Jenny Racicot rejects political motive in Graham Platner allegations
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A woman who made explosive claims about Democratic Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner claimed he “absolutely” raped her in an interview with CNN on Monday.
CNN’s Jake Tapper noted that Jenny Racicot did not use the word “rape” when telling her story and asked if she believed Platner raped her, to which she replied, “By definition? Yes, definitely.”
Racicot’s detailed allegations appeared for the first time Politico reported On Monday. During three interviews, she said Platner forced her to have sex with him against her will in 2021. Platner vehemently denied the allegations. Platner “almost fainted” when the incident occurred, Racicot told Politico.
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Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner is facing new allegations after Politico reported that he forced a woman to have sex with him in 2021. (Graeme Sloan/Getty Images)
Racicot also told Tapper that she decided to come forward because she felt “there are a lot of men in this world who rely on the silence of women where they are, and I don’t want to contribute to that.”
When Tapper pressed him about the possible reaction from Platner supporters who claimed to be motivated by politics, Racicot said he “couldn’t agree more” with them and that he grappled with a “major moral conflict” because he agreed with Platner politically.
“I really agree with his politics. I think we need someone who has that political stance and is willing to do the job,” he said. “I see his political videos. They excite me, too. I understand why people want someone like him in office, and I felt like me coming forward would actually, potentially, take away that.”
Despite his claims, Racicot said he wouldn’t necessarily tell people not to vote for Platner.
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner has been accused by Jenny Racicot of forcing her to have sex with him in 2021. (CJ Gunther/Getty Images)
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Racicot’s detailed allegations appeared for the first time Politico reported On Monday. During three interviews, she said Platner forced her to have sex with him against her will in 2021. Platner vehemently denied the allegations. Platner “almost fainted” when the incident occurred, Racicot told Politico.
“I remember him grabbing my pelvis and being really forceful with me,” Racicot told Politico. “I remember the moment when I thought to myself, ‘This is not my choice anymore.'”
When explaining the situation to Tapper, Racicot said Platner had moments during the incident where he would apologize before going back to “what he was doing.”
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Platner’s campaign released a video following the publication of allegations that the candidate described as “disturbing, serious and false.”
“Any accusation of nonconsensual conduct is categorically false,” Platner said in the video. He went on to speak about his experiences on the campaign trail before saying that in light of the “inaccuracy of the reporting” his team was “taking the time to reflect on the best path forward.”
Following Politico’s report, many Democrats withdrew their support for Platner, and some also called for him to drop out of the Senate race. Maine Democratic Party He issued a statement asking him to withdraw from the race.
Platner’s campaign has faced numerous controversies, including scrutiny of a tattoo on his chest depicting a Nazi symbol known as “Totenkopf”.
Graham Platner is facing allegations that he forced a woman to have sex with him in 2021. (CJ Gunther/Getty Images)
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In June, New York Times He published an article that included allegations made against Platner by women who had dated him in the past, including Racicot. While Racicot described his relationship with Platner to the Times, he did not go into detail about the 2021 incident.
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“Racicot also said he showed up at her house drunk in 2021 after the woman asked him not to come to her. He declined to give details but said he cut off contact shortly after that incident and found her behavior ‘reckless’ and ‘disturbing,'” according to the Times report last month.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Platner’s campaign for comment.
Fox News’ Lindsay Kornick contributed to this report.
