Leading US Democrats withdraw support for Platner after assault allegations

Monday’s accusations are the latest in a long string of controversies surrounding the Maine Democratic Senate candidate.Leading US Democrats are withdrawing their support from Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner after a former girlfriend accused the politician of sexual assault.In an exclusive interview with media outlet Politico published on Monday, Jenny Racicot alleged that Platner forced her to have nonconsensual sex in late 2021. She alleged that Platner had entered her Maine home uninvited while intoxicated and forced himself on her, despite her repeatedly telling him to stop.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3French president visits Syria ahead of NATO summit in Turkiyelist 2 of 3Ebola death toll in DR Congo surpasses 500list 3 of 3The pitfalls of institutionalising US military aid to Israelend of listPlatner, whose status as a progressive outsider has gained him popularity, has denied the allegations.Following Politico’s interview, top US Democrats and Democratic-leaning political groups have pulled their endorsements of Platner.“I’ve been very clear that sexual assault or violence against women is a red line,” California Democrat Ro Khanna, a member of the US House of Representatives, said. “These allegations are very serious and credible. Graham Platner should drop out from the race. I am withdrawing my endorsement.”Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego also announced he was pulling his endorsement, while the Maine-democratic-party" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="160092" data-entity-type="organization">Maine Democratic Party called on Platner to withdraw his candidacy.Democratic-leaning political group End Citizens United pulled its endorsement as well, calling the allegations “profoundly disturbing and disqualifying”.“The conduct described is fundamentally inconsistent with the standards we expect from the candidates we support,” End Citizens United said in its statement.Hasan Piker, a leftist commentator and streamer who has backed Platner, seemed to reverse his position on Monday following the Politico report. “If new evidence presents itself, I’m going to change my perspective – it’s that simple,” Piker said during a livestream on Twitch.