Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner suspended his campaign following allegations of sexual assault, which he denies. Days before the rape allegation became public, two Democratic-aligned political groups shifted millions of dollars in planned ad reservations for the Maine Senate race.

WinSenate removed more than $6.2 million in ad reservations, including $5.9 million in broadcast ads scheduled from July 7 through August 31, and $330,000 in cable ads set to begin June 30, according to AdImpact, a political advertising analytics firm. Additionally, $240,000 in digital spending was shifted from Majority Forward, another Democratic group.

Majority Forward denied that the ad spending changes were related to recent campaign turmoil. However, the timing raised questions about whether party leaders had lost confidence in Platner’s campaign before the allegations surfaced.

Pressure on Platner increased after The New York Times reported on June 4 that multiple ex-girlfriends described him as emotionally abusive, claims he also denied. The rape accusation followed roughly a week after the ad shifts.

Fox News contributor Jonathan Turley criticized the Democratic Party's vetting process for allowing Platner to remain on the ballot. Campaign strategist Dan Moraff confirmed that the vetting firm missed crucial details, leaving Democrats in Maine scrambling for a replacement candidate.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Platner’s background check lasted just three days and cost just over $6,000, whereas typical checks in key races usually take weeks and cost tens of thousands of dollars.

D.C. Democrats expressed frustration that Platner ended his campaign with a statement accusing the political establishment of silencing grassroots progressives. Meanwhile, Majority Forward stated that moving its (c)4 spending to another entity is a common practice in issue advocacy campaigns.

The situation has provided Republicans with a new line of attack regarding the Democratic Party's handling of the race and candidate vetting.

Sources

  • Fox News
  • AdImpact political advertising analytics
  • The New York Times
  • Wall Street Journal