3 Democratic Senators Stay Silent on Platner Rape Allegation as Support Collapses
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 7
3 Democratic Senators Stay Silent on Platner Rape Allegation as Support Collapses
1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 7
Summary
Three Democratic senators — Bernie Sanders, Chris Murphy and Chris Van Hollen — had not withdrawn support or urged Graham Platner to quit after Maine resident Jenny Racicot, 41, accused him of rape.
Racicot told Politico and CNN that Platner entered her home drunk in 2021 and forced her to have unprotected sex, intensifying a scandal already threatening his Maine Senate campaign.
That silence contrasts with a broader Democratic retreat: Elizabeth Warren, Ro Khanna, Chuck Schumer and the party’s Senate campaign arm have all called for Platner to suspend his campaign.
Sheldon Whitehouse also reversed course on Tuesday, withdrawing support after previously dismissing an earlier abuse allegation from former girlfriend Lyndsey Fifield as "a lot of nothing."
The split has sharpened scrutiny of Democrats’ handling of sexual-misconduct accusations, especially because Sanders, Murphy and Van Hollen had defended Platner through earlier controversies over abuse claims, explicit messages and extremist-linked posts.