The Young Turks released a documentary on Oct. 22 alleging that late senator Lindsey Graham paid men for sexual encounters, including on-camera interviews with three people who say they were hired by the South Carolina Republican.
The 30-minute film, promoted by Young Turks host Cenk Uygur, features three men who describe being paid for sex and recount encounters they say involved Graham; NBC Montana reports the video is titled “The CLOSETocracy.”p>
One participant in the video tells the camera he was 17 at the time of his alleged encounter, a detail reported by LGBTQ Nation and Advocate; those outlets describe the interviews as the documentary’s central on-camera evidence. The Advocate says the film includes firsthand accounts from three men and highlights at least one underage allegation.
Graham died in July after an aortic dissection and his sister, Darline Graham, has since been appointed to his Senate seat, NBC Montana notes; the documentary also follows the subject of Graham’s political record on LGBTQ issues while raising questions about national-security implications, The Young Turks’ promotion claimed on social media.
How the video is being presented and reaction so far
NBC Montana quotes Young Turks host Cenk Uygur as saying on X that “The documentary we’re releasing tomorrow on our YouTube channel, The Closetocracy, is about a gay, closeted US Senator. The issue isn’t someone’s sexuality, but there is a serious national security issue. One of the incidents was highly illegal – and on tape!”
Advocate and LGBTQ Nation place the film in the context of long-running rumors about Graham’s private life and note the contrast between those allegations and his public, often anti-LGBTQ policy positions. LGBTQ Nation outlines Graham’s legislative record and says he “earned a zero on the Human Rights Campaign’s latest Congressional Scorecard” for opposing LGBTQ equality.
None of the outlets report an independent confirmation of the men’s claims beyond the documentary footage; Advocate and LGBTQ Nation label the accounts as allegations. NBC Montana reports that Darline Graham’s camp had not responded to questions about the documentary as of its story’s publication.
This article links to contemporaneous coverage and to earlier reporting about Graham’s legislative legacy; readers can consult our related coverage of Graham’s posthumous naming in legislation and other political developments for additional context.
Sources
- The Advocate — reported the documentary includes on-camera accounts from three men and notes one participant says he was 17 during an alleged encounter.
- LGBTQ Nation — described the 30-minute documentary and placed the allegations alongside Graham’s public record on LGBTQ issues.
- NBC Montana — noted the Young Turks released the video titled “The CLOSETocracy,” quoted Cenk Uygur on X, and reported that Darline Graham had not responded to questions.
Internal links: Lindsey Graham–named law and John Waldron resigned after admitting.
