Senate Democrats are still digesting a report with new allegations surrounding a candidate running for Senate in Maine whom Democrats hope will help them recapture the majority come November.
But at least one Democratic senator, who conceded she had yet to read The New York Times’ report on Graham Platner, is sick of talking about alleged bad behavior by men.
“I look forward to the day where I am not answering every single week a question about bad behavior by another dude,” Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., told MS NOW’s Nicolle Wallace Thursday night.
Platner, 41, is facing a fresh round of allegations after several of his former girlfriends accused him of “toxic,” “unsettling” and “violent” behavior days before Maine’s June 9 primary. The new allegations were first reported Thursday by the Times. The article was based on interviews with more than two dozen people, including six women who dated Platner.
“First of all, I think about the women who are coming forward,” Slotkin told MS NOW, noting that her staff informed her of the Times’ reporting. “Second of all, I think if there are allegations of violence, I got a real problem with that, and it doesn’t matter if you’re a Democrat or Republican. If there’s violence, that’s not okay.”
Platner denied “anything alleging physicality” in an interview with MS NOW’s Chris Hayes on Thursday night.
He also pushed back on concerns voiced by Slotkin, telling Hayes, “My response is that I agree, but those allegations are false.”
In the Times’ report, some women offered positive accounts, describing Platner as caring and supportive. But three former partners recounted turbulent relationships with Platner, alleging he was demeaning toward women, drank heavily and was frequently unfaithful. In one instance, one woman recalled he also made physical threats.
One of the accusers, Lyndsey Fifield, recalled two specific incidents where she alleged Platner was physical with her. Fifield said Platner pulled her by her wrist out of a taxicab in once incident and in another, she alleged Platner twisted her arm and trapped her in a bedroom.
Platner’s campaign told the Times he “strongly disputes” allegations that he physically intimidated or threatened anyone.
The allegations have tested Democratic support for a candidate viewed as the party’s strongest challenger to incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins in one of the nation’s most closely watched Senate races.
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., said the new allegations reinforced his concerns.
“I did not see that coming … he’s like in Texas, for every ranch you see, there’s another 50 you won’t,” Fetterman told NOTUS. “He lied about his Nazi tattoo and assured people there wouldn’t be more. He just came here a day ago and said nothing more, nothing more, and then so this, so nothing’s changed for me.”
Speaking to NOTUS, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., called the report “troubling,” adding it’s “up to the voters of Maine to decide.”
Platner met privately with Senate Democrats on Tuesday as questions swirled about his personal conduct. Despite the controversies, several progressive leaders, including Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., have continued to support Platner’s candidacy.
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Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., said in a statement that the behavior described in the Times “was wrong and toxic,” but he added, “Graham has acknowledged that and sought redemption.”
“The people of Maine deserve a senator who is going to stand up to the billionaire class, against genocide, and for the working class,” Khanna said.
Platner’s alleged patterns of volatility
The latest accusations add to a series of controversies that have dogged Platner’s campaign.
Last week, reports surfaced that he sent sexually explicit text messages to multiple women during his marriage. His wife, Amy Gertner, publicly defended him and criticized the release of private communications. Platner responded to the initial reports in an earlier statement to CBS News, saying, “Amy and I went through something hard — because of me.”
On Thursday, Platner’s former girlfriends described to the Times a pattern of “volatile” behavior, including derogatory comments about women and discussions of violence.
One woman alleged Platner made comments about rape during conversations about home intruders. The Times said a campaign official did not dispute that comment.
She also disputed Platner’s previous explanation of a tattoo resembling a Nazi “death’s head” symbol, saying he taught her the term years ago and referred to the tattoo as “my Totenkopf.” Platner previously said he got the tattoo while serving in the military and did not understand its historical significance at the time. Platner’s campaign strongly denied he knew the tattoo’s meaning in response to that allegation, and last year, his campaign said he covered it up.
Platner, who has been open about his struggles with PTSD following his military service, told MS NOW in a statement that he was “far from a perfect boyfriend” and frequently self-medicated with alcohol during a “very dark period” of his life.
“Any characterization beyond that is false, and I believe, politically motivated. I’m not proud of who I was then, but I am proud of the work I’ve done since, and the movement we are building in Maine,” Platner said in the statement.
Platner remains the leading Democratic candidate in the race after Gov. Janet Mills dropped out of the primary in April after trailing him in polls for months. A University of New Hampshire Survey Center poll, conducted May 21-25, found Platner led Collins 51% to 42% in the general election matchup.
Ebony Davis is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW based in Washington, D.C. She previously worked at CNN as a campaign reporter covering elections and politics.