Graham Platner, a Maine Senate candidate, accused The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal of running gossip and committing "journalistic malpractice" after reports that his wife alerted the campaign to explicit messages he allegedly sent during their marriage. The New York Times cited former political director Genevieve McDonald, who said the disclosure came last summer; a campaign official said the behavior stopped before the campaign began. Platner denied McDonald’s account and defended his marriage, while HuffPost reached out to the parties for comment as Platner heads into a heavily favored June 9 primary.
Graham Platner Accuses The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal of 'Journalistic Malpractice' Over Reports About His Marriage
Graham Platner Makes Damning Claims Against NYT And WSJ After ******* Stories
Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner on Sunday sharply criticized reporting by The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, accusing both outlets of attempting to damage his marriage and committing what he called "journalistic malpractice." The coverage detailed allegations that Platner sent explicit messages to multiple women during his marriage — claims his campaign disputes.
Background
Both newspapers reported that Platner’s wife, Amy Gertner, notified the campaign that Platner had sent explicit messages to multiple women while they were married. The New York Times cited Genevieve McDonald, Platner’s former political director, who said Gertner made the disclosure late last summer as part of a discussion about potential vulnerabilities for the campaign. A current campaign official told The Times the behavior reportedly stopped before the campaign began.
Platner's Response
Speaking to WMTW-TV with his wife at his side, Platner denied the specific claims attributed to McDonald and blamed the outlets for focusing on personal matters instead of policy. He said the stories relied on gossip and insufficient evidence, and insisted he and his wife have a "very loving and very happy marriage."
“It’s no surprise to me that the establishment media outlets are just gonna run gossip instead of wanting to talk about the things that actually matter in this race, which are the material realities that Mainers are working with,” Platner said. “These people are gonna try to make this race about anything but what it’s supposed to be about, which is policy... Amy and I have a very loving and very happy marriage. They would very much like to try to rip that apart.”
When asked directly whether the reports were accurate, Platner said the stories were based on gossip from a former staffer and called publishing them "journalistic malpractice." Pressed on whether the alleged messages existed, he replied, "I’m confirming that what Genevieve McDonald said in The New York Times is not true." He also acknowledged that he and his campaign discussed aspects of his marriage with staff but denied McDonald’s specific account of events.
Responses, Context and Next Steps
HuffPost said it has reached out to The New York Times and to Platner for comment. The controversy arrives as Platner heads into a June 9 primary in which he is heavily favored; if he wins the Democratic nomination he would likely face Republican incumbent Susan Collins in November. Recent campaign developments cited in coverage include an endorsement from Sen. Elizabeth Warren and the removal of a campaign ad during a Red Sox broadcast.
The reporting and Platner’s rebuttal reflect the broader tensions between political campaigns and national media outlets over how personal matters and past conduct should factor into voter decisions. Platner’s campaign will now aim to refocus attention on policy issues as the primary approaches.
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