, I recognized a type of him that I had experiences with.”
A 3rd woman, besides a Democrat from Maine, who wished to stay anonymous, echoed nan accounts of dense drinking and being unfaithful and said she felt for illustration “collateral harm to nan world that is his”.
Three different women who dated Platner gave much affirmative accounts to nan Times, praising him arsenic a caring and charming partner.
Platner, a combat veteran, has antecedently apologized for societal media posts and covered up nan tattoo. He has spoken astir dealing pinch post-traumatic accent upset (PTSD) that he linked to his clip successful nan military.
In a connection connected Thursday, he said: “Throughout this campaign, I’ve been unfastened astir what was a very acheronian play of my life wherever I struggled pinch undiagnosed PTSD, excessively often self-medicated pinch alcohol, and was a acold from cleanable boyfriend. I return work for each of that, and wish I had been better.
“Any characterization beyond that is false, and I believe, politically motivated. I’m not proud of who I was then, but I americium proud of nan activity I’ve done since, and nan activity we are building successful Maine.”
Most Democrats remained silent. But John Fetterman, a legislator for Pennsylvania who has often bucked nan statement activity and emerged arsenic a Platner critic, said: “No surprise. The absorbing portion will beryllium really those who endorsed him will respond to this.”
Manu Raju, CNN’s main legislature correspondent, added connected X that Fetterman had told him Maine voters should move to authorities politician Janet Mills, who suspended her run against Platner but remains connected nan ballot.
Michael Trujillo, a Democratic strategist based successful Los Angeles, posted connected X: “I don’t cognize really Platner continues. He’s lied to nan state astir his Nazi tattoo, physically harms women, doesn’t respect them, location is thing astir this man that says ‘yes correspond maine successful nan United States Senate’ driblet out, for nan bully of nan state and astir importantly yourself.”
Republicans seized connected nan latest report. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas wrote connected X: “Women who dated Graham Platner opportunity he was demeaning, volatile, physically threatening, ‘cavalierly contemptuous’ of women, and casually joked astir his ‘Totenkopf’ Nazi tattoo. This is not 1 bad Reddit post. It is simply a pattern. And Democrats ain each spot of it.”
Delanie Bomar, a spokeswoman for nan Republican National Committee, said: “Every time brings different profoundly disturbing revelation astir Graham Platner. If he’s consenting to do this to his ain girlfriend, ideate what he’s consenting to do successful a position of governmental power.”
Earlier this week, Platner traveled to Washington to meet respective Democratic senators, days aft a disclosure that he and his woman person had marital difficulties and sought counseling aft he reportedly sent sexually definitive matter messages to different women.
If nominated, he would look Senator Susan Collins, a Republican moving for a sixth six-year term, successful November. Defeating Collins is important to Democrats’ attempts to regain power of nan Senate.
