Graham Platner, the Democratic nominee for US Senate in Maine, is suspending his campaign following sexual assault allegations.

Platner announced his decision in an 11-minute video posted to social media on Wednesday evening, in which he angrily accused the Democratic establishment and corporate media of “using these allegations to take away all of the things we need to run a campaign” and acting “as judge, jury and executioner”.

“For the movement to continue, it can’t be me,” he said. “For that reason, we are suspending campaign operations.”

Short excerpt, but it gets quote-heavy on Platner’s behalf, all of which is denials, which aren’t particularly relevant since he’s no longer a candidate.

Edited to add the GOP response, thrown in at the end. Apparently, irony isn’t real:

“Maine Democrats elected a rapist Nazi to be their nominee for Senate, and regardless of who they anoint next, Susan Collins will be re-elected in November,” said Samantha Cantrell, regional press secretary for the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

“Democrats rolled in the mud with Platner, and now they are completely stained by their association with this sick monster,” said Republican National Committee chair Joe Gruters.