SouthernWorldwide.com – A prominent Democratic Senator is facing significant criticism for downplaying serious allegations of misconduct against Graham Platner, a controversial candidate for the Maine Senate, who is also a significant recipient of the senator’s campaign donations.
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, a Democrat, has contributed to Platner’s campaign through his Ocean PAC. Records show two donations, one in March of this year and another in October of last year. The most recent contribution was made prior to Janet Mills, another Democratic candidate for the Senate, withdrawing her candidacy in late April.
Whitehouse has consistently been one of Platner’s strongest supporters within the U.S. Senate. He previously described the candidate as “wonderfully appealing” in an interview with Politico, highlighting Platner’s strong start and appealing local background.
Despite emerging troubling details about Platner’s past online activity, personal conduct, and views, Whitehouse has maintained his support. Recent reporting from The New York Times has detailed accounts from former romantic partners of Platner, including allegations of rape fantasies, excessive drinking, and episodes of violence.
In response to these allegations, Whitehouse reportedly told NOTUS that he was not alarmed by the reporting. He characterized the accounts as “a lot of nothing,” suggesting that the only “unsettling” comment came from someone working for a right-wing political organization.
This reaction has ignited immediate backlash online. Chuck Ross, a reporter for the Washington Free Beacon, drew a parallel between Whitehouse’s dismissal of Platner’s allegations and his intense questioning of Supreme Court Justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh regarding high school slang. Ross posted on X, “Whitehouse is the guy who grilled Brett Kavanaugh about ‘boofing.’ Just unreal.”
GOP consultant Luke Thompson criticized Whitehouse’s stance, tweeting, “To the people just now learning that Sheldon Whitehouse is an amoral cretin, your ignorance to this point has been a choice.” Similarly, TPUSA spokesperson Andrew Kolvet questioned, “Is there a more contemptible man in the Senate than Sheldon Whitehouse?”
Parker Thayer, an investigative researcher at Capital Research, described Whitehouse as “the ringleader of the smearing of Kavanaugh” and a “very bad person.” Republican operative Matt Whitlock called him an “absolute dirt bag,” adding, “Dismissing a vivid account of physical abuse because it happened to a Republican operative is the most [Sheldon Whitehouse] thing I’ve ever heard.”
Amber Duke, Editor-in-chief of the Daily Caller, also pointed out what she perceived as an inconsistent application of scrutiny by Whitehouse. She juxtaposed his current remarks with a tweet from the time of Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearings, where Whitehouse stated, “Today I stand with women who are brave enough to come forward with their stories of abuse and mistreatment. They deserve to be heard and credible allegations must be investigated. We must believe survivors, not bully them.”
Conservative writer Bonchie on X remarked, “Sheldon Whitehouse is the same guy who accused Brett Kavanaugh of being a rapist because he wrote ‘boofing’ in his yearbook.”
Beyond the recent report, Platner has faced criticism for other controversial statements and associations. These include off-color remarks on sexual abuse, race, and terror, a tattoo linked to Nazi imagery, and allegations of inappropriate interactions with multiple women outside his marriage.
Platner has also previously referred to himself as a “communist” in online posts. Resurfaced comments from a now-deleted Reddit post in 2013 show Platner blaming rape victims for not taking adequate responsibility for their safety, stating, “How about people just take some responsibility for themselves and not so f—ed up when they wind up having sex with someone they don’t mean to?”
Whitehouse himself has a controversial past, including his family’s membership at the exclusive Bailey’s Beach Club, formerly known as the Spouting Rock Beach Association, which has been rumored to have an exclusively white membership. In 2017, Whitehouse commented on the club’s efforts to diversify, stating, “I think the people who are running the place are still working on that, and I’m sorry it hasn’t happened yet. It’s a long tradition in Rhode Island, and there are many of them. And we just need to work our way through the issues.”
Platner, who is positioned to secure the Democratic nomination and challenge incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine, met with senators earlier this week to address concerns about his campaign. Maine’s Senate primaries are scheduled for next Tuesday.
