A fast-tracked vetting process for Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner has allowed multiple controversies to surface after his campaign launch in Maine.
Top strategist Dan Moraff ordered a background review completed in three days by New York-based Northside Research. The check cost $6,250 and produced only a brief risk assessment memo rather than a full report.
A campaign official said limited resources prevented a more thorough examination and that extra work would not have revealed new details. Researchers skipped a candidate interview or questionnaire.
After Platner entered the race, issues emerged including explicit messages to women other than his wife, a Kik account described as a "predator’s paradise," a tattoo linked to Nazi imagery, and allegations of abuse in prior relationships. Researchers also missed much of his social media history.
Platner won more than 70 percent of the vote in Maine’s Democratic Senate primary and now faces Republican Sen. Susan Collins in November. Some Democrats worry the revelations could hurt the party’s chances of flipping the seat.
