Lyndsey Fifield, a former girlfriend of Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner, has publicly shared her account of alleged mistreatment by the candidate. Speaking on camera to CNN this Tuesday, Fifield described instances where Platner allegedly grabbed her, caused bruising, and once confined her within a bedroom during their relationship more than ten years ago. Her decision to come forward follows recent allegations of rape leveled against Platner by Jenny Racicot, another woman who dated the candidate for two years.
Racicot’s account, reported by Politico and CNN, describes Platner entering her home without permission and raping her while intoxicated. Platner has denied these claims, but the report has triggered widespread calls from Democratic officials for him to abandon his Senate campaign. Fifield expressed relief that figures such as Senator Bernie Sanders are now urging Platner to drop out, though she also noted feeling pain that her own allegations—first reported by the New York Times last month—did not initially generate similar levels of condemnation.
In response to Fifield’s latest comments, Platner’s campaign dismissed the claims as “categorically false,” characterizing them as politically motivated attacks from someone with a documented agenda. In a statement to the Post about the allegation, Platner’s campaign called it false and politically motivated. Addressing his past behavior in a statement to the Times last month, Platner admitted to a “very dark period” in his life involving alcohol misuse, stating he was “far from a perfect boyfriend.” He expressed regret for that period but maintained that any characterizations of violence or nonconsensual behavior are untrue.
Fifield and Platner dated intermittently between 2013 and 2014 after meeting at George Washington University. According to Fifield, Platner struggled with severe alcohol issues and exhibited physically rough behavior. She also alleged that Platner would secretly remove condoms during sexual encounters without her consent, a claim supported by her friend, Emily Zanotti, who recalled Fifield discussing this issue years ago. While Fifield clarified that Platner never hit or slapped her, she felt consistently intimidated by his behavior when he was intoxicated.
Following the publication of her story in the New York Times, Fifield faced significant online backlash, which she described as dismissive and violating. She emphasized that her motives are not political, noting that she has a background in conservative politics, including work for the Heritage Foundation and Nikki Haley’s 2024 campaign. Fifield stated she spoke out because she felt compelled to tell the truth and expressed deep concern over the prospect of a man with such private behavior holding public office, questioning how it might impact his legislative conduct and treatment of staff.
“I wanted to tell the truth because it felt like watching him lie was just so difficult for me,” she said. “I don’t care about the Maine Senate race, that’s not on my radar – I’m going to Pilates with my kids.”
“You can’t be that way in private and not have it translate into how you would govern or how you would legislate,” she said. “It terrifies me to think of him having any type of power politically, because what is he going to do with the women in his office?”
