MAINE — Graham Platner, the Democratic nominee for Senate in Maine, released his first general election ad focusing on Jeffrey Epstein and the "Epstein class" of elites. The ad did not name his opponent, Sen. Susan Collins, or the Republican Party.

"Some of the most powerful Democrats and Republicans in the country were on Epstein island," Platner said in the ad, referring to Epstein's former residence in the U.S. Virgin Islands. He added that the party establishments seem to agree on "a love of Jeffrey Epstein, and a hatred of me." Platner concluded his ad by stating, "I'm Graham Platner, and I approve this message because together, we will take back our government from the Epstein class."

U.S. Representative Ro Khanna of California used the term "Epstein class" last year to describe men among the economic and cultural elite who traveled in Jeffrey Epstein's social circles. Khanna told The 19th that he coined the phrase because the "Epstein class" consists of "rich and powerful people who are not playing by the rules, and it offends the sense that we have one tier of justice." Independent Senate candidate Dan Osborn of Nebraska has also used the term to frame his campaign.

Jeffrey Epstein died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges, with his death ruled a suicide. He was convicted in 2008 for soliciting the prostitution of a minor. Ghislaine Maxwell is serving a prison sentence for sex trafficking, and no one else has been prosecuted in connection with Epstein's crimes in the United States.

Why It Matters

A Navigator Research poll released in March indicated that half of Americans believed the government was covering up additional wrongdoing by Epstein. This belief extended across party lines, with two-thirds of Democrats, 58 percent of independents, 67 percent of non-MAGA Republicans, and 57 percent of MAGA Republicans expressing this view.

The poll also found that 72 percent of Americans want more arrests and prosecutions related to Epstein. Additionally, 64 percent of respondents believed Epstein's crimes were "unsurprising and the result of a broader problem."