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Army vet dad running for sheriff gets murder charge dismissed in shooting of daughter's alleged predator
An Arkansas judge has dismissed the murder charges against a local sheriff candidate and Army veteran accused of gunning down a man who allegedly sexually assaulted his teenage daughter.
Aaron Spencer was initially charged with second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of 67-year-old Michael Fosler in Lonoke County in October 2024.
According to court records obtained by Fox News Digital, Special Circuit Court Judge Ralph Wilson Jr. dismissed the charges against Spencer on Thursday.
Prosecutors previously alleged Spencer discovered Fosler alone with his teenage daughter inside Fosler’s pickup truck in the wee hours of the night on Oct. 8, 2024. Authorities said Spencer allegedly forced the vehicle off the road before calling 911 to report he had shot the 67-year-old.
The judge cited law enforcement’s mishandling of dash-camera and SD card evidence from Spencer’s truck, adding a dismissal is "an extraordinary and extreme remedy" in any criminal case.
"However, based on the totality of the circumstances and the unique, specific, and particular facts and circumstances of this case, the Court finds that conduct by law enforcement was so egregious that dismissal of this case is warranted," the judge wrote.
Spencer’s defense team argued that law enforcement lost the SD card possibly containing footage of the altercation, and did not provide documentation regarding when the item went missing or details surrounding its disappearance.
STORE OWNER HELD WITHOUT BOND FOR 3 YEARS ACQUITTED OF MURDER IN TEEN'S SHOOTING DEATH
The judge ruled that "the loss or destruction of the internal SD memory card of the dash camera has adversely impaired the Defendant's ability to defend himself pursuant to these defenses, and thus his right to a fair trial," according to court documents.
Fosler had previously been charged with "numerous sexual offenses" against Spencer’s teenage daughter and was out on bond at the time of the shooting, court records indicated.
In February, Spencer emerged as the winner of the Republican primary for Lonoke County sheriff after defeating the incumbent, in which he vowed to reform the county’s law enforcement agency.
"Through my own fight for justice, I have seen firsthand the failures in law enforcement and in our circuit court," Spencer said in a previous campaign video. "And I refuse to stand by while others face these same failures."
While Spencer admitted to gunning down Fosler, he pleaded not guilty to the murder charges. The case was set to go to trial on June 22.
Details regarding how the dismissal could impact his candidacy for sheriff have not yet been released.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Lonoke County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, the Lonoke County Sheriff's Office and Spencer’s defense team for comment.
FIFA bans refillable water bottles from World Cup stadiums despite original rules stating otherwise
FIFA’s rules for match days across the United States, Mexico and Canada for the World Cup are much more strict than regular sporting events, and that only continued on Thursday.
With just one week until the first match kicks off, FIFA has now banned refillable plastic water bottles from being allowed inside stadiums.
This is a turn from the original rules, which stated refillable bottles were allowed if the weather was hot enough to justify it. Now, FIFA is saying no bottles no matter the case.
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"FIFA is committed to protecting the health and safety of all players, referees, fans, volunteers, and staff," FIFA told Reuters.
"FIFA made the decision to prohibit bottles to prevent risk and injury to players and attendees."
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It was previously believed that the refillable water bottles were going to be a good use for soccer fans attending matches because FIFA had told Free Lions, a traveling fan embassy for England’s national squad, shared that the governing body promised access to free water.
"In all of our discussions, free water accessibility in stadiums was a key one and we were assumed by FIFA that this would be the case, and that fans will have the ability to bring their own water bottle," Free Lions wrote on social media, while also showcasing a graphic that said refillable bottles would be allowed.
FIFA is also blaming certain stadiums being used for the World Cup, saying it is simply applying rules that are already in place there.
Since the World Cup is in the middle of the summer, hot conditions are one of the biggest question marks, especially since some of these players participated in the Club World Cup last year. The final at MetLife Stadium, now named New York/New Jersey Stadium for the World Cup, was a scorcher last summer.
While this new rule is in effect, FIFA had also previously told NPR it would provide "additional cooling capacity, including shaded areas, misting systems, cooling buses, and expanded water distribution" in case of extreme heat. It’s unknown if that is still in effect ahead of the tournament.
For fans, there remains this question, but players will see a mandatory three-minute cooling break near the 22nd minute of each half to ensure they are not facing heat exhaustion. It will also help that matches at night as well as domed stadiums like SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, AT&T Stadium in Dallas and Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
The World Cup final, though, will be held in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on July 19 at 3 p.m. ET, which will be peak temperature for the day at first whistle.
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NBA star Lonzo Ball declares Jalen Brunson 'the best Knick to do it' amid New York's NBA Finals run
Lonzo Ball has endured plenty of highs and lows throughout his NBA career. The veteran guard also knows what it takes to succeed at the position, prompting him to offer a bold opinion on one of the league’s hottest stars.
Ball, who most recently played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, called Jalen Brunson "the best Knick to do it...like ever" in a post on X.
Ball’s comment came after Brunson scored 30 points to help New York rally for a 105-95 win over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
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Ball and Brunson last faced off on Christmas Day in New York, when Brunson led the Knicks in scoring in a 126-124 win over the Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden. Ball came off the bench in that game, logging 14 minutes and recording one rebound.
Since arriving in New York, Brunson has become known for his clutch play. He has been a key part of the Knicks’ run to their first NBA Finals appearance in more than two decades. After their Game 1 comeback, the Knicks need three more victories to clinch their first title in more than a half-century.
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Brunson may be the brightest star currently wearing blue and orange, but he plays for a franchise with a deep history — even if recent decades have brought limited success. The Knicks’ past is filled with storied players and Hall of Famers.
Willis Reed, Patrick Ewing, Walt Frazier, Charles Oakley and others have often been ranked among the historic franchise’s top players. If Brunson helps the Knicks bring the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy back to 4 Pennsylvania Plaza, it would certainly strengthen his case for a more prominent place in franchise lore.
Brunson briefly headed toward the locker room after an injury scare in Game 1 but ultimately returned to the court. In the game’s final minute, Brunson appeared frustrated with some unidentified courtside fans during teammate OG Anunoby’s foul shot attempts. The NBA has since launched an investigation into the incident, ESPN reported Thursday, citing sources.
Game 2 in San Antonio is scheduled to tip off Friday night before the series shifts to New York next week for Game 3.
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George Washington's 1757 beer recipe brought back to life ahead of America's 250th birthday
The New York Public Library (NYPL) is giving visitors a chance to "taste history" by recreating George Washington's beer recipe from the first president's 1757 military journal, which is housed in the library's research collections.
The library collaborated with New York City-based TALEA Beer Co. to recreate the brew, along with a Liberty Lager to appeal to modern palates.
"The initial response to [the library] reaching out was obviously awe," LeAnn Darland, TALEA co-founder and co-CEO, told Fox News Digital. "Just to be considered to work with the New York Public Library is huge for us."
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Washington's beer recipe was written in a journal he kept as a young colonel in charge of the Virginia militia during the Seven Years' War, the library's website says, adding that he likely served it to his troops while stationed at Fort Loudon, Virginia.
The "notebook, mostly in Washington's handwriting, contains the daily notes of the military commander: outlines for letters and orders, a list of officers' commissions, the names of wagon horses and a recipe for 'small beer.'"
"Small beer," according to the library, derives its name from the small amount of alcohol it contains.
It was quick to make, safer to drink because the brewing process helped eliminate bacteria in the water — and it was an "everyday, mainstay beverage," according to Darland.
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The recipe is fairly straightforward "and not far off from what a first-time home brewer would do," Darland said.
There were some archaic phrases the brewers had to decipher, though, such as "a quart of yeast."
"The fermentable sugar was just all molasses, which makes sense given they were probably just using what they had rationed to them when they were at camp or moving around," Darland said.
TALEA worked with the library to taste-test their creations.
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"It was definitely a collaborative process," Darland said. "With that initial small beer that we were trialing, we used a few different sugars that may have been available at that time to see how they would ferment and how they would carry through in a finished beer."
The molasses of today is far more processed than what Washington was working with, she noted.
"Trying to get back to the truest form of what they had in the 1700s was the challenge," Darland said. "The library team was really fun, and we ultimately decided to do it on [a] molasses base, which is the closest to George Washington's beer."
Darland said TALEA assumed the beer produced closest to Washington's recipe "wouldn't be very enjoyable for today's drinker" — especially compared to the commercial beers that are available.
"But we were still very excited to bring it to life and see what everyone thought," she said.
In addition to the majority of the small beer the NYPL has, TALEA decided to bring Washington's beer to life "in a more modern way."
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TALEA produced a "pretty malty lager," Darland said, which is similar in color to Washington's beer, but much clearer. His looked like "muddy water," she said.
The Liberty Lager "is a beautiful amber color and has more hops than the George Washington brew," Darland said. "That's really to just help balance out the sweetness of the malt a little bit more, and to make sure it's palatable and that people want to come back to it again and again."
Liberty Lager is available at TALEA's taprooms. The NYPL will be offering samples of the small beer at its many America250 events this summer.
"We will likely brew [the small beer] again and sell it at all of our taprooms so people can experience it," Darland said. "We are kind of blown away at the response and the demand for both beers right now, and are trying to play catch-up. We're brewing more of the Liberty Lager as we speak. It's been a pretty wild week."
Darland is a Navy veteran and said she hopes the patriotic brews bring people together.
"Wanting to be patriotic shouldn't always come with such stark political lines drawn in the sand," she said.
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"There are a lot of great values that America stands for and opportunities that it can bring to people if we can just all put the political views aside and appreciate something as simple as a beer. That is really what beer is meant to do – bring people together. Maybe [you'll] learn a little bit but also just have fun and build community."
A large Siffer [Sifter] full of Bran Hops to your Taste
3 Gall[ons] Molasses
A quart of Yea[s]t
Take a large Siffer [Sifter] full of Bran Hops to your Taste. Boil these 3 hours then strain out 30 Gall[ons] into a cooler.
Put in 3 Gall[ons] Molasses while the Beer is Scalding hot or rather draw the Melasses (sic) into the cooler & St[r]ain the Beer on it while boiling Hot.
Let this stand till it is little more than Blood warm then put in a quart of Yea[s]t.
If the Weather is very Cold cover it over with a Blank[et] & let it Work in the Cooler 24 hours then put it into the Cask - leave the bung open till it is almost don[e] Working -
Bottle it that day Week it was Brewed.
Four Senate Republicans again unite with Dems to block Trump's SAVE America Act
Four Senate Republicans broke ranks to kill another effort to pass President Donald Trump's marquee voter ID and election integrity legislation as the GOP marches to fund immigration enforcement.
Just like last time, Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Thom Tills, R-N.C., joined all Democrats to thwart the move.
It’s the second attempt by Republicans to attach the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act to their budget reconciliation package, and the second time that they’ve failed to get the legislation across the line months after launching a quasi-floor takeover to debate the bill.
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Trying to attach the bill to the nearly $70 billion budget reconciliation package geared toward funding Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol meant that the amendment from Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., needed at least 60 votes to pass.
That threshold again proved too high a bar on Thursday night.
And it’s a result that further solidified the political reality in the upper chamber that the SAVE America Act has little chance of passing, given the unanimous Democratic resistance and lack of total buy-in among the Senate GOP, even if Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., launched the long sought after talking filibuster.
REPUBLICANS FAIL TO ATTACH SAVE AMERICA ACT TO PARTY-LINE FUNDING PACKAGE
Still, Graham challenged Democrats to bat down the amendment, accusing them of being "probably into cheating" in elections for not supporting voter ID.
"There's no other reason to say you don't have to have an ID. It just makes cheating easier," Graham said. "Who wants a noncitizen voting in our election if you're against that, that makes me wonder."
"And biological males playing girls sports [is] not good for anybody, and a minor should not be allowed to transition their sex," he continued. "That's the biggest change you can make in your entire life. You shouldn't be allowed to do that as a minor. This is what we say. What do you say?"
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But Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., noted "that just over a month ago, a similar proposal was defeated on a bipartisan basis."
"Current safeguards are working," Padilla said. "And yes, it is already unlawful for non-citizens to vote in the United States. What this amendment does is mirrors earlier attempts to push through the president's priorities, to try to take over elections, to ban vote by mail."
"And while we're at it, while they're at it, attacking trans folks during pride month, that's pretty damn offensive," he continued.
Hasan Piker claims California wants 'homo-fascism' after his favored candidate loses to gay progressive
Left-wing Twitch streamer Hasan Piker accused California of wanting a kind of "homo-fascism" after his preferred candidate trailed behind a gay Democratic state senator on Tuesday.
During one of his streams, Piker expressed disappointment that Saikat Chakrabarti, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's former chief of staff, failed to advance in the California primary to replace former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Instead, San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan and California state Sen. Scott Wiener will face off in November, with Wiener leading the candidates at 41%.
Piker attacked San Francisco and California for not being as progressive as other cities and claimed liberals there simply want "gay fascism" in reference to Wiener's sexuality.
"It’s just f---ing rich liberals who just want homo-fascism in the country. That’s it," Piker said. "They want gay fascism. They want gay techno-fascism."
In another stream, Piker addressed Twitch users claiming he was homophobic and doubled down on his beliefs, adding that California's "wokeness" is limited to LGBTQ issues and abortion.
"It's because I was saying California liberals want homo-fascism. It's true. If it offends you, that's your problem. I mean, it's true. Yes, California liberalism begins and ends at abortion rights being protected and LGBTQ rights being protected. That's it. Wokeness has a limit in California. That is literally the limit," Piker said.
He continued, "They do not care if homeless people are being melted for biomatter on the side. They do not care if one apartment unit costs $7 million. The cheapest apartment unit could cost $7 million. They do not care if they shoot you in the head for even demanding public transit. None of these things. No economic progress whatsoever."
Fox News Digital reached out to Piker for a comment.
During his stream, he voiced his frustration with Wiener after claiming that Wiener was lying when he agreed with his fellow candidates that Israel was guilty of genocide.
"What I care about is the fact that Scott Wiener straight up said Israel committed a genocide and I know for a fact he doesn't believe it and he just wanted to win and that's why he said it after spending years and years defending Israel, going to Israel, flying away to Israel. It's just he is the absolute worst type of machine politician," Piker said.
In addition to Chakrabarti, Piker also hosted California gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer and Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman on his stream prior to the primary elections. As of Thursday, both candidates are trailing third in their races.
AI boom: Demand for data centers drives innovation by energy, tech industries to produce new power sources
Energy experts acknowledge the need for additional power sources, and they’re turning to new technology and infrastructure to address the demand.
"As an industry, we are investing approximately $1.1 trillion in our infrastructure over the next five years to ensure that we're meeting that need and that demand," Exelon CEO Calvin Butler said.
In 2024, data centers consumed about 1.5% of global electricity use and the demand has continued to surge. This year, consumption estimates show data centers are expected to become the world’s fifth-largest energy consumer, with usage falling between the amount Japan and Russia consume.
Exelon is one of the largest electric utility holding companies in the U.S. It owns and operates electric grid infrastructure that delivers electricity to power homes and businesses.
"We're a pure transmission and distribution company. So, my responsibility every day is to operate a safe, reliable, and resilient grid. So, I'm your pipes and wires. I do not control the generation," Butler said. "What we've seen across the PJM footprint is that supply costs have increased 645% since 2024."
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To keep up with the artificial intelligence (AI) demand, companies are getting creative.
Commonwealth Fusion Systems based in Devens, Massachusetts, is working to add 24/7 reliable power to the grid through fusion energy, the power source of the sun and stars.
"When you take light nuclei like hydrogen, and you combine them together, and you release energy in that process. That energy is released in the form of heat, which then you can convert to electricity," said Brandon Sorbom, Commonwealth Fusion Systems co-founder and chief science officer.
New studies by the company show some in the science community are optimistic about fusion for commercial use.
Commonwealth Fusion Systems estimates its ARC fusion power plant could produce 50 times more power than it consumes and that each location could make enough electricity to power a small city for a full year, using only as much fuel as a pickup truck could carry. The papers were co-authored by 58 scientists from major tech universities with support from public-private partnerships and programs.
"One of these power plants we think could power about 280,000 American homes," Sorbom said. "It releases about 10 million times more energy per weight by reaction than chemical energy."
Fusion still has a lot of uncertainties. MIT researchers estimate fusion could provide anywhere from 10% to 50% of electricity, but the institution's estimate finds it won’t come to fruition until 2100. Other scientists say if any power plants make it to the grid, it’s expected to be an expensive process.
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"The biggest challenge that we have right now is actually the integration piece of the system. So we're building this complex commercial system for the very first time," Sorbom said. "It's sort of like, there's this big dance that we're doing right now of getting all the pieces in and in the right order at the right time and putting them together in the way so that when we turn the machine on, we know that it'll perform exactly like it's modeled."
Instead of adding new energy, some companies are moving data centers to locations where less power is required.
"The Nordics are wealthy, stable, well-educated populations, business-friendly, great regulations, great fiber connectivity. Plus, there's abundant power — it's green, it's cheap," said Philippe Sachs of AI infrastructure builder Nscale. "There's not a lot of competing industrial demand. So probably the best markets on earth to have data centers."
Nscale builds, owns and operates infrastructure for data centers in Nordic countries. The company buys Nvidia chips to rent to clients and provides cloud services and other AI services. Sachs is the company's Europe, Middle East and Africa and global affairs president.
"I think we started with a thesis around power and the scarcity of power, and in the age of AI, we understood that it was important that you were in the most attractive power markets, and there's probably no more attractive place for that than the Arctic Circle," Sachs said.
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Nordic countries have plenty of land and green energy available. The cool climate also reduces the amount of energy required to cool hardware.
"Given that it's cold for many months of the year, we can utilize the heat generated by the servers to heat homes. So, we can create a local ecosystem that is extremely efficient in comparison to other markets," said John Wernvik of Sweden-based EcoDataCenter.
EcoDataCenter designs, builds and operates data center buildings, then brings in a client’s hardware and makes sure it runs efficiently.
"We work with among the largest tech companies in the world and materialize their computer needs and building the runway in terms of data center capacity here in Sweden," said Wernvik, the company's chief external relations and sustainability officer.
The market in Norway is especially heating up — 50% of the country’s land is located above the Arctic Circle. It also has some of the lowest energy prices in Europe.
"You don't have a very large competing industrial demand for that power, certainly less so than the US, which is in the favor of the Arctic Circle," Sachs said. "In some places, like in northern Norway where we have some of our data centers, the grid isn't even connected to the population center in the South where the capital Oslo is. So, there is no reason why what you do up there would impact electricity prices in the major cities."
Nordic countries host around 134 existing data centers with 71 expected to come online in the near future.
"AI compute requires a lot of energy and energy is a large part of the cost for running these large-scale systems and to do that efficiently in a sustainable way is, of course, hugely beneficial for our clients," Wernvik said. "During the last 24 months, we've seen an exponential amount of data center builds being announced across Nordics that want to tap into those fundamentals as well."
Construction costs for Arctic data centers are plentiful. According to data center consulting firm Turner & Townsend, Nordic capitals Oslo, Stockholm, Helsinki and Copenhagen have among the 11 highest construction costs.
"A lot of companies that are building data centers that haven't built data centers in the Nordics before, often are delayed," Wernvik said. "It is a complex thing to handle the weather we have during the next 12 months and given the seasonal changes. So that's definitely one challenge if you come from the outside looking to build."
Despite the difficulties adapting to the rising power demand, companies around the world are working to find a solution.
"There's a really strong correlation between energy usage and quality of life," Sorbom said. "In general, you want to find ways to make more energy and make it in a clean and a safe way."
Red Wings captain, Detroit-area native Dylan Larkin reportedly tells the team he wants a trade
Toward the end of last season, it looked like the Detroit Red Wings might have a shot at sneaking into the postseason for the first time since 2016, but it didn't pan out.
And, as if that wasn't bad enough, it's now being reported that their captain, Detroit native Dylan Larkin, wants out.
According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, the 29-year-old has asked the team for a trade, citing the team repeatedly missing the playoffs and a less-than-stellar relationship with Red Wings GM and franchise legend Steve Yzerman.
None of the implicated parties — Larkin, his agent, or Yzerman — have commented since Friedman made his report, which cites "multiple sources."
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But, if it's accurate... buckle up, kids.
Larkin was drafted by the Red Wings with the No. 15 pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, and since then has gone on to record 643 points in 808 games.
He's a top-line center with an $8.7 million cap hit, according to Puck Pedia, and won't be a free agent until 2031. All of that should make him a trade target for most teams in the league.
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On top of that, Larkin has played well as of late, not just with the Red Wings, but also Team USA. He was part of the Four Nations Face-off team last year, as well as this year's gold-medal-winning Olympic team.
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Larkin has a full no-trade clause for the next two seasons, meaning he will need to okay any deal made in that time frame.
While this is probably the last thing the Red Wings want to hear, there may be an upside.
You don't want to rush a deal, but the sooner you get it done, the more they can ask for, and Larkin is probably going to command a serious haul.
Sure, you never want it to come like this, but it might be the reset the team needs to get back to the postseason.
Karl-Anthony Towns credits late mother for calm feeling he had in thrilling Game 1 of NBA Finals
The pressure and anticipation of the NBA Finals is felt all throughout basketball, whether players want to say it or not.
However, New York Knicks star center Karl-Anthony Towns revealed he "felt a calm and a peace" despite what was at stake in Game 1 on Wednesday night at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio against the Spurs.
The reason for his serenity through the chaos? His mother.
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Towns’ mother, Jacqueline Cruz-Towns, died in April 2020 because of complications from COVID-19. But while she wasn’t in the stands for her son’s first NBA Finals game, Towns said he felt her presence throughout the day.
"I don’t know what it was, but I just felt a calm and a peace that, I don’t know, had to be coming from the woman above," Towns said to the "Inside The NBA" crew on ESPN after the Knicks’ 105-95 win over the Spurs to take Game 1 on the road. "So, I felt really confident today. I felt good.
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"I felt like a kid. It was just fun out here. This is something that, as a kid, you always dream about. You always hope to be an NBA player, let alone be in the NBA Finals. All day, it was just a weird feeling. It felt like I was a kid getting ready to go play my Saturday AAU games and Sunday AAU games. In a way, I felt like I was seeing her in the stands, and it was really fun. It was really comforting.
Towns admitted it felt odd because he has been told what the NBA Finals is going to be like in terms of pressure and need for execution. But the ability to play free and without any doubt helped him, especially when the Knicks were down.
While it was Jalen Brunson hitting a dagger mid-range jumper late in the fourth quarter to virtually seal victory for the Knicks, it was Towns making things happen in the third quarter to erase a 14-point deficit to allow New York the opportunity for yet another comeback in the NBA Playoffs.
Towns was creating second-chance buckets for the Knicks, while playing stellar defense on Spurs star Victor Wembanyama to get momentum swinging back to his team’s bench. At one point, Towns was huffing and puffing, clearly gassed after giving his all in the quarter.
Towns finished the game with 18 points and 12 rebounds for another double-double in the playoffs, while recording four assists and one block. He shot 7-of-15 from the field, and even admitted after the game he didn’t believe he, nor the Knicks as a whole, played a great offensive game.
But it was the team’s defense that helped them rally and get the necessary buckets on the other end to close out a 10-point win.
The victory marked the 12th straight for the Knicks, as their playoff run has been truly remarkable to watch on their way to the NBA Finals. They will look for lucky number 13 on Friday night in Game 2 against the Spurs before returning to Madison Square Garden next week.
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‘He hated women’: Explosive abuse, new Nazi tattoo allegations from exes rock Platner's campaign
Some of Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner’s ex-girlfriends spoke out in a damning report Thursday, which chronicled new allegations of rape fantasies, heavy drinking and violent episodes.
Platner continues to be under fire for a chest tattoo called the Totenkopf, used by Nazi death camp guards, alleged sexting of younger women and publicly finding humor in a Taliban attack that nearly killed former Pennsylvania lieutenant gubernatorial candidate Teddy Daniels.
One of his ex-girlfriends, Lyndsey Fifield, told the New York Times the two met in 2013 when he was a George Washington University student, and she was with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce with a growing presence in conservative circles.
Fifield recounted how Platner would poke fun at his chest tattoo of a Totenkopf and told the paper that Platner explained he and other members of his military unit chose it because of parallels between them and the Schutzstaffel -- in that "they were a death unit... killers," which appears to contradict his narrative that he did not know the tattoo was associated with the Nazi emblem.
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She also recalled how the oyster farmer and veteran would sharpen an ax while watching television and ruminate about raping home invaders.
"He said this a lot: If anybody ever broke in here, I would rape them," but not in a sexual or "gay" way, Fifield said, adding that Platner stated he would want to instead impose dominance over them through penetration and that he believed rape was about power.
She also described a public encounter where Platner purportedly pulled her out of a taxi by her wrist during an altercation.
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Platner, who has acknowledged his battle with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder from his time in the military, told Fox News Digital that he has "been open about what was a very dark period of my life where I struggled with undiagnosed PTSD."
"Throughout this campaign, I’ve been open about what was a very dark period of my life where I struggled with undiagnosed PTSD, too often self-medicated with alcohol, and was a far from perfect boyfriend," Platner said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
"I take responsibility for all of that, and wish I had been better. Any characterization beyond that is false, and I believe, politically motivated," he added. "I’m not proud of who I was then, but I am proud of the work I’ve done since, and the movement we are building in Maine."
Fifield recounted another incident when Platner reportedly pushed her into a bedroom and held the door shut. She later was able to leave after falling asleep and waking after some time had passed.
Besides the rape visualizations, Platner would "fantasize about killing people he deemed a threat," according to the Times’ conversation with Fifield – who briefly spoke with Fox News Digital on the phone, but declined to further comment on the story.
Fifield added that in addition to the ax which he had from prior work bushwacking on the Appalachian Trail, Platner kept an AR-15 in his Capitol Hill home. The firearm type is currently prohibited in the District of Columbia, but that law is under legal challenge from the Trump Justice Department.
Of Fifield’s allegations, Platner’s campaign pointed to her conservative-leaning politics and called her a "lifelong GOP operative who’s dedicated her career to electing Republicans."
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In turn, Fifield, who previously worked at the Heritage Foundation and briefly worked on Nikki Haley's presidential campaign, among other conservative jobs, said she is not affiliated with Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine; the five-term incumbent Platner is challenging.
Another woman, Jenny Racicot, is a fellow Maine Democrat who was in an "off-and-on" relationship with Platner between 2019 and 2021, according to the Times.
She told the paper some of Platner’s controversial Reddit posts hardened her view that he has issues with women.
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"I recognized a version of him that I had experiences with," she said.
Another Maine Democrat who he dated declined to have her name published by the Times and said Platner would at times drink heavily, and that her role in the relationship seemed like "collateral damage to the world that is his."
The Republican National Committee said the report appears to be nothing new in the cadence of scandals facing the Democratic challenger.
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"Every day brings another deeply disturbing revelation about Graham Platner," spokeswoman Delanie Bomar said.
"If he’s willing to do this to his own girlfriend, imagine what he’s willing to do in a position of political power. Maine voters deserve to know why Democrats are willing to excuse this deranged behavior," said Bomar.
"If Chuck Schumer and national Democrats don’t distance themselves from Platner, they’ll be forced to answer for his behavior every day from now until Election Day," she continued.
Fox News Digital also reached out to Collins, Gov. Janet Mills, Senate Republicans’ campaign arm, Senate Democrats’ campaign arm, and Maine House Speaker Ryan Fecteau, D-Old Orchard Beach; the legislature’s top Democrat, for comment.