Platner's ex-girlfriend accuses NYT of setting her and other exes up in report on dating candidate

Maine Senate Democratic candidate Graham Platner's ex-girlfriend Lyndsey Fifield accused the New York Times on Friday of setting her and several of his other ex-girlfriends up in its report published Thursday.

The New York Times published a wide-ranging article Thursday that detailed accusations of "unsettling" behavior that the women allegedly witnessed when dating Platner. 

The women described their relationships as volatile and “toxic,” and that they were unsettling and sometimes emotionally wrenching. They described the candidate himself as charming and charismatic but also allegedly demeaning to women.

Fifield's recollection was one of the main focuses of the story, where she claimed he had even been physically intimidating toward her but was never physically violent, noting he “never hit me, he never punched me.”

The ex-girlfriend, who is a Republican but dated Platner from approximately 2013 through 2015, said in social media posts that she felt betrayed by the way that her story was told, which made it sound politically biased.

“I bucked all advice from my friends (and resisted my conservative bias) and decided to fully trust the Times journalists,” Fifield wrote. “As they left my home they asked that I not talk to any other outlets and I insisted then and repeatedly over the following weeks that I would keep my word and only share this story with them.”

Fifield said she asked the outlet why her story was so prominent and other ex-girlfriends were not, and why her work background got so much space on the page as well, to which the editors replied that there was "too much" to include.

“It dawned on me that this really was a set up all along," she said. "The journalists I trusted who convinced me to share a story I never wanted to tell methodically delayed and twisted this into a gift to the Platner campaign, violating the trust of his victims. Shattering the trust I placed in them with the most vulnerable story of my life.”

She also said the outlet failed to put in that she did confide to others about the alleged abuse Platner put her through and that those people confirmed her stories to the New York Times. 

The New York Times told The Hill that it stands behind the story, which included the accounts of several ex-girlfriends. 

“Our story accurately presents each of these accounts as told to our reporters and according to our standards,” the spokesperson said. “We stand by our reporting of the accounts from Ms. Fifield and the other women, who provided a revealing look at the behavior of a major candidate for the U.S. Senate.”

Platner has denied allegations of physical intimidation and abuse, but admitted that he was not a perfect boyfriend and drank too much when he was younger.

“I take responsibility for all of that, and wish I had been better,” he said. “Any characterization beyond that is false, and I believe, politically motivated. I’m not proud of who I was then, but I am proud of the work I’ve done since, and the movement we are building in Maine.” 

The story comes as Maine voters are expected to head to the polls next week for the June 9 primaries, where Maine Gov. Janet Mills is also seeking the Democratic nomination. She suspended her campaign earlier this year, but reminded voters this week that she is still on the ballot. 

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.