Fifield, 41, is the second woman to allege this week that Platner engaged in nonconsensual sexual conduct. Jenny Racicot, 41, who said she previously dated Platner, told The Post and other outlets on Monday that he sexually assaulted her in late 2021, leading a growing number of allies to drop their endorsements and call on him to withdraw from the race for a Maine seat in the U.S. Senate. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), his most influential and prominent supporter, said he spoke with Platner on Tuesday and urged him to withdraw from his campaign to unseat Susan Collins, the incumbent Republican.
Platner, 41, a Marine Corps veteran and oyster farmer, also denied Racicot’s allegation but said on Monday that he was “mindful of the political reality” that the reporting will “inflict” on his campaign and was “taking the time to reflect on the best path forward.”
Fifield initially told The Post about the alleged condom removal during a June 20 interview that was off the record. She said she decided to speak publicly about it Tuesday in part because, she said, she wanted to show that Racicot was not alone in experiencing issues with Platner involving sexual consent.
I mean that’s the whole asymmetric corner we’ve painted ourselves into. Every time you give flimsy accusations the benefit of the doubt, you make real accusations less credibile. Every time you doubt real accusations, you enable rape culture. Normally the ethics seem clear - always believe women and rape culture eventually starves. But what if fascists weaponize the issue before that happens?
Yeah, common sense says a conservative activist doing this during a campaign is probably full of shit. But didn’t Brett Kavanaugh’s accusers have the same smell? Maybe jumping in front of the spotlight is the only way these women can be taken seriously.