Overview
- Graham Platner confirmed a chest tattoo shown in a family video and said it resembles a skull-and-crossbones design he picked in 2007 while drunk on leave in Split, Croatia.
- The Anti-Defamation League said the tattoo appears to be a Nazi Totenkopf and described it as troubling, noting people sometimes get such tattoos without understanding their hateful associations.
- Platner denied being a Nazi and said he plans to remove or cover the tattoo after learning of its associations during the campaign.
- A former political director and an anonymous acquaintance allege Platner long knew the symbol’s meaning, which his campaign disputes as false.
- The uproar follows his apology for resurfaced offensive Reddit posts; Bernie Sanders is standing by his endorsement as Chuck Schumer publicly backs Gov. Janet Mills in the Democratic primary.