Graham Platner, a Democratic hopeful for flipping a key U.S. Senate seat in Maine, was accused of sexual assault this week.
In an exclusive interview with Politico, 41-year-old Maine resident Jenny Racicot shared that Platner, whom she previously dated, entered her home one night in 2021 while intoxicated and forced himself upon her. “I remember the specific moment where I thought to myself, like, ‘This is no longer my choice,’” she shared.
A month prior, The New York Times had published a piece in which other women with past romantic ties to Platner described him as “cavalierly contemptuous of women’s emotions.” And before that, old online comments of his had resurfaced, in which he expressed dismissive attitudes toward rape, placing the onus of prevention upon women. In addition, his wife has accused him in the past of sending inappropriate texts to other women while married.
Following publication of the Politico interview, several Democrats rescinded their endorsements of Platner, who had been thought of as a serious challenger to longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins, especially after he won the state’s recent Democratic primary with 72% of the vote.
Platner – already something of a controversial figure ahead of the slurry of allegations of sexual impropriety, in light of his ties to various alt-right, antisemitic personalities and an old chest tattoo that evoked Nazi imagery – has denied the allegations.
What is truly fascinating, though – to me, at least – is his decision to run in the first place, knowing that all of this lingered in his own past. The track record of inappropriate sexual interactions; the history of unfortunate internet commentary that no staffers bothered to scrub; the hateful image he once permanently altered his body to display. Despite all of this, he ran for office anyway. And not in pursuit of a down-ballot local seat, but a highly sought-after position that was considered to be one of the most flippable seats in the nation.
One has to imagine he’d be concerned about all of this coming to light, especially running for an office of national import. But maybe he still felt entitled to the job all the same. Maybe he simply thought he’d get away with it all – as so many men do, since experts estimate that about 75% of rapes go unreported.
Or, maybe he just figured that the online boys’ club would take up his mantle.
Once Again, Here They Go
Platner wasn’t wrong. In some cases, said defense is coming from the sort of people you’d expect, like independent journalist and noted Epstein investigation skeptic Michael Tracey. He posted on X that “the Democratic Party and their media adjuncts prove that the one area where they CAN consistently take ruthless collective action is on some ginned up sex accusation.”
In other cases, though, it came from constituents themselves, “He’s got a little bit of baggage, but who gives a sh*t? He is a saint here to me,” Maine resident Kevin Claik told the BBC, after all but the most recent scandal had been made public.
Author Stephen King also took to X to share his two cents. In a since-deleted post, he said: “Graham Platner may drop out. (I hope he doesn’t, but.) Meanwhile, the Abuser in Chief just keeps on keepin’ on,” referring to President Donald Trump’s own numerous allegations of sexual harassment and assault. “If you knew the whole truth about everyone in the Senate and House of Reps, those chambers would be dead empty. Jesus said, ‘Let him without sin cast the first stone,’” King continued, before adding that he considers this a comparison, more than a defense.
And journalist Glenn Greenwald posted that “I still think due process is the best way … to determine guilt and the truth of accusations. Online mobs and trial by media are infinitely more unreliable for all sorts of reasons that should be obvious.” Which category does he put the alleged victims’ disclosures into, I wonder?
It’s all part of a pattern. Studies show that men are more likely to act as permissive bystanders when they see fellow men harming people and otherwise misbehaving, largely out of fear of social consequences. We’ve seen it born out time and time again, with men in particular minimizing wrongs and insulating toxic men from professional comeuppance and social redress.
The Bright Spot
Now, Platner and his team are reportedly even trying to assert some measure of control in the process of selecting his successor, before he’ll formally step down – a process that has only become necessary because of his own past transgressions.
Others outside of his employ and control, though, are trying to set things right. Devon Murphy-Anderson, executive director of the Maine Democratic Party, posted on X that she and her team are working to “develop a process to replace our U.S. Senate nominee that’s open, inclusive, transparent and fair,” adding that “the integrity of this process is just as important as the outcome.” And no, Platner won’t be involved, she added.
Some are trying to help from afar. California-based lawyer Cheyenne Hunt posted that Platner staffers wishing to resign in solidarity with Racicot could contact her team with their resumes, and they’d do their best to help them secure new jobs. “We did the same thing for Swalwell staff,” she added, referring to those who had worked for former California Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell, before his own slew of sexual assault allegations forced him to resign.
It’s worth noting that, both in regards to the whistleblowers who set this all in motion, and the helpers finding the path ahead… it’s women doing these hard parts – while also leading the defense of those sticking their necks out, like writer Jill Filipovic, and guiding us with their intuition along the way, like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
When it comes to righting wrongs, men could learn from their example. ◼️
