Group tied to Sen. Susan Collins launches site listing red flags on Democratic rival Graham Platner

A group aligned with Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, has launched a website that compiles what it calls red flags raised by her Democratic opponent, Graham Platner.

The site, run by the Pine Tree Results fundraising committee, lists various issues that have followed Platner’s campaign as he tries to unseat Collins and flip a Republican-held Senate seat.

“Over 20 years of a grown man revealing his true character with one red flag after another,” the website states. “He’s radical. Dangerous. Too extreme for Maine.”

Drawing from social media, Reddit and news reports, the site presents a collection of Platner’s most controversial moments and issues, aiming to keep them in public view as the campaign enters its final six months.

In particular, it lists seven key flags: the way Platner has talked about rape victims, a Nazi tattoo he had removed, comments in which he called police “bastards,” derogatory remarks about Maine residents, alleged sympathy for terrorists, comments about communism, and bigoted thoughts about minorities.

Platner’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Pine Tree Results, founded in January of last year according to FEC records, has amassed a mostly untapped $12.7 million war chest.

Despite the series of scandals highlighted by Pine Tree Results, Democrats are counting on Platner to carry the party banner in a state they believe is ripe for a Senate win.

He became the de facto party nominee earlier this year when former Maine governor Janet Mills, 78, announced she would suspend her campaign after it became clear Platner had more momentum.

Collins, a political moderate, has found success in the historically Democratic Pine Tree State as a Republican. She last won reelection in 2020 in a 51% to 42.4% victory over Democratic challenger Sara Gideon, a Maine state legislator.

Democrats are hoping Platner’s pitch as a political outsider will convince voters to ditch the five-term incumbent.

Platner has framed the PAC’s attacks as proof that his campaign has enough momentum to draw scrutiny.

“A Republican super PAC called ‘Pine Tree Results,’ funded by twelve billionaires, just bought $2 million worth of attack ads against our campaign. It’s all out-of-state money. Not a single dollar coming from Maine,” Platner said in a post to Instagram last month.