Graham Platton, the Democratic candidate for the United States Senate in Maine, announced his withdrawal on Friday after rape allegations surfaced. In his final public comment he said, "F*ck ICE. Free Palestine." The abrupt exit has thrown into relief the role of two behind‑the‑scenes figures – Morris Katz and Daniel Moraff – who engineered Platton’s rapid rise.
Who are the architects?
Morris Katz, 27, first attracted national attention by helping Zohran Mamdani win a New York City Council seat in 2021. He later recruited Platton and produced a viral video that cast the unemployed businessman as a champion of the working class. The New York Times later observed, "Like Mr. Mamdani, Mr. Katz is a child of the New York cultural elite, but fluent in anti‑elite rhetoric," highlighting his paradoxical background.
Katz’s family history includes his grandfather Harry Jay Katz, a flamboyant figure linked to convicted murderer Ira Einhorn. Daniel Moraff, 34, is a graduate of Yale and Brown who has positioned himself as a recruiter of candidates opposed to Israel and capitalism. Early in Platton’s campaign he compared the Maine businessman to former President Barack Obama, yet he bypassed the usual vetting procedures.
Controversies surrounding the strategists
Both men now face renewed scrutiny over their judgment. Reports indicate that Katz threatened a former Platton aide in an attempt to silence stories about the candidate’s extramarital activity. Moraff’s own record includes a removal from Summer Lee’s (D., Pa.) campaign in 2022 after sexual‑misconduct accusations. A former organiser described him as lacking "boundaries with women, nor much of an ethical code."
Columnist Matthew Yglesias previously called Moraff a "new force in politics," but his involvement in Platton’s campaign is now being questioned.
Implications for the Democratic Party
The episode underscores the risks of the Democratic Party’s recent embrace of unvetted, outsider operatives. While Katz and Moraff presented themselves as progressive innovators, their association with a candidate who bears a Nazi tattoo and faces rape allegations has raised doubts about accountability within elite political circles. Observers suggest the scandal could delay the party’s push to move its base toward younger, more radical candidates.
First reported by the source material.