New York Times Accused of Cover-Up in Platner Sexual Assault Story
"She's out she's coming out now saying, 'I didn't tell the full story then because I wasn't ready.' But they had this bird in hand and apparently weren't interested enough to coax this out of her or did coax it out of her and weren't interested in coaxing it such that they could get it in print. And now another woman that woman Lindseay Field the conservative who was featured in the New York Times is coming out now and ripping the times a new one saying your piece wound up being a coverup."
About this episode
Megyn Kelly examines the implosion of Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner's campaign in Maine following rape allegations from a former partner, Jenny Razincott. The 41-year-old Maine resident told CNN that Platner forced himself on her after she told him not to come over and repeatedly said no, though she avoided using the word rape until pressed by anchor Jake Tapper. Platner, a leftist populist insurgent who had been running competitively against Republican incumbent Susan Collins in one of Democrats' top pickup opportunities, has denied all allegations but released a statement indicating he is contemplating his political future. Nearly all prominent Democrats who had endorsed him have now called for him to drop out, with the notable exception of Bernie Sanders. The deadline for Democrats to replace Platner on the ballot is July 13th. Kelly is joined by Tom Bevan of Real Clear Politics and Mark Halperin of Next Up to analyze the political fallout. The scandal also represents a serious credibility crisis for the New York Times, which had access to Razincott for its initial exposé on Platner but either failed to obtain or chose not to publish her rape allegation. Conservative activist Lindseay Field, who appeared in the original Times piece detailing her own allegations of physical abuse by Platner, is now accusing the newspaper of running a cover-up operation rather than exposing the full truth. The controversy raises questions about media bias and whether establishment outlets protected a progressive candidate. If Platner drops out, Democrats may end up with a weaker replacement candidate who lacks his populist appeal, potentially splitting the party and making the critical Senate seat even harder to win.
Key takeaways
- Graham Platner faces rape allegations from former partner Jenny Razincott, who told CNN he forced himself on her after she repeatedly said no and asked him not to come over.
- Nearly all prominent Democrats who endorsed Platner, except Bernie Sanders, have called for him to drop out of the Maine Senate race ahead of the July 13th ballot replacement deadline.
- Conservative activist Lindseay Field accuses the New York Times of covering up the full extent of Platner allegations rather than exposing them in its initial exposé.
- The Times had access to rape accuser Jenny Razincott but either failed to obtain or chose not to publish her allegations, leaving it to Politico to break the story weeks later.
- Platner had survived earlier scandals including a Nazi tattoo, controversial Reddit comments, and allegations he had extramarital affairs with up to a dozen women.
- If Platner drops out, Democrats may end up with a weaker replacement candidate who lacks his populist appeal, potentially costing them a critical Senate pickup opportunity.
- The scandal raises serious questions about Democratic Party credibility on sexual assault and media bias in protecting progressive candidates.