Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner lashed out at The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal after both outlets reported that his wife, Amy Gertner, warned his campaign about alleged sexual messages sent to multiple women during their marriage. Platner c
For Graham Platner, the fight isn’t only about votes. It’s about who gets to write the story of his life—and whether two major newspapers crossed a line.
On Sunday. the Maine Senate candidate accused The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal of trying to “wreck his marriage” while publishing what he called “journalistic malpractice.” The reports. which have cast a sudden shadow over a campaign already braced for scrutiny. said Platner’s wife. Amy Gertner. alerted his campaign that he had sent sexual messages to multiple women during their marriage. Platner said the move was meant to prevent opponents from seizing on the issue.
Both newspapers relied on multiple sources. The New York Times responded to Platner’s criticism, telling HuffPost it reported “fairly and accurately” on the matter.
Speaking to WMTW-TV with Gertner beside him. Platner complained that voters in Maine are being pulled toward spectacle instead of policy. “It’s no surprise to me that the establishment media outlets are just gonna run gossip instead of wanting to talk about the things that actually matter in this race. which are the material realities that Mainers are working with. ” he said.
The New York Times’ report pointed to Platner’s former political director, Genevieve McDonald. It said Gertner made the revelation late last summer while discussing potential liabilities for her husband. A current campaign official told The Times that the behavior stopped before the campaign started.
When asked if the reports were true, Platner went directly at the newspapers and the basis for their reporting. “No, no, this is the amazing part,” he replied. “The Wall Street Journal and New York Times ran stories without any evidence besides the gossip from a former staffer. I’m sorry that’s, frankly, journalistic malpractice. We pushed back on it; they want it; they did it anyways.”.
He then drew a clear line on what, specifically, he said was wrong. Pressed on whether he was confirming the messages do not exist, he answered, “I’m confirming that what Genevieve McDonald said in The New York Times is not true.”
The question that followed—whether Platner acknowledged a meeting with McDonald about sexts—didn’t lead him to concede details. Platner said, “We talked about things in Amy and I’s marriage that we’ve gone through over the years. We talked about that because that’s our marriage and we discussed it with the campaign. What Genevieve McDonald claims isn’t true.”.
In a campaign statement to The Wall Street Journal, Gertner appeared to suggest a different picture of what she meant at the time. She seemed to indicate she believed she was confiding in a friend.
The New York Times defended its piece anyway, saying its reporting did not ignore the candidate’s rebuttal. “Our coverage includes the criticisms from Mr. Platner as well as comments from his wife,” a spokesperson said. “This Maine race is key to the future control of the Senate. and our reporting helped voters there and elsewhere understand challenges facing Mr. Platner’s candidacy.”.
The political stakes aren’t abstract here. Platner is heavily favored in the June 9 primaries. and he and GOP incumbent Susan Collins appear headed for a November showdown—one that now includes not just campaign strategy and policy contrasts. but a public fight over whether the central claims in the coverage were supported or simply relayed.
Graham Platner Amy Gertner New York Times Wall Street Journal Genevieve McDonald Maine Senate Susan Collins June 9 primaries journalistic malpractice