A New York Times investigation published June 4 cited three former girlfriends of Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner who described volatile relationships and alleged he lied about the meaning of his Nazi tattoo.
The report detailed claims from Lyndsey Fifield, who dated Platner from 2013 to 2015, that he referred to the tattoo as “my Totenkopf” and engaged in physically intimidating behavior including grabbing her shoulders and twisting her arm. Platner responded by taking responsibility for past actions while disputing characterizations of physical intimidation as false and politically motivated. He said he is proud of the work he has done since. Senator John Fetterman said on June 4 that Platner had lied about additional allegations after his tattoo revelation and suggested more could emerge. The candidate is seeking the Democratic nomination to challenge Senator Susan Collins.