Politico Reporter Contradicts Own Article on Therapist Corroboration in Platner Case
"We reviewed email exchanges between she and her therapist, referring to what she called this, the sexual assault, and her therapist sort of acknowledging that this is, this had happened to her. So she wrote basically, do you remember me sharing these details with you? And the therapist wrote back with a general comment on how women should be believed. That's not the same thing. That's not confirming."
About this episode
Hosts Saagar Enjeti and an unnamed co-host dissect major omissions in Politico and CNN's reporting on sexual assault allegations against Congressman Graham Platner, revealing that both outlets knew but did not report that accuser Jenny Raskut had texted Platner about needing a massage before the alleged November 2021 incident. The detail, which Raskut voluntarily shared with reporters, was confirmed by a Politico reporter in private messages with the Platner campaign but excluded from the published story, which instead characterized Platner as arriving completely uninvited. The Washington Post included a version of the detail but was overshadowed by Politico's earlier publication. The hosts obtained and authenticated messages showing the Politico reporter acknowledged Raskut had texted about needing her glutes massaged, a fact that provides context for why an intoxicated Platner may have believed he was invited. Jake Tapper failed to follow up when Raskut mentioned sending a text Platner misunderstood during their CNN interview. The episode also reveals that a Politico reporter described therapist corroboration on television that contradicts the published article, which only cites recent supportive emails from June 2024 with no specific confirmation. The hosts compare the coverage to problematic MeToo-era reporting and argue the omissions shaped public perception of an incident that may end Platner's career. They credit Raskut for transparency while faulting media organizations for selectively withholding exculpatory context. The segment also examines how the New York Times mishandled earlier reporting on a separate accuser, Lindsay Fifield, who says she provided extensive corroborating evidence the paper did not pursue. The hosts conclude that better journalism could have surfaced these allegations before the primary, allowing voters rather than media narratives to decide Platner's fate.
Key takeaways
- Politico knew but omitted that Jenny Raskut texted Graham Platner about needing a glute massage before the alleged assault, telling his campaign the detail didn't make their story.
- CNN's Jake Tapper failed to ask Raskut what text message Platner misunderstood as an invitation during their on-air interview about the assault allegations.
- A Politico reporter described therapist corroboration on television that contradicts the published article, which only cites recent supportive emails from June 2024 with no specific incident confirmation.
- The Washington Post included massage text detail in their reporting but was overshadowed because Politico published first without the context, shaping public narrative.
- Jenny Raskut voluntarily disclosed the massage text to multiple outlets, but media organizations chose to characterize Platner as arriving completely uninvited to her home.
- Conservative activist Lindsay Fifield says the New York Times ignored extensive corroborating evidence she provided for separate abuse allegations against Platner from years earlier.
- Better journalism could have surfaced these allegations before Maine's primary election, allowing voters rather than post-election media coverage to decide Platner's political fate.