Graham Platner is taking his name off the ballot, but the trail of debris left from the mounting controversies that brought down his nearly year-long insurgent Senate campaign in Maine is giving Republicans ammunition to use against Democrats in other crucial midterm races.

«Democrats rolled in the mud with Platner, and now they are completely stained by their association with this sick monster,» Republican National Committee Chair Joe Gruters charged in a statement minutes after the Marine Corp veteran announced on Wednesday night that he was suspending his campaign.

Republicans are now linking Platner to Democrats in a handful of House and Senate races that will directly impact the midterm battle for control of Congress.

Platner, a populist Democrat backed last September by leading national progressives like Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., was challenging longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins in a high-profile, combustible and very expensive race in Maine, which is one of a handful that will determine if the GOP holds onto its slim Senate majority in November’s midterm elections.

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Platner’s exit from the race came two days after an explosive report on Monday afternoon contained an allegation of rape from a woman he previously dated. It was only after that report when a chorus of calls emerged from top Democrats across the country for him to immediately drop out.

But Platner, the combat veteran and oyster farmer whose campaign caught fire and steamrolled the Democratic establishment, had already been forced on defense ahead of the his primary victory last month.

Past inflammatory online comments made on a now-deleted Reddit account came back to haunt him at the same time he was reeling from revelations of a now covered-up tattoo on his chest that resembled a Nazi symbol. Then reports that Platner exchanged sexually explicit messages with several women while married came right before allegations from ex-girlfriends of a history of rape fantasies, heavy drinking and violent episodes were made public.

Platner repeatedly called the allegations of violence untrue and dismissed his tattoo and Reddit posts as actions taken by a younger man who has now changed.

And addressing the latest rape allegation, a visibly irritated Platner charged in his suspension video on Wednesday: «This is all false. The things that have been claimed did not happen. It is not real.»

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Graham Platner, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, speaks to an overflow crowd outside a campaign event June 7, 2026, in Portland, Maine. (Robert F. Bukaty/AP Photo)

But Republicans see an opportunity to use Platner’s toxic baggage as a cudgel against some Democrats on the ballot in key races this year — especially those who once backed the Maine candidate or defended him against previous allegations.

«Every Democrat that endorsed Graham Platner endorsed a rapist, and every Democrat that stayed silent was complicit,» Gruters argued.

The GOP quickly took aim at Matt Dunlap, the Democratic nominee in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, a Democrat-controlled open seat in a mostly rural district President Donald Trump carried in the past three presidential elections that the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) is heavily targeting.

Dunlap endorsed Platner and appeared with him at a campaign event days before Maine’s June 9 primary.

«Out of touch freak Matt Dunlap might be okay with Nazi lovers and men who abuse women, but in November, he’ll see for himself that Mainers aren’t. Dunlap’s embrace of this vile human is disqualifying,» NRCC Spokeswoman Maureen O’Toole charged.

On Monday, amid a wave of Democrats calling on Platner to call it quits, Dunlap said in a statement, «The allegations reported today are serious, and they deserve to be treated with the gravity they warrant. As such, I am calling on Graham Platner to withdraw from the race for Senate so we can all come together behind a nominee who can successfully carry the torch in November.»

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In neighboring battleground New Hampshire, the NRCC took aim at Stefany Shaheen, the polling front runner in the September primary in the state’s 1st Congressional District, another crucial swing seat that is among roughly two to three dozen that will determine if the GOP holds its razor-thin House majority in the midterms.

«Granite Staters will hold Shaheen accountable for her appalling judgment,» O’Toole argued.

Shaheen never endorsed Platner, but did not explicitly condemn him until Monday, when she said in a statement that «the allegations of sexual assault are extremely disturbing.»

«Graham Platner needs to drop out of this race. I stand with the women who bravely came forward,» she added.

The Shaheen campaign told Fox News Digital that Republicans are being hypocritical, and pointed to President Donald Trump as an example of the double standard.

«Stefany Shaheen called for Graham Platner to drop out. Republicans hacks are total hypocrites still excusing Donald Trump even after he was forced to pay millions in damages to a woman he sexually abused,» Shaheen campaign manager Emma Greenberg told Fox News Digital.

«They have nothing to say about the twenty-eight women who have accused Trump of sexually abusing them. Stefany is going to keep taking on Donald Trump’s corrupt self-dealing and misogyny along with the hacks who keep enabling it.»

The general election winner in the congressional race will succeed four-term Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas, who is running for the Senate this year.

Former GOP Sen. John E. Sununu, the Republican front-runner in that race, took aim at Pappas over what he charged were the «failures of Chris Pappas when it comes to Graham Platner.»

The statement spotlights a critical piece on Pappas penned by the conservative-leaning New Hampshire Journal.

Pappas, who never endorsed Platner, also took to social media on Monday, saying, «The allegations against Graham Platner are reprehensible, and he must step aside.»

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The Pappas campaign also argued that Sununu, who is backed byTrump, is being hypocritical.

«Donald Trump was found liable for sexual abuse, bragged about sexually harassing women and girls, has publicly defamed and demeaned survivors, and is mentioned in the Epstein files over 38,000 times — and John Sununu accepted Trump’s endorsement anyway,» Chris Pappas for Senate spokesperson Gates MacPherson said. «Chris Pappas called on Platner to step aside immediately. John Sununu still stands with Donald Trump. They are not the same.»

The Senate showdown for the Democrat-controlled seat in New Hampshire is one of roughly a dozen races that will determine if Republicans retain their majority in the chamber.

Democrats question how effective any concerted push by the GOP to use Platner as ammunition may be with voters this autumn.

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«Battleground district voters don’t care about Graham Platner, CJ Warnke, communications director at the House Majority PAC, the top super PAC supporting congressional Democrats, told Fox News Digital in a statement.

Warnke, pivoting to affordability, argued that voters «care about how Republicans broke their promise lower costs by passing a toxic agenda of tariffs, new wars, and devastating health care cuts. Meanwhile, Democrats are running on making life more affordable and rooting out corruption, and in November we’re going to win.»

El tráfico ilícito de tabaco, alcohol, agroquímicos y electrónicos se ha afianzado en Centroamérica por una serie de fallas estructurales y regulatorias que persisten en la región, según un informe reciente de la Alianza Transnacional para Combatir el Comercio Ilícito (Tracit).

La presentación de la “Evaluación del desempeño de Centroamérica en el Índice de Comercio Ilícito” tuvo lugar en la Ciudad de Panamá, con la participación de representantes empresariales y expertos, según informó EFE. El estudio examina la situación de 158 economías en seis rubros distintos, entre ellos el entorno impositivo, la regulación, los controles gubernamentales, la corrupción y los sistemas para combatir el blanqueo de capitales.

El informe destaca que la falta de control aduanero en las zonas francas y la debilidad de los intermediarios en la cadena de suministros facilitan el flujo ilegal de una amplia gama de productos. Además, señala la existencia de una economía informal robusta, el uso indebido de zonas francas y una capacidad desigual de monitoreo estatal que favorecen la expansión del comercio ilícito en la región.

Según el índice de 2025, Costa Rica y Panamá encabezan la lista centroamericana con 51.2 y 49.6 puntos respectivamente. Les siguen El Salvador, Belice, Guatemala, Honduras y Nicaragua, estos últimos con puntuaciones que reflejan una mayor vulnerabilidad.

Dentro de América Latina, Uruguay se distingue como el país mejor ubicado. El promedio global, de 49.9 puntos sobre 100, indica que la mayoría de los gobiernos en el mundo no está preparado para prevenir o mitigar el comercio ilícito.

El informe de Tracit sostiene que, aunque algunos países centroamericanos muestran avances, la región en su conjunto sigue enfrentando obstáculos significativos para controlar la circulación ilegal de productos, de acuerdo con lo reportado por EFE.

El documento menciona que la Zona Libre de Colón en Panamá y la de Corozal en Belice son focos críticos, ya que manejan altos volúmenes de reexportaciones con baja transparencia sobre los beneficiarios finales y un mínimo de inspección física de mercancías de alto riesgo, tales como cigarrillos y destilados.

La investigación advierte que estos factores, junto a la corrupción arraigada y la informalidad, permiten que el comercio ilícito de bienes como tabaco, bebidas alcohólicas, electrónicos, medicamentos y productos agrícolas falsificados o adulterados se mantenga activo y conectado a nivel regional.

Entre los productos más afectados por el comercio ilegal se encuentran los cigarrillos, las bebidas alcohólicas y los electrónicos, principalmente de origen asiático.

A esto se suman medicamentos falsificados —antibióticos, analgésicos, tratamientos contra la gripe y productos dermatológicos— y la circulación de plaguicidas, fertilizantes y semillas adulterados o robados. Este flujo ilícito representa un riesgo para la salud y la seguridad alimentaria.

Las redes de comercio ilegal aprovechan las brechas en el monitoreo de la cadena de suministro y la falta de inspecciones efectivas para mover mercancía a gran escala en toda la región.

El informe señala que los gobiernos centroamericanos reconocen cada vez más el comercio ilícito como un asunto prioritario y han comenzado a establecer medidas de control y salvaguardas. Tracit propone que las zonas francas sean declaradas formalmente bajo jurisdicción aduanera, con derechos plenos para inspeccionar y controlar almacenes y puntos de entrada o salida.

Según el documento, “los crecientes esfuerzos de Centroamérica por fortalecer la transparencia y la integridad de la cadena de suministro, junto con los avances continuos para abordar las limitaciones de capacidad institucional y alinear los marcos regulatorios con los tratados y normas internacionales, ofrecen una base sólida para aumentar la resiliencia frente al comercio ilícito en toda la región”.

Mientras la región avanza en la coordinación y actualización normativa, el informe de Tracit subraya la necesidad de profundizar en estos esfuerzos para enfrentar el comercio ilícito y proteger tanto la economía como la salud pública.

Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District, once proposed raising taxes to make room for a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) officer.

A «DEI coordinator» was among eight new hires in the city’s 2023 proposed budget and would have set aside $25,500 for the position. To cover the costs of that opening and those of a police chief, a fire chief, a business administrator, a solicitor and a director of public works, the budget included a 3% property tax increase, estimated to generate $957,000 for the city.

The positions were estimated to cost $380,500. That budget was not adopted.

Cognetti’s proposed plan highlights her beliefs about diversity in government and the directness with which government should pursue representation among certain demographics as she looks to flip one of the country’s most competitive districts and unseat incumbent Rep. Rob Bresnahan, R-Pa.

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In the past, Cognetti has highlighted her purposeful pursuit of diversity in government.

«We’re not doing this for the publicity. We’re doing this quietly so that these conversations just become the norm,» Cognetti said in a podcast appearance.

When asked about the DEI proposals and the 2023 budget, the Cognetti campaign pointed out that Bresnahan’s company has received government assistance for being «women-owned,» support it says is in line with DEI policies.

«Rob Bresnahan’s own company identifies itself as disadvantaged and women-owned in order to get a leg up on securing federal contracts,» a Cognetti spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News Digital, referring to Kuharchik Construction Inc.

The company, which Bresnahan began leading as CEO in 2013, has received $162,000 in federal contracts since 2008, according to records.

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Rep. Rob Bresnahan, R-Pa., arrives for a House Republican Conference caucus meeting at the U.S. Capitol March 11, 2025. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

It has not received federal payments since 2017.

The campaign also said that many of Cognetti’s other acts as mayor directly helped bring the city’s costs down.

«Mayor Cognetti ran as an independent against a corrupt Democratic machine and reformed city hall. She saved taxpayers’ money by balancing the budget after years of mismanagement, turned down a government car and gas card, refused a pay raise and improved the city’s credit rating from junk bond status to an A- investment rating,» the Cognetti campaign continued. 

«Now, Paige is running to take on corrupt politicians in Washington like Rob Bresnahan, who has stock traded off of his votes and his access to insider information in Congress.»

Bresnahan is not under investigation for insider trading, a violation of House rules.

Despite her emphasis on cutting government spending, Cognetti’s framing of the 2023 budget and its DEI role reflects her belief that diversity should be an area where the government places more of its resources.

She explained her thinking in a 2023 podcast.

«I will say that we’ve had some setbacks. Last year, we put a DEI coordinator in our budget. My city council cut that position with zero fanfare. There was no public comment. And this is where I think that the positive advocacy is missing,» Cognetti said of her budget proposal.

«You know, you want to raise taxes 3%. ‘Well, it should be only 2%.’ OK, well, let’s have that conversation.»

In Cognetti’s view, her work on DEI has not clashed with Scranton’s interests, and she affirms that hiring the best candidates has naturally led to greater diversity in government roles.

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Traffic passes a sign on the highway in Scranton, Pa., April 15, 2024. (Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images)

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«We’re not doing it by cherry-picking, but by merit, and, lo and behold, City Hall looks different,» Cognetti said.

«When you walk into City Hall today, there are far more people of color and far more women working there, I think, than you would have seen four years ago. And, again, it’s not because we have had some grand strategy beyond really just hiring the best people for the jobs and trying to make sure that our jobs are posted in places that people are looking, right?»