2026年7月7日 美国东部时间下午1:18 / 哥伦比亚广播公司新闻
华盛顿讯——佛蒙特州无党派参议员伯尼·桑德斯周二表示，他已与缅因州民主党联邦参议院候选人格雷厄姆·普拉特纳进行交谈，并建议他退出参议院竞选。此前周一曝出的重磅报道指控普拉特纳存在性侵行为，普拉特纳已否认该项指控。
“我已就缅因州的最佳前进方向与格雷厄姆·普拉特纳进行了沟通，”桑德斯在一份声明中说道。“鉴于这些极为严重的指控，我建议他退选。”
周一，《政客》杂志报道称，缅因州一名名为珍妮·拉西科特的女子表示，普拉特纳于2021年末在醉酒状态下未经许可闯入她的家中并对其实施了性侵。拉西科特称，她与普拉特纳于2019年通过交友软件相识，在指控的性侵事件发生前，两人曾发生过自愿性行为。
普拉特纳称该项指控“完全是虚假的”，但他在周一表示，他正在权衡“最佳的前进路径”。
此前已有多名此前支持普拉特纳的民主党人于周一撤回对他的背书，或敦促他退出竞选，桑德斯的声明标志着此事出现关键进展。作为普拉特纳的主要支持者之一，这位佛蒙特州无党派议员的意见具有重要分量。
参议院民主党竞选机构此前已表态，如果普拉特纳继续参选，该机构将不会为这场竞选投入资金；参议院多数党政治行动委员会也表示，在相关指控曝出后，正将资源从缅因州参议院竞选中转出，这将严重限制普拉特纳的竞选团队在11月大选前继续开展活动的能力。
普拉特纳于上月赢得民主党初选，将与共和党参议员苏珊·柯林斯展开角逐。但根据缅因州选举法，候选人若在7月第二个周一下午5点前退选，可被替换。在此之后，州政党将有两周时间选出新的候选人。
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/democrats-call-for-graham-platner-to-abandon-senate-race-after-sexual-assault-accusation/
Sen. Bernie Sanders says he encouraged Graham Platner to step aside
July 7, 2026 1:18 PM EDT / CBS News
Washington — Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont said Tuesday that he spoke with Maine Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner and recommended that he exit the Senate race after a bombshell report Monday accusing Platner of sexual assault. Platner denied the allegation.
“I have spoken with Graham Platner about the best path forward for Maine,” Sanders said in a statement. “In light of these very serious allegations, I have recommended that he step aside.”
On Monday, Politico reported that a Maine woman, Jenny Racicot, said Platner entered her home without permission in late 2021 when he was drunk and forced himself on her. Racicot said she and Platner met on a dating app in 2019 and had consensual relations before the night of the alleged sexual assault.
Platner called the allegation “categorically false,” but he indicated Monday that he was reflecting on “the best path forward.”
Sanders’ statement marks a key development, after a series of Democrats who had previously supported Platner withdrew their endorsements Monday or urged him to withdraw from the race. But the opinion of the Vermont independent, who has been one of Platner’s key supporters, carries significant weight.
The Senate Democrats’ campaign arm has already said it would not invest in the race if Platner remained on the ballot, and the Senate Majority PAC said it was redirecting resources away from the Maine Senate race after the allegation, severely limiting his campaign’s ability to continue through the November election.
Platner won the Democratic primary to take on GOP Sen. Susan Collins last month. But under Maine election law, candidates may be replaced if they withdraw by 5 p.m. on the second Monday in July. After that, the state political party has two weeks to select a new nominee.
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/democrats-call-for-graham-platner-to-abandon-senate-race-after-sexual-assault-accusation/
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