How a tattoo artist became involved in a cover-up of Nazi symbols during the Maine Senate race

Graham Platner was looking for a cover.

Nearly two decades ago, the Maine Democrat drunkenly chose a skull and crossbones design while on leave with his fellow Marines in Croatia. It lasted until several weeks his campaign for an important seat in the US Senate that Platner says he discovered the design was recognized as a Nazi symbol.

Instead of waiting for multiple laser removal sessions, Platner called a friend to help him get rid of it.

“It was a phone call of, ‘Hey, I have a tattoo. I found out it’s something I don’t want, can you help me cover it up?'” Mischa Ostberg, an artist from Ellsworth, Maine, told The Associated Press in an interview.

Ostberg, a self-described “baby tattoo artist” who has only been licensed to ink for two years, was eager to help. For Ostberg, the request wasn’t out of the ordinary — concealing a design is a common practice in the tattoo world — and Platner’s willingness to take action when he learned about the image’s connection to the Nazis was a reflection of the friend they’d known for years.

It also confirmed why Ostberg supported Platner’s campaign, saying his past mistake reflects that “he’s an ordinary person like all of us” and has not been perfectly vetted by Democratic leaders.

Platner has faced mounting criticism for now-deleted posts he made on Reddit, where he decried military sex attacks, questioned the tipping habits of black customers and criticized police officers and rural Americans. Other posts showed Platner making homophobic comments and anti-LGBTQ+ jokes between 2018 and 2021.

Yet Platner claims that in the 20 years he has had the tattoo, he has never been questioned about the tattoo’s connection to Nazi symbols. He said that after serving three times as a Marine, he later enlisted in the Army, which required him to take an exam for hate symbol tattoos.

“We all make mistakes and we don’t have teams that can cover it up for us,” Ostberg said.

Finding a design was incredibly difficult, Ostberg said. The left side of Platner’s chest is filled with a lot of black ink. Ostberg sketched a design with a Sharpie.

It took several hours to complete, resulting in a Celtic knot now covers most of the skull and crossbones with a dog jumping on top of the image. Ostberg said they were inspired by Platner’s Scottish heritage and love for his two dogs.

Still, Ostberg acknowledged that reactions to the design have not been kind. Many have ridiculed the newly covered design, while others wondered if Platner really covered up the symbol.

“I know a lot of people have said some pretty brutal things. I try not to look at it too much because it just really hurts the ego and the creative part of you,” Ostberg said. “But I tried. I put a lot of time and effort into it, even if other people can’t see it. I tried to make it personal to the person I know.”

Platner wants to overturn a U.S. Senate seat long held by Republicans Susan Collins. As a first-time candidate, he must first survive the state’s Democratic primary, which includes the governor. Janet Millswhich has the support of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and prominent left-wing political groups.

“I didn’t really want so many people talking about this,” Ostberg said of the tattoo. “The most important thing is that people are talking about this movement.”