Troy Jackson, a progressive Democrat, has effectively clinched the nomination for U.S. Senate in Maine after Graham Platner dropped out earlier this month following allegations of sexual assault. Now, Jackson is facing accusations of violence with a female colleague.
Allegations of Jackson throwing a water bottle at a female colleague have been widely reported this week, first by The Washington Post, and later by CNN. According to a decade-long colleague of Jackson’s, it is true and not an isolated incident.
Jackson, Maine logger and former state Senate president, has been a figure in Maine politics since 2002, serving time in both the state House and Senate. After a failed run for governor, he is vying to replace Platner as the Democratic Party nominee. His top competition dropped out of the race on Sunday after Jackson received majority support from the delegates who will officially select him on Monday.
“I remember vividly the day that incident happened. It spread like wildfire,” Republican Maine state Sen. Trey Stewart told the Daily Signal.
According to Stewart, in a closed-door Democratic caucus meeting in 2022, Jackson “gets super grumpy [and] throws a water bottle.”
“Of all the objects, I don’t know why it was that one—probably just because it was the nearest. And [he] throws it at Heather [Sanborn].”
While Jackson’s campaign did not respond to the Daily Signal’s request for comment, it confirmed to CNN that the incident had occurred, but disputed that he threw it in anyone’s direction.
“Over 22 years in public office, there have been moments when he let his frustration get the better of him,” the campaign told CNN. “When that happened, he took responsibility and apologized directly at the time.”
Stewart said he was not in the closed-door Democratic caucus meeting. However, he described Sanborn, a former state senator and now the Maine public advocate, as the victim of the incident.
Stewart and Sanborn were on opposite sides of the political aisle, but he says they were able to talk, not just as colleagues, but as “people who have been through the same sort of fire.” The two attended law school together and served on their respective parties’ energy committees.
Sanborn did not respond to the Daily Signal’s request for comment.
“There were many more instances of Troy working alongside those same colleagues to deliver universal school meals, paid family and medical leave, and prescription-drug relief for Maine families,” Jackson’s campaign said in a statement published by CNN.
“Troy regrets the moments when disagreements became too heated, but passion for the issues he advocates for should not be confused with physical intimidation or bullying.”
Mortgage Fraud Claims
As first reported by the Maine Wire, Jackson also has been accused of mortgage fraud.
In 2023, Jackson allegedly lied on a legally binding affidavit stating he would use one house as his primary residence to receive a Federal Housing Administration loan, allowing him to qualify with a lower credit score or smaller down payment. However, the allegations claim he was living nearly four hours away in a different house.
“It’s about the most cut-and-dry case in mortgage fraud I could possibly think of,” Stewart said.
While the alleged fraud has been widely reported, he has not been formally charged. Stewart said if he was in the Trump administration, he would press the U.S. attorney to investigate the matter.
Though Jackson is the front runner, Maine Democrats will not confirm him as the nominee until Monday.
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[ H/T The Daily Signal ]
