{"id":3999,"date":"2026-07-08T17:10:27","date_gmt":"2026-07-08T17:10:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=3999"},"modified":"2026-07-08T17:10:27","modified_gmt":"2026-07-08T17:10:27","slug":"accused-rapist-graham-platner-convenes-crisis-meetings-with-maine-senate-campaign-brass-as-he-holds-livid-dems-hostage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=3999","title":{"rendered":"Accused rapist Graham Platner convenes crisis meetings with Maine Senate campaign brass as he holds ‘livid’ Dems hostage"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

WASHINGTON \u2014\u00a0Beleaguered Democratic Senate hopeful Graham Platner held crunch talks with top campaign brass at his Maine home Wednesday as he weighs whether to stay in the race following rape allegations.<\/p>\n

Read more Jack Antonoff and Margaret Qualley separate after less than 3 years of marriage<\/a><\/p>\n

The gathering included top adviser Morris Katz, who is trying to hatch a plan for Platner to \u201cremain a voice\u201d in the Senate contest \u201cno matter what\u201d the accused rapist decides, a source familiar with deliberations told The Post.<\/p>\n

Platner\u2019s intransigence has left Maine Democrats \u201clivid\u201d and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) \u201cin shock,\u201d according to this person.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe fact that the NYC mayor\u2019s fixer is headed there to triage Maine has everyone fuming,\u201d the source added.<\/p>\n

Two sources say Katz has told allies he believes Platner needs to leave the race before the 5 p.m. Monday deadline to withdraw from the ballot \u2014 but wants the exit to be on the candidate\u2019s terms.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s quite clear that he\u2019s [Platner\u2019s] gonna have to get out of the race,\u201d a second source told The Post. \u201cTheir reluctance here \u2026 is a result of their larger political project, trying to get these types of candidates into places of power.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other campaign officials seen entering Platner\u2019s Sullivan home include field director Spencer Toth, digital communications consultant Ryan Aquilina, campaign manager Ben Chin, and Chin\u2019s deputy Eleni Neyland.<\/p>\n

The Platner campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. <\/p>\n

On Monday, Platner announced in a video message that he was \u201ctaking the time to reflect on the best path forward\u201d after a former girlfriend, Jenny Racicot, told Politico that he broke into her home and raped her in the dead of night in 2021.<\/p>\n

Platner has denied Racicot\u2019s accusations as \u201ccategorically false.\u201d<\/p>\n

If and when Platner does drop out, he is expected to announce his exit in a similar video message, CNN reported.<\/p>\n

Following Racicot\u2019s allegation, Platner\u2019s most prominent backers \u2014 including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) \u2014 publicly called on him to step aside.<\/p>\n

Read more Margaret Qualley quietly wipes traces of husband Jack Antonoff from social media as split rumors swirl<\/a><\/p>\n

Key financial and logistical backers, including the DSCC, have vowed to stay out of the race if Platner refuses to withdraw.<\/p>\n

Under Maine law, Platner must withdraw of his own volition by close of business July 13 to be removed from the ballot. From that point, Democrats will have exactly two weeks to name a replacement.<\/p>\n

State party officials are scrambling to develop a process to pick a new nominee, even toying with an ad hoc convention that is likely to be dominated by Platner supporters.<\/p>\n

The Post reported Tuesday that the candidate himself wants assurances that any replacement will share his far-left ideology.<\/p>\n

\u201c[T]he Maine Democratic Party has been working around the clock to develop a process to replace our US Senate nominee that is open, inclusive, transparent and fair,\u201d MDP Executive Director\u00a0Devon Murphy-Anderson said in a video\u00a0posted on X late Tuesday.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnfortunately, Graham Platner\u2019s team has repeatedly reached out to us in an attempt to put their thumb on the scale of what this process looks like.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have repeatedly reiterated to Graham Platner\u2019s team that they have no role in determining our next Democratic nominee for the US Senate, nor in determining what this process looks like.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

Platner\u2019s team denied trying to meddle in the process, with a spokesperson saying in a statement: \u201cThe Platner campaign has reached out to the party to try and understand what this process would look like. <\/p>\n

Read more Iran \u2018definitely\u2019 possesses chemical weapons, would not hesitate to kill Americans: Netanyahu<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cAt no point has the campaign tried to \u2018put its finger on the scale.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Beleaguered Maine Senate hopeful Graham Platner has been convening crisis meetings with his top campaign brass as he continues to hold the Democratic Party hostage by remaining in the race.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3998,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3999","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics"],"yoast_head":"\nAccused rapist Graham Platner convenes crisis meetings with Maine Senate campaign brass as he holds 'livid' Dems hostage - Metro Transit Review<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=3999\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Accused rapist Graham Platner convenes crisis meetings with Maine Senate campaign brass as he holds 'livid' Dems hostage - 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