After U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner faced backlash for a chest tattoo that resembled a Nazi symbol, the Maine Democrat initially said he would have it removed. But AP reporters Kimberlee Kruesi and Patrick Whittle stayed close to the story, and turned a short phone interview into a newsmaking scoop: Platner had already covered the tattoo with another image.
Earlier in the week, Kruesi and Whittle had reported on Platner’s apologies for past offensive online comments. Whittle, based in Maine, remained in touch with the campaign and planned to cover one of Platner’s town halls. He also helped coordinate a phone interview between Kruesi and the candidate earlier that day while Platner was traveling.
During that interview, Kruesi got the key update — that Platner had changed course and already covered the controversial tattoo. Whittle then helped quickly secure photos from a local TV station that had gotten Platner to remove his shirt, providing a striking visual to confirm the scoop.
The fast follow-up and persistence by both reporters gave AP a key exclusive and shaped how the story was understood and covered throughout the day.
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