Ocasio-Cortez Weighs in on Platner Allegations
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) stated that she needs more time to digest recent allegations against Graham Platner, a Senate candidate from Maine, before sharing her views. She mentioned, “This all just came up recently. I do legislative work on the floor, so I need to dig into everything further before I can comment on this.”
“I don’t want to talk before I dig into what’s out there. I want to be respectful to the person,” she added, emphasizing the importance of understanding the situation fully.
Ocasio-Cortez’s caution follows a New York Times report detailing allegations from several women who were romantically involved with Platner in recent years. Reports suggest that some of these women have made serious accusations, including references to violent behavior and distressing encounters.
Platner, meanwhile, has acknowledged his struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder from his military service, admitting in a previous statement that he has “opened up about a very dark time in my life” where he battled undiagnosed PTSD and self-medicated with alcohol.
Despite being a fellow progressive, Ocasio-Cortez has not yet endorsed Platner, who is aiming to unseat Republican Senator Susan Collins from Maine.
The unfolding situation has raised further concerns regarding Platner’s candidacy, especially in light of his past comments on sensitive topics like sexual abuse and race. He has faced backlash for previous social media posts, some of which suggested a lack of empathy towards victims.
One post from 2013, for instance, drew criticism when he appeared to blame a rape victim for not protecting herself. “Why don’t people take some responsibility for themselves and not be so upset if they end up having sex with someone they didn’t mean?” he wrote, which has resurfaced in discussions about his campaign.
Additionally, Platner admitted to sending explicit messages to multiple women while married, raising questions about his conduct. He recently met with senators to discuss his candidacy as Maine’s Senate primary approaches next Tuesday.
