Graham Platner, U.S. Senate candidate, faces new allegation
WARNING: Platner's accuser describes graphic allegations. Viewer and reader discretion is advised.
WASHINGTON (CBS, KYMA) - A stunning new allegation is rocking a pivotal race for the U.S. Senate in November.
Maine Democratic nominee Graham Platner is accused of rape by a woman he once dated, a claim Platner denies, and at least 13 Democrats are now calling on Platner to drop out of the race.
Platner, once considered a rising star in the Democratic Party, in now facing an allegation of sexual assault from a woman he alleged to have dated five years ago.
Jenny Racicot told Politico she first met Platner in 2019, and said their relationship was consensual until one night in 2021, when she alleges Platner came to her home uninvited, forcing her to have sex after she repeatedly told him to stop.
She told Politico Platner was "almost blackout drunk," and said, "I remember the specific moment where I thought to myself, like, 'This is no longer my choice.'"
In a separate interview with CNN, Racicot claimed she feared for her safety.
"He violated multiple layers of consent that night by coming into my home when I asked him not to, and by advancing on me when I told him not to," Racicot shared.
Platner, after postponing campaign events in recent days, responded in a video posted to social media Monday afternoon saying, "I wanted to directly address the troubling, serious, and false allegations against me. Any accusation of non-consensual behavior is categorically false."
The oyster farmer and Marine Veteran is no stranger to controversies. During his primary campaign, he faced scrutiny over a tattoo he later covered up after critics said it resembled a nazi symbol, and claims of "toxic" behavior from alleged previous romantic partners.
Platner has denied those allegations, but said during that time, he had been struggling with "undiagnosed PTSD" and was "self-medicating with alcohol."
The race has the potential to shift the balance of power in the U.S. Senate, and Platner is facing a new pressure: There is a July 13th deadline to drop out of the race, and then, the state Democratic Party could pick Platner's replacement to take on incumbent Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) in November.
