A former girlfriend of Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner has publicly accused him of raping her nearly five years ago, adding a new allegation as scrutiny surrounding his campaign continues.
Jenny Racicot shared her account in an interview with Politico, alleging that Platner entered her unlocked home after she had told him she did not want to see him.
According to Racicot, Platner was intoxicated when he arrived and ignored her repeated objections.
She told the outlet that she repeatedly said, "No, don't," but claimed he "was very drunk and wouldn't take no for an answer."
"And, the look on his face and realizing what was happening, I just realized that, like, I am in a situation where there's no consent here," Racicot said.
Politico reported that Racicot provided correspondence with her therapist as well as messages exchanged with a former date whom she had told about the alleged incident, which the outlet cited as corroborating evidence that she discussed the allegation years before making it public.
Racicot had previously appeared briefly in a New York Times report examining Platner, but the Sexual Assault allegation was not included in that story.
Platner has strongly denied Racicot's accusation.
The allegation surfaced after the candidate indefinitely postponed major campaign events as reports circulated that additional stories about him were expected to be published.
Racicot said she struggled with whether to come forward because of her views on Platner's political positions.
"One of the reasons I didn't come forward sooner was, the huge moral conflict that I had between supporting his politics, but not supporting him as a person," she told Politico.
She said her decision to speak publicly was driven by a desire to provide voters with more information.
"I just want the truth out there. I just want people to have a whole scope of who he is as a person," Racicot said.
Platner has denied the allegations against him, and no additional information was included in the source material regarding criminal charges or legal proceedings related to Racicot's claims.
The accusation adds to the challenges facing Platner's Senate campaign as questions surrounding his conduct continue to draw public attention.