October 25, 2026
A new documentary film sparked a widespread political storm in the United States, after it included accusations by three men against the late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of paying them money in exchange for sexual relations. One man claimed he was 17 when he met Graham, who he claimed secretly filmed him without his knowledge.
The film, produced by “The Young Turks” network affiliated with the American left, is about 30 minutes long, and is titled “The CLOSETocracy.” These developments come about 3 months after Graham’s death at the age of 71, and less than two weeks before the midterm congressional elections, where his sister, Darlene Graham, is waging an electoral battle to retain his seat in the Senate.
The New York Times explained that it was unable to independently verify the identities of the three men or the veracity of their stories. In the details of the testimonies, a man who identified himself as “Calvin” reported that Graham paid him $120 for a sexual relationship in 2001 inside a house in Arizona, indicating that the senator surreptitiously photographed him without providing evidence to prove the incident. A second man, who introduced himself as “Corey,” said that a car took him to the “Mayflower” Hotel in Washington to spend a night in exchange for money, only to later discover that the person was Graham after seeing him on television in 2016. A third man confirmed that he had received money in exchange for similar meetings, coinciding with the launch of a website called “Lindsey Graham Files,” which displays documents and travel receipts that are supposed to support the accusations.
The New York Times revealed that “Cory,” known in pornographic productions as “Sean Harding,” had published accusations in 2020 against a Republican senator who opposes gay rights, using the letters “LG.” On the other hand, Graham, who spent 23 years in the Senate and was not married, had repeatedly denied rumors of his sexual orientation, confirming in a 2010 interview: “I am not gay. Sorry.”
The case highlights Graham’s political record of opposition to same-sex marriage and expanding the definition of hate crimes. The film sparked a division within the Republican Party. Former Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene supported the accusations on the “X” platform, considering that the seriousness of the matter lies in the exposure of influential people to blackmail and the threat to national security, which was supported by the “Turning Point USA” organization through its spokesman, Andrew Colvitt. In turn, Republican Representative William Timmons attacked the film, describing the accusations as “shameful lies” targeting a deceased person who cannot defend himself.
Graham died last July as a result of a dissection of the aortic wall, and his sister Darlene was appointed to fill his seat. She is running in the November 3 elections against Democrat Annie Andrews with the support of President Donald Trump, while her campaign refused to comment on the accusations. It is noteworthy that Graham was known for being one of Trump’s most prominent allies, and for his strong support for Israel and a strict policy towards Iran, in addition to his role in mobilizing support for Ukraine, so that his private life remains the focus of a heated political debate that casts a shadow over the current electoral scene.
