Ocasio-Cortez Awaits Details on Allegations Against Maine Senate Candidate

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has stated she requires time to review recent reports about Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner before making comments on allegations of aggressive conduct. ‘This all kind of just came out. I’ve been doing legislative business on the floor, so I need to dig into everything further before commenting on it,’ she remarked. ‘I don’t want to speak before I’ve dug into a lot of, you know, to before I’ve dug into what’s out there. So, I just want to be respectful of that man,’ she added.

Ocasio-Cortez’s cautious approach follows a report published by the New York Times detailing accounts from several women who were romantically involved with Platner in previous years. Some described allegations involving rape fantasies, excessive drinking, and episodes of violence.

Platner has addressed his struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder from his military service. He acknowledged his battle with undiagnosed PTSD, which led to self-medication with alcohol and issues in his personal relationships. ‘Throughout this campaign, I’ve been open about what was a very dark period of my life where I struggled with undiagnosed PTSD, too often self-medicated with alcohol and was far from a perfect boyfriend,’ Platner stated.

An ex-girlfriend, Lyndsey Fifield, shared an incident where Platner reportedly pushed her into a bedroom, twisted her arm, and locked her inside. She managed to leave after falling asleep and waking up later. According to the Times, Platner would also fantasize about killing those he deemed threatening. Fifield spoke briefly with Fox News Digital but declined to comment further.

Fifield also mentioned how Platner would joke about a chest tattoo of a Totenkopf, associated with Nazi guards. He reportedly told her the tattoo symbolized parallels between his unit and the Schutzstaffel or ‘death unit.’ This account seems to contradict Platner’s narrative of being unaware of the tattoo’s Nazi ties.

Though a fellow progressive, Ocasio-Cortez has not endorsed Platner, who seeks to challenge Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine. Platner campaigns on progressive economic policies centered on taxing billionaires and reducing costs for the working class. However, controversies surrounding his candidacy, including off-color remarks on sensitive topics, a Nazi-associated tattoo, and inappropriate messaging with women outside his marriage, have raised concerns.

In a resurfaced Reddit post, Platner once blamed rape victims for not protecting themselves. ‘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?’ he wrote in 2013.

The Maine Senate primaries are scheduled for next Tuesday, and Platner is expected to secure the Democratic nomination to challenge Collins. He met with senators earlier this week to reassure them about his candidacy.