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How a Tattoo Artist Got Involved in a Nazi Symbol Cover-up in the Maine Senate Race
Graham Platner covered a tattoo linked to Nazi imagery after it sparked political attacks during his Maine Senate campaign, emphasizing his Marine background and heritage.
- Several weeks into his campaign, Graham Platner, Maine Democrat and U.S. Senate candidate, was smeared as a secret Nazi by opposition researchers over a chest tattoo resembling the SS Totenkopf while seeking to flip Susan Collins' seat.
- Nearly 20 years ago Platner drunkenly selected a skull-and-crossbones while on leave with his fellow Marines in Croatia, and skull motifs have long been used by Marine Raider units and Army Special Forces.
- Rather than laser removal, Platner called friend and tattoo artist Mischa Ostberg, who sketched with a Sharpie and spent hours inking a Celtic knot and dog cover-up design.
- The controversy has coincided with scrutiny of Platner's deleted posts, as many ridiculed the new tattoo design and Platner faces a primary against Gov. Janet Mills backed by Chuck Schumer.
- Platner says he was never questioned about the mark over the years and noted his three U.S. Marine Corps tours plus U.S. Army enlistment tattoo examination, while Ostberg called it a human mistake.
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Nearly 20 years ago, Democratic candidate Graham Platner got a tattoo that he later discovered was associated with Nazism. Instead of undergoing multiple laser removal sessions, he called a friend to help him get rid of the design.
Central Maine NewsReposted by 
Lewiston Sun Journal
Lewiston Sun JournalPlatner unfairly smeared over tattoo
Graham Platner has been smeared as a secret Nazi by opposition researchers for a chest tattoo that resembled the SS Totenkopf. Skulls, with or without a jawbone or crossed femurs, have been symbols adopted by military units, particularly those viewed as elite, since long before pirates used it for a flag. The elite Marine Raider […]
·Maine, United States
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Total News Sources31
Leaning Left10Leaning Right6Center11Last UpdatedBias Distribution41% Center
Bias Distribution
- 41% of the sources are Center
41% Center
L 37%
C 41%
R 22%
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