democrats Senate Candidate Graham Plattner’s campaign was thrown into disarray on Saturday after it was revealed that his wife had provided campaign officials with sexually explicit text messages to multiple women, The Wall Street Journal reported. The revelations came days after Platner announced he was running for president. United States Senate Maine Seats.
Plattner’s wife, Amy Gertner, alerted members of his campaign that they discovered what she said were sexually explicit messages on Plattner’s phone during an opposition investigation, the Wall Street Journal reported.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Gertner told campaign aides about the text messages to ensure they would not jeopardize her husband’s candidacy.
What did Graham Plattner allegedly do?
Former state Rep. Genevieve McDonald served as political director for Plattner’s campaign before leaving in October. She said Gertner contacted her days before a major Labor Day rally with Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders and expressed concern that her husband’s actions could turn into a political liability.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Plattner’s wife shared evidence she believed campaign officials should review, including sexually explicit text messages.and as many as a dozen women. “
The New York Times reported that Plattner’s wife shared screenshots of allegedly sexually explicit messages with MacDonald and described the exchanges as “sextings.” McDonald said Gertner shared screenshots of text messages and contacted campaign staff in August 2025.
While details about the messages remain limited, reports suggest the materials have become the subject of attention in the campaign.
However, aides reportedly determined the text messages were personal issues the couple was dealing with in marriage counseling.
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Plattner’s campaign is fraught with controversy
It’s just the latest issue to arise in Plattner’s candidacy after alleged posts he made on Reddit came to light. Plattner allegedly made offensive remarks about sex workers and minimized sexual assault in those posts.
After seeking therapy and apologizing for some provocative posts on Reddit, he asked Meiners not to condemn him for “the worst day, 14 years ago, the worst thing I’ve ever said on the internet.”
Plattner, however, has been candid about his years-long struggles with alcoholism, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder, which were tied to his multiple tours of combat in Afghanistan and Iraq.
He told the New York Times: “I’m just a human wreck. “
Plattner also admitted to hiding a Nazi-themed “Totenkopf,” or skull, tattoo. Plattner apparently got the tattoo in 2007 while serving in Croatia. He said he was unaware of the symbol’s Nazi connection at the time.
In 2013, he also said that women who fear being raped should not get so drunk that they “end up having sex with someone they don’t intend to.” He has now apologized for the remark.
Gertner issued a statement after the Journal report was published
After the Wall Street Journal published an article detailing Gertner’s claims and discussions, Gertner issued a statement suggesting that McDonald was behind the leak.
“I revealed deeply personal details about my marriage to someone I considered a friend. In the months since, I have had to watch her spread malicious gossip to anyone who would take her call. I entrusted the most private chapter of our lives to this person — early in our marriage, before we considered any campaign — and I am deeply hurt by her betrayal and invasion of our privacy,” Gertner said.
According to the Clerk of the Town of Sullivan, Maine, Gertner and Plattner married in November 2023, when Plattner sought marriage counseling to address his illegal behavior.
She further publicly detailed the problems she faced in her marriage. “We did the hard work that marriage requires. We went to counseling,” she said.
Plattner’s wife added, “Today our marriage is stronger than ever. I know who Graham is. I know the man I married and how he helped me through the best and worst days of my life.”
