A woman has come forward alleging that Graham Platner, the Democratic nominee for US Senate in Maine, raped her in 2021 while they were in a casual dating relationship. Platner denies the allegation.

Allegation Details

The woman, Jenny Racicot, said the alleged assault occurred at her home in a Maine town in November or December 2021. She claimed that Platner showed up at her house drunk, despite her asking him not to come, and then forcibly had sex with her. Racicot said she repeatedly tried to stop him, but he would not listen.

Racicot did not report the incident to authorities at the time and broke off contact with Platner soon after. She said she did not have a political motive to come forward with her story, but rather wanted to give a clearer picture of who Platner is and his past behavior.

Platner’s Response

Platner’s campaign denied the allegations, stating that they are ‘very serious’ and that Platner ‘vigorously denies them.’ The campaign also suggested that the allegations may be politically motivated, pointing to the involvement of Cheyenne Hunt, a Democratic social media influencer and lawyer who has helped surface allegations of sexual assault against lawmakers and candidates.

Racicot said she changed her mind about publicly airing the allegation after connecting with Hunt, who provided a support network for sexual assault survivors. Racicot said she is a registered Democratic voter who supports many of Platner’s views, but felt it was important to share her story to give voters a more complete picture of the candidate.

Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.