SouthernWorldwide.com – U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner is facing a second serious allegation of sexual misconduct, emerging just 24 hours after an initial accusation of rape, all while a critical campaign deadline approaches.
The new report, published by The Washington Post, details an accusation from his ex-girlfriend, Lyndsey Fifield, alleging that Platner removed condoms during sexual encounters without her consent, despite her explicit requests for their use.
“He would pull condoms off,” Fifield stated to The Washington Post. “He would do it in a sneaky way. He wouldn’t tell me.”
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Fifield, 41, had previously spoken about Platner’s physical misconduct during their relationship. She described instances where he allegedly grabbed her forcefully enough to leave marks and once twisted her arm, pushed her into a bedroom, and held the door shut until she “calmed down.”
These prior concerns were reportedly downplayed by Platner’s supporters, who suggested Fifield, a former employee of The Heritage Foundation, was acting as a conservative operative.
“I confronted him both during and after [sex] because he knew that I was not on birth control and how dangerous that was,” Fifield told The Post. She indicated that these allegations were made in a previous interview with the outlet but were strictly off the record at the time.
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“He would act like cute about it, like ‘Oh sneaky me,'” she recalled, according to the report.
In response to The Washington Post’s inquiry, the Platner campaign reportedly issued a statement calling Fifield’s latest allegations “categorically false and politically motivated.”
Platner is currently campaigning to unseat Republican Maine Senator Susan Collins.
On Monday, the oyster farmer, whose campaign has been marred by scandal since last year, was accused of rape by another woman.
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Jenny Racicot, 41, informed POLITICO that Platner allegedly entered her home while intoxicated in 2021, during a period when they were in an on-again, off-again romantic relationship, and subsequently raped her. She claims he ejaculated inside her despite her repeated requests for him to stop.
“I remember him grabbing my pelvis and being really forceful of me,” Racicot told the outlet, describing the incident as occurring while Platner was “almost blackout drunk” in Washington, D.C. “I remember the specific moment where I thought to myself, like, ‘This is no longer my choice.’”
Platner vehemently denied these allegations as well, in a video statement released shortly after the POLITICO story was published.
His campaign indicated that it was taking time to evaluate potential next steps, particularly given the impending significant deadline in the race.
Platner must withdraw from the race by 5:00 p.m. on the upcoming Monday, July 13, if another Democratic candidate is to be selected by the party to replace him before the November general election.
From Monday evening into Tuesday, a number of former supporters rescinded their endorsements of Platner and urged him to withdraw from the contest. Among them were progressive Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who had been among his most vocal backers.
“Now more than ever we need leaders in Washington who reflect our values. There can be no tolerance for sexual assault,” Warren stated Monday night.
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“Working families are counting on Democrats to win the Senate election in Maine to unrig our economy and hold Donald Trump accountable. With so much at stake, the best path forward is for Graham Platner to step aside as the Democratic nominee and address these serious allegations outside this Senate race.”
“I have spoken with Graham Platner about the best path forward for Maine,” Sanders commented midday Tuesday. “In light of these very serious allegations, I have recommended that he step aside.”
