New York Times Faces Scrutiny Over Platner Assault Claim Buried 70 Paragraphs Deep
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 7
New York Times Faces Scrutiny Over Platner Assault Claim Buried 70 Paragraphs Deep
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 7
Summary
Politico’s Monday report said Jenny Racicot accused Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner of sexually assaulting her in 2021, intensifying questions about how the New York Times handled her account in a June exposé.
Racicot said she told Times reporters the allegation off the record and never said she declined to elaborate, even though the paper summarized the episode deep in the story as a drunken visit she cut contact over.
That passage appeared roughly 70 paragraphs into the article, which devoted substantial attention to ex-girlfriend Lyndsey Fifield’s conservative politics and said her abuse claims could not be corroborated.
Fifield said the Times failed to contact key friends and other corroborating sources she provided, while one friend publicly said reporters never reached out.
The Times did not immediately comment on the new criticism and has previously said it stands by its reporting on several women’s accounts of Platner’s behavior.