SouthernWorldwide.com – Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner, facing a series of scandals, recently delivered a passionate pre-primary speech outlining a progressive platform that included universal healthcare, wealth taxes, and a Green New Deal. During his address, Platner also touched on campaign finance reform, floating a provocative idea that billionaires should face jail time for viewing political advertisements “the wrong way.”
This suggestion immediately drew criticism from Republican opponents. They highlighted the irony of Platner’s stance, given that some of his most prominent endorsers are themselves funded by billionaires. Critics also characterized his remarks as “Marxist dystopian” and, referencing recent allegations from a former girlfriend, jested about Platner’s supposed inclination to detain individuals against their will.
“We need to get money out of politics. We need to get rid of Citizens United. And, if I had my way, elections would last two months, they will be publicly funded and if a billionaire looked at a TV ad the wrong way, we’d put ’em in jail,” Platner stated to an applauding audience of constituents on Sunday evening. These comments were made as Platner expounded on his far-left agenda and expressed strong disapproval of conservatives, even going so far as to call former President Donald Trump “dumb.”
“That’s one way to thank some of his own supporters for their generosity!” remarked veteran Republican strategist Colin Reed. Reed pointed out that Platner’s notable supporters, such as Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, have received substantial contributions in the past month from billionaires like George Soros, Pat Stryker, Jon Stryker, and Jennifer Pritzker, according to data from campaign finance watchdog OpenSecrets.
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“Why worry about slowly slipping into a Marxist dystopia? With Graham Platner, you can sprint toward it!” declared Jason Savage, Executive Director of the Maine GOP, in response to Platner’s speech about imprisoning billionaires.
“Dude is big on locking people in rooms against their will, apparently,” quipped CNN senior political commentator Scott Jennings. This remark appeared to allude to recent reports concerning Platner’s past romantic relationships, including an allegation from an ex-girlfriend that he once forcibly twisted her arm, pushed her into a bedroom, and held the door shut from the outside. Platner has categorically denied these allegations.
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Platner’s campaign has been significantly challenged by a series of controversies since he emerged as a progressive contender in Maine’s highly anticipated Senate race against incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins. These controversies include recent accusations from several former girlfriends detailing his behavior during their relationships. Notably, one ex-girlfriend, Lyndsey Fifield, shared with The New York Times an account of being confined to a room by Platner over a decade ago.
Furthermore, Platner has faced backlash for allegedly sending sexually explicit messages to multiple women on the platform Kik during the early stages of his marriage. Following these reports, it was revealed that Platner still maintained an active profile on Kik, an anonymous messaging application that has drawn criticism from child safety organizations and law enforcement. The profile reportedly featured a shirtless selfie of Platner, prompting Republican staffers to later mockingly appear outside the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee wearing towels.
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Amy Gertner, Platner’s wife, reportedly brought these messages to the attention of campaign officials during an internal vetting process. While the campaign has acknowledged the existence of these messages, they have maintained that the issue was resolved privately between Platner and his wife.
In response to the accusations from his former girlfriends, Platner has contended that they are politically motivated. His campaign has also accused critics and national media outlets of prioritizing personal attacks and private matters over the issues that are relevant to Maine voters.
Prior to these recent controversies, Platner had already faced scrutiny over a tattoo that critics identified as a symbol associated with Nazis. He later covered the tattoo, stating that he was unaware of its meaning when he got it. However, one of Platner’s former staffers, Genevieve McDonald, alleged that Platner had been aware of the symbol’s Nazi connections for some time, despite his claims of ignorance.
Platner also issued an apology after old Reddit posts resurfaced, containing a series of inflammatory comments regarding rape, race, political violence, police, rural Americans, and military veterans. Platner has stated that his views have evolved and that some of his past remarks reflected a difficult period in his life following his military service.
