00:02The political fallout is growing for Maine Senate candidate Graham Plattner, and now he's fighting
00:07back. The issue this round is about Plattner reportedly sending sexually explicit texts to
00:12other women while married. Reports from the Wall Street Journal and New York Times this weekend
00:17revealed that Plattner's campaign knew about the texts last year. The storyline followed Democrats
00:23onto the Sunday shows. Senator Cory Booker was asked whether the story could jeopardize a seat
00:28Democrats' view as one of their best pickup opportunities in the country. Yeah, I have
00:33concerns. That guy has questions to answer, and that's what campaigns are for. So much is riding
00:38on Democrats taking control of the Senate. According to the New York Times, Plattner addressed the
00:43controversy for the first time on Sunday, accusing a former campaign aide of spreading false claims
00:49and criticizing the Times and Wall Street Journal for their reporting. But he also acknowledged his
00:54marriage has faced challenges, saying he and his wife worked through them and remained together.
00:59The couple married in 2023. The report said Plattner's wife alerted campaign officials to the
01:05text last summer before the issue became public. Campaign officials have confirmed the text existed
01:12and said the communications ended before Plattner launched his Senate bid. Plattner's wife posted a
01:17video over the weekend defending her husband and their marriage. Our marriage counselor helps. My personal
01:24counselor helps. Graham's personal counselor helps. And we work on our mental health every day.
01:32No marriage is perfect. And I don't want a perfect marriage. I want my marriage. And I want to be
01:42married to Graham. And not all Democrats share Booker's concern. Senator Chris Murphy defended
01:47Plattner on CBS Sunday, saying the combat veteran has acknowledged his mistakes.
01:52He certainly admitted that he has made mistakes, but I think this is going to be a pretty clear
01:56contrast in Maine between somebody who has spent his life protecting us versus somebody who seems to be
02:04protecting Donald Trump's corruption. Plattner is expected to face incumbent Republican Senator
02:09Susan Collins in November in one of the nation's most closely watched Senate races. Republicans have
02:15quickly turned the story into a campaign issue as Plattner prepares for the general election fight this fall.
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