Graham Platner maintains active Kik account amid sexting scandal and scrutiny over platform’s safety record
Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner continues to maintain an active account on the messaging app Kik under the username 'Phustle0331', despite allegations that he sent sexually explicit messages to multiple women while married. The Wall Street Journal first reported the existence of the account and the messages, which Platner’s wife discovered in spring 2025. Both New York Post and Fox News confirm that Platner has not deactivated his profile, which includes a photo of him shirtless with a towel around his waist. While New York Post focuses on the personal and political implications of the sexting, including Platner’s online history and campaign payments to his wife, Fox News emphasizes Kik’s broader safety concerns, citing its association with child sexual exploitation and listing multiple incidents in Maine involving minors. Neither source presents evidence that Platner communicated with minors. National figures like Cory Booker have stated Platner must answer questions about the scandal.
Fox News provides more contextual depth regarding Kik’s platform risks and public safety implications, while New York Post offers more detail on Platner’s personal conduct, online footprint, and campaign dynamics. Neither source contradicts core facts, but their framing diverges significantly in emphasis and tone.
- ✓ Graham Platner, a Democratic Senate candidate in Maine, has an active account on the messaging app Kik under the username 'Phustle0331'.
- ✓ Platner allegedly sent sexually explicit messages to multiple women while married to Amy Gertner, whom he married in 2023.
- ✓ The Wall Street Journal first reported on Platner’s Kik account and the sexting allegations.
- ✓ Platner’s wife reportedly discovered the messages in spring 2025 and shared them with a campaign official.
- ✓ Platner has not deactivated his Kik account despite the scandal.
- ✓ His profile includes a photo of him shirtless with a towel around his waist.
- ✓ Cory Booker has expressed concern about Platner, stating he 'has questions to answer'.
- ✓ Kik is an anonymous messaging app that does not require phone numbers or verified emails for registration.
- ✓ There is no evidence that Platner communicated with minors on Kik.
Tone and framing of Kik
Frames Kik as a 'predator’s paradise' and emphasizes its links to child sexual exploitation, citing watchdog groups and criminal cases in Maine.
Describes Kik as a 'hotbed of hookups and adultery' and emphasizes its use for adult extramarital activity.
Focus of the scandal
Focuses on broader public safety concerns related to Kik’s platform design and its risks to minors, downplaying Platner’s personal conduct in favor of institutional critique.
Emphasizes the personal and political hypocrisy of a married politician sexting other women; includes sensational language like 'horny oyster farmer'.
Visual and symbolic details
Does not mention the Nazi symbol or any political symbolism in the photo.
Highlights the Nazi 'Totenkopf' symbol visible on Platner’s phone in the photo, noting he later inked over it and denied knowing its origins.
User demographics and platform safety
Provides extensive detail on Kik’s safety issues: 70% of users aged 13–24, Bark’s 2024 ranking, National Center on Sexual Exploitation’s 'Dirty Dozen' listing, and four Maine convictions involving minors.
Mentions Kik’s reputation for hookups and adultery, briefly references child exploitation scrutiny.
Number of women involved
Does not specify the number of women Platner allegedly messaged.
Notes initial accusations of up to a dozen women, but a campaign official clarifies it was up to six and stopped before the campaign launch.
Platner’s other online activity
Mentions unearthed posts where Platner praised vulgar graffiti and made crude admissions, but does not reference Reddit or the P-Hustle handle.
References Platner’s “P-Hustle” Reddit handle and deleted 'wild screeds', linking to a broader pattern of controversial online behavior.
Campaign payments to wife
Does not mention any financial transactions between the campaign and Amy Gertner.
Notes that Platner’s campaign paid his wife $30K, implying potential financial incentives or image management.
New York Post
Framing: Frames the event as a personal morality scandal involving hypocrisy, online recklessness, and political damage control.
Tone: Sensational, mocking, and politically critical
Sensationalism: Uses mocking phrase 'He still hasn’t kiked it' and labels Platner a 'horny oyster farmer', injecting humor and ridicule.
"He still hasn’t kiked it. Embattled Maine Senate hopeful Graham Platner..."
Loaded Language: Highlights Nazi symbol in photo without contextualizing intent, potentially implying extremist leanings.
"has his hand holding a phone over the side of his chest that resembled a Totenkopf or 'death’s head' symbol, which was used by the Nazi SS."
Narrative Framing: References deleted Reddit posts and the 'P-Hustle' handle to suggest a pattern of inappropriate online behavior.
"It is also similar to the 'P-Hustle' Reddit handle that Platner used for wild screeds that have since been mass-deleted."
Cherry-Picking: Notes campaign paid wife $30K, implying possible financial motive or image control, without providing full context.
"Embattled Dem Senate candidate’s wife stands by her man in sexting scandal — after his campaign paid her $30K"
Appeal to Emotion: Uses emotionally charged language like 'firestorm' and 'horny oyster farmer' to amplify scandal.
"Despite the firestorm the horny oyster farmer has faced..."
Fox News
Framing: Frames the event as part of a larger public safety issue involving anonymous platforms and child protection.
Tone: Serious, investigative, and institutionally focused
Framing by Emphasis: Describes Kik as a 'predator’s paradise' and cites watchdog designations, framing the platform as inherently dangerous.
"Kik was rated the worst app for severe sexual content... designated Kik as a 'predator’s paradise'."
Framing by Emphasis: Focuses on child safety statistics and criminal cases in Maine, shifting attention from Platner’s actions to systemic platform risks.
"Between 2023 and 2025, at least four Maine men were sentenced for distributing child pornography... using Kik."
Proper Attribution: Highlights lack of age verification and high youth usage to underscore public danger.
"Users only need an email address... no enforceable age-verification mechanism. Roughly 70% of users are 13–24."
Balanced Reporting: Avoids editorializing about Platner’s personal conduct; presents facts more clinically.
"It is unclear who Platner messaged... no evidence he communicated with minors."
Comprehensive Sourcing: Cites specific watchdog groups (National Center on Sexual Exploitation, Bark) and their findings.
"The National Center on Sexual Exploitation designated Kik as a 'predator’s paradise' in 2023..."
Platner still has active account on anonymous app dubbed 'predator's paradise' amid cheating scandal
Graham Platner still has an active account on Kik app where he allegedly sexted while married