Senators Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Jon Ossoff (D-GA) have called for Maine Senatorial Candidate Graham Platner to withdraw his candidacy following allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman five years ago.
How have these allegations come to light? An exclusive piece from Politico unveiled the allegations and identified the woman involved, a 41-year-old Maine resident named Jenny Racicot.
Racicot claims that Platner forced himself on her five years ago despite her repeated objections. Platner flatly denied these allegations.
Racicot also clarified that she decided to go public with this information because her story had not received the attention it warranted.
What lawmakers are saying:
- Sen. Jon Ossoff: “Mr. Platner should withdraw his candidacy for the Senate.”
- Sen. Raphael Warnock: “The allegations against Graham Platner are disturbing and sickening. Moral character still matters. He should drop out of the race immediately.”
- Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Kirsten Gillibrand in a joint statement: “The allegations reported today are incredibly disturbing – violence, abuse and sexual assault are absolutely unacceptable. Graham Platner needs to immediately withdraw as the Democratic nominee for Senate and allow Maine Democrats the opportunity to choose a new candidate who can defeat Susan Collins. The DSCC will not invest in the Maine Senate race if Platner remains on the ballot.”
Further Context: Despite Democratic backlash, the Platner campaign fiercely denied the new allegations. According to them, this is a coordinated attack from “state establishment operatives” working to deny Platner the chance at election.
In their official statement, the team went so far as to allege that the allegations were conveniently timed before the ballot deadline.
Sen. Warnock has commented on Platner before, calling into question his moral character after similar allegations were made. He didn’t call for Platner to drop out of the race outright, but he urged Maine voters to consider whether Platner was the right candidate.
As for Sen. Ossoff, this is the first time he has publicly acknowledged Platner. He remained silent despite the severity of the previous allegations, which also involved sexual assault and indecent exposure.
