Platner’s Handpicked Successor For U.S. Senate Once Sandbagged Housing For The Poor

The Rockland state rep recruited Wednesday by a former U.S. Senate Democrat candidate has been all talk no action helping the poor.

Maine State Rep. Valli Geiger, who Wednesday told WMTW-TV that Graham Platner wants her to replace him as the nominee, has an embarrassing housing-advocacy incident in her past, despite selling herself as the progressive friend of the downtrodden.

Geiger told the TV station that Platner, who resigned later in the day from the race after facing a rape allegation, called her and said, “’Valli you are a fighter, you have been with this movement since the beginning,’” and asked her if he could put her name forward.

She reportedly agreed to fill the void if Platner, under siege from the recent rape accusation, quit the race against U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine.

But Geiger “the fighter,” who owns not one but two houses, once famously gave up “the fight” for the poor, exposing her fake role as a housing advocate for those needing a roof over their head.

Geiger a year ago was caught by The Maine Wire showing two faces to her “affordable housing” reputation.

As it turned out, she was all for houses as long as they weren’t for ex-inmates needing a room in a boarding home.

Just a room in a non-profit recovery house, mind you, not even a home. Just a room with a bed and a shared bathroom.

Geiger – a member of the legislative housing caucus – has been claiming it’s her mission to make it easier to get housing for the needy.

A “regional living wage” she proposed – supposedly to help people afford housing – died a year ago in the legislature.

Amid that failed campaign allegedly designed to help the poor find housing The Maine Wire discovered that Geiger once fought a plan in her own city specifically designed to help people less fortunate than her to have a roof over their heads.

Not even a house, mind you. Just a room to call their own.

The “re-entry” home for ex-prisoners triggered a neighborhood backlash so vitriolic it effectively resulted in the ouster of the top long-serving code enforcement officer in Rockland.

Geiger blamed code chief John Root for allowing the home to move forward, claiming that by approving it without first going to the planning board he “got it wrong.”

In fact, the local zoning board ruled that Root had indeed correctly interpreted the housing ordinance.

But for Root the validation came too late.

He resigned under fire in 2019 after decades of service to the midcoast city.

Geiger was suddenly among city officials trying to sing Root’s praises at his 2020 retirement ceremony.

Root had been Geiger’s rabbi, recruiting her to serve on Rockland’s comprehensive planning commission.

Yet when Root actually made it easier to develop housing for people in need, she sandbagged him.

Liberals love the buzz words “affordable housing” until the label attaches to former inmates.

Geiger the alleged liberal Platner acolyte will need to explain how she went south on housing for the needy if and when she should replace him as the party’s candidate.

In a statement on Facebook, meanwhile, Geiger on Wednesday offered compassion on “both sides” in reaction to Platner being accused of rape.

Geiger has maintained her support for Platner despite the mountain of controversies facing him, including the latest allegation of sexual impropriety.

But is loyalty a fleeting concept for Valli Geiger?

After all if she can’t keep her powder dry on something as innocent as housing for the needy what will happen when she’s required to defend rape?

Will Graham Platner become the next John Root, left at the altar when push comes to shove?