Report details allegations of unsettling behavior toward women by Graham Platner

“I take responsibility for all of that, and wish I had been better. Any characterization beyond that is false, and I believe, politically motivated. ” The New York Times’s story on Thursday also added new scrutiny to Platner’s explanation of a tattoo with Nazi symbolism he got while in the military.

Fifield, his former girlfriend, recalled Platner referring to it years earlier as “my Totenkopf,” a reference to the skull-and-crossbones emblem used by Nazi SS units. Platner has previously said he had not understood the symbol’s significance when he got the tattoo while serving in the Marine Corps and had only been made aware of its meaning last October.

But Fifield previously told CNN, while speaking on condition of anonymity , that Platner was aware of the tattoo’s Nazi associations years before the controversy became public last year. ” Platner declined to comment to CNN last year on the texts about the tattoo.

The campaign stood by his past denials about the tattoo. The latest allegations come as Democrats have increasingly rallied around Platner after Democratic Gov. Janet Mills suspended her campaign in April, leaving the political newcomer as the party’s expected nominee in one of the nation’s most closely watched Senate contests.

They also arrive after months of controversies that have forced Platner and his campaign into a nearly constant cycle of damage control and apologies. Since launching his campaign, Platner has faced scrutiny over deleted social media posts on Reddit in which he called himself a “communist,” dismissed “all” police as bastards, and said White Americans “actually are” racist and stupid.

He later disavowed those remarks, telling CNN they reflected a period when he was angry and disillusioned and do not represent his current views. Last week, Platner was forced to confront reports that he exchanged sexually explicit messages with multiple women outside his marriage.

Reports in the New York Times and Wall Street Journal indicated that Platner’s wife had alerted campaign officials to the messages during internal vetting discussions. Genevieve McDonald, Platner’s former political director, confirmed to CNN that Platner’s wife disclosed to her last year that Platner had been sexting multiple women and that the campaign evaluated the matter as a potential political liability.

CNN has not independently confirmed the existence of the messages. CNN did verify that an account on a messaging app appeared to belong to Platner, under the username “phustle0331,” featuring a profile photo showing Platner shirtless in a bathroom with a towel around his waist and using a handle similar to ones on his since-deleted Reddit account and a now-deleted Instagram account.

The controversies around Platner have prompted Democratic concern that he could jeopardize one of the party’s most promising pickup opportunities in a cycle where they hope to recapture the Senate. Platner could face new pressure to step aside after the latest allegations, either before or after Tuesday’s primary.

In Maine, general election candidates have until the second Monday in July to withdraw. That would be July 13 this year. Maine law says the state party would then have two weeks to put forward a replacement candidate. Maine is a crucial state for Democrats in their uphill battle to capture the Senate majority.

They need to flip at least four seats, including in states that are more favorable to Republicans than Maine. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer had recruited Mills to run and then signaled support for Platner after Mills suspended her campaign in April, citing low campaign funds.

Her name remains on Tuesday’s primary ballot, along with that of a third, lesser-known candidate, David Costello. Schumer did not respond when asked on Capitol Hill after the Times’ latest report if he still supported Platner. Some Democrats who supported Mills’ Senate campaign believe she should resume it given Platner’s latest controversies.

She has not weighed in on that possibility but raised eyebrows Sunday when she reminded a Maine newspaper that her name is still on the ballot. One of Platner’s biggest allies in Congress, Sen. Bernie Sanders, has stood by him in recent days after the reports about his text messages to other women.

Asked Tuesday night if he was worried that more damaging information about Platner would emerge, Sanders said he did not know. m. interview on MS NOW. Republicans responded quickly to the article, signaling they planned to put the allegations front and center in the general election if Platner is his party’s nominee.

“If he’s willing to do this to his own girlfriend, imagine what he’s willing to do in a position of political power,” Delanie Bomar, a spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee, said in a statement. ” Democrats were more muted on Platner’s candidacy in the immediate aftermath of the story’s publication.

“We are still going to win Maine,” Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, who chairs the Senate Democratic campaign arm, told CNN. Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, a top Platner critic among Democrats in Congress, suggested Maine Democrats should now shift their support to Mills.

“I think what’s time is, is for Maine voters to take a look at the sitting governor, an honorable woman, and that is a committed Democrat that’s already won statewide,” Fetterman told CNN. A former campaign spokesperson for Mills did not respond to a request for comment on The New York Times story, as well as on Fetterman’s suggestion.

This story has been updated with additional details.

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[Cbs News] 3 women who dated Graham Platner recall "unsettling" behavior, New York Times reports Three women who dated Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner recalled "unsettling" behavior they experienced with him for a new report in the New York Times. CBS News congressional correspondent Nikole Killion has more on that and some of the other top stories from Capitol Hill.

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[dailycaller.com] Nazi-Tattooed Senate Candidate Accused Of Physically Abusing Ex-Girlfriend Graham Platner is facing newly reported allegations from ex-girlfriends, including at least one accusation that he physically harmed a woman.

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[The New York Times] Several Women Who Dated Graham Platner Recall ‘Unsettling’ Behavior The Democratic candidate for Senate in Maine could be charming, women said in interviews, but some found his actions intimidating and disturbing.

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[The Guardian] Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner rejects new allegations of abusive behavior <p>Platner says claims in New York Times article of physical misconduct and offensive remarks ‘politically motivated’</p><p>Graham Platner, a Democratic candidate for the US Senate, has rejected an explosive new report about his treatment of women, insisting that allegations of abusive behavior are “politically motivated”.</p><p>Platner, a progressive running for election in Maine, was responding to a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/04/us/politics/platner-maine-senate-girlfriends-relationships.html">New York Times article</a> published on Thursday that included an interview with a Republican operative who accused him of womanizing, physical misconduct and making troubling comments about rape.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/04/graham-platner-maine-new-york-times-report">Continue reading...</a>