New York Times Accused of Burying Bombshell Allegation to Protect Chuck Schumer

A top Senate Republican has accused The New York Times of deliberately holding back damaging information about Democratic Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner. According to the senator, the newspaper and Senate Democrats kept the details under wraps to give the party more time to prepare a potential replacement while trying to preserve their shot at flipping the seat.

Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said the public should have learned about the allegations much sooner. He argued that Democrats chose to keep Platner in the race as long as possible to buy time for a switch and maintain their power in Maine. Scott noted that the Democratic Party backed the candidate regardless of whether Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer personally supported him, calling it a decision to stand by the nominee “as the hill they were all willing to die on.”

The accusations come as Platner’s campaign collapses amid multiple scandals. The latest involves a serious claim from his ex-girlfriend, Jenny Racicot, who accused him of rape. Platner has denied the allegation.

Earlier controversies included video footage of Platner dancing while intoxicated, which showed a tattoo resembling Nazi iconography on his chest. Reports also surfaced about his past conduct toward women.

In June, The New York Times published a story that included accounts from multiple women who had relationships with Platner, including Racicot. The women said Platner knew about the Nazi-style tattoo well before it became a public issue, despite his earlier claims otherwise. They also described unsettling and intimidating behavior toward women, including flashes of violence.

Scott said Democrats had known about these issues for months but continued supporting Platner because they wanted to defeat Republican Sen. Susan Collins and regain Senate power. He criticized the party for putting “power over principle” and “politics over policy,” accusing them of being more focused on gaining control than addressing the candidate’s problems.

The New York Times rejected the claims, with a spokesperson calling the senator’s speculation “flatly untrue.” A source told Fox News that the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee had no involvement in the Times story. Chuck Schumer has not responded to the accusations.

The June report reportedly triggered an emergency meeting among senior Democrats, Platner’s key supporters, and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chair Kirsten Gillibrand to assess whether more damaging information might emerge.

Following the rape allegation, Democratic support for Platner has largely evaporated. Republicans argue the party was willing to tolerate the earlier scandals until the political cost became too high. Democrats are now racing to determine whether Platner will exit the race and whether a replacement can be found before the ballot deadline.

The Maine Senate race is one of the most closely watched contests, seen by Democrats as a potential path to Senate control. Critics say the party stood by Platner when victory seemed possible and abandoned him only when the scandals became unmanageable.