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Graham Platner ends Maine Senate campaign after sexual assault allegation (www.theguardian.com)

submitted 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) by Powderhorn@beehaw.org to c/politics@beehaw.org

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Graham Platner, the Democratic nominee for US Senate in Maine, is suspending his campaign following sexual assault allegations.

Platner announced his decision in an 11-minute video posted to social media on Wednesday evening, in which he angrily accused the Democratic establishment and corporate media of “using these allegations to take away all of the things we need to run a campaign” and acting “as judge, jury and executioner”.

“For the movement to continue, it can’t be me,” he said. “For that reason, we are suspending campaign operations.”

Short excerpt, but it gets quote-heavy on Platner's behalf, all of which is denials, which aren't particularly relevant since he's no longer a candidate.

Edited to add the GOP response, thrown in at the end. Apparently, irony isn't real:

“Maine Democrats elected a rapist Nazi to be their nominee for Senate, and regardless of who they anoint next, Susan Collins will be re-elected in November,” said Samantha Cantrell, regional press secretary for the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

“Democrats rolled in the mud with Platner, and now they are completely stained by their association with this sick monster,” said Republican National Committee chair Joe Gruters.

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[–] spit_evil_olive_tips@beehaw.org 4 points 3 months ago

good fucking riddance. the news about his Nazi tattoo dropped in October of last year, and some of the world's most gullible rubes still believed in him.

following sexual assault allegations

"sexual assault" encompasses a large category of behavior. so let's be real specific here: Platner is a fucking rapist.

the news needs to toss "alleged" in there, but I don't.

quoting from Politico which broke the story, in spoiler tags because the details are upsetting:

spoiler

Racicot said she had an on-and-off relationship with Platner, who is now the Democratic Senate nominee in Maine, for more than two years before he entered her rural Maine home uninvited one night in late 2021, deeply intoxicated, and forced himself on her while she repeatedly told him to stop.

...

That night in late 2021, she said she had exchanged text messages with him and told him not to come over, saying she wasn’t in the mood for company. Later that evening, she said she realized when she heard a sound on the stairs that he had let himself into her house, which was unlocked.

...

Racicot said she tried to separate herself from Platner by telling him she couldn’t be in that room anymore, after which he followed her to her bedroom and had sex with her against her will. She said he also ejaculated inside of her despite her telling him not to, as she was not using birth control at the time.

he came into her house uninvited and fucking raped her. technically that also meets the legal definition of sexual assault, but come on, call a spade a spade.

oh, and if anyone wants to trot out any "well it's he said / she said so it's impossible to know for sure" bullshit, spare me:

Racicot also shared details about the alleged assault to the man she dated after Platner, who she began dating in 2022. The man, who was granted anonymity out of concern for his personal privacy, told POLITICO that Racicot had told him in bits and pieces about a bad experience with Platner before confiding the full details of what had happened in 2023. His account of what Racicot told him about the incident matched what Racicot told POLITICO.

and even after this came out, some people were still defending him.

make a list of those people.

do not listen to any opinion they have, ever again, for the rest of their lives.

do not let them near your children.

do not leave your drink unattended around them.

in which he angrily accused the Democratic establishment and corporate media

well golly gee I'm shocked that the rapist is getting angry and lashing out when confronted with the consequences of his own actions. no one could have seen that coming.