July 7, 2026
Letters to the Editor
The Washington Post
Re: "Assault claim rocks Platner," Front page story by Liz Goodwin and Amy Brittain, July 7, 2026)
To the Editor:
Maine's U.S. Senate Democratic nominee Graham Platner has been accused by Jenny Racicot of sexual assault near the end of 2021, well within Maine's applicable 6-year civil statute of limitations and 20-year criminal limitations period. Ms. Racicot has refrained from filing civil suit or pressing criminal charges for more than four years.
Perhaps Ms. Racicot's accusation is true, but perhaps not. Regardless, isn't Mr. Platner entitled to due process including a presumption of innocence? The instant demand by Representative Ro Khanna (D-CA) and U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) for Mr. Platner's immediate withdrawal smacks of the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland during the trial of the Knave of Hearts: "Sentence first-verdict afterwards."
Sincerely,
Bruce Fein, associate deputy attorney general under President Reagan and author of Constitutional Peril: The Life and Death Struggle for Our Constitution and Democracy
300 New Jersey Avenue, N.W., Suite 300
Washington, D.C. 20001
Phone: 202-465-8728; 703-963-4968