A political adviser for Graham Platner’s now-canceled Senate campaign is facing significant scrutiny after claiming that his team recommended Platner suspend his candidacy “as soon as it learned of the rape allegation.” This statement contradicts the campaign’s previous public denial of the allegations, which emerged just two days before Platner chose to suspend his campaign.
“Immediately upon learning about the rape allegations against Graham Platner, we advised him to suspend his campaign, and we began to dial back the campaign in the days that followed,” stated Morris Katz, Platner’s adviser.
The allegation, first disclosed by Politico, came from Jenny Racicot of Maine, who accused Platner of rape in 2021. Platner has vehemently denied these claims, suggesting they are fabricated and politically driven.
As the situation escalated, Katz’s remarks drew criticism, particularly regarding the timeline. A community note from the platform X highlighted that when CNN inquired about the allegations on July 6, the campaign chose to deny the claims instead of suggesting an immediate suspension, which only happened two days later.
Reacting to Katz’s comments, CNN’s Jake Tapper noted that when they approached the campaign concerning Racicot’s allegations, the response was one of denial, asserting that her claims were false.
After the Politico article was published, Platner quickly released a video in which he mentioned his campaign was “taking time to reflect” on the next steps.
Platner’s team stated that although he “categorically denies” the serious allegations, they believe external opponents, coordinated by out-of-state operatives, are attempting to undermine his candidacy.
Despite mounting pressure to withdraw from the race, Platner did address the allegations in an 11-minute video, claiming they were “all false” and accusing the political establishment of trying to force him out. He pointed to a history of similar tactics, asserting that the timing of the allegations was suspiciously close to key election dates.
Ultimately, he announced his campaign suspension in a video, stating, “It is not up to me to continue the campaign, so we are suspending our campaign.” His official exit from the race came shortly after.
Criticism on social media has centered on the timeline of events, questioning why Platner didn’t act sooner after learning of the allegations. Some pointed out that Katz and his team were aware of potential issues as early as last year.
The Maine Democratic Party had previously contested a July 13 deadline for Platner to officially withdraw, which would allow them until July 27 to select a replacement candidate to challenge incumbent Senator Susan Collins.
