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As the 119th Congress gets down to business, many Americans hope that at least a few of the ways of the swamp will be eradicated. New members have been sworn in, and they are expected to bring lots of fresh perspectives and new ideas. But there are a few lingering items from the previous Congress that need some attention. One of those is the case of a Texas Congresswoman whose vote was needed during a crucial time, but no one knew where she was. Well, she was found, but the story gets even stranger.

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In December, I brought you the story of Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX), who represented Texas’ 12th Congressional District, which includes Fort Worth and areas to the west. Granger’s colleagues had last seen and heard from her in July of 2024 when she last cast a vote in the House of Representatives. Her offices were closed, and no one could reach her. She was ultimately found in a memory care and assisted living facility, and it was reported that she had been found “confused and wandering her neighborhood.”

READ MORE: More Tales From the Swamp – Here’s Where Missing Congresswoman Kay Granger Was Found

The story takes a very curious turn from here, and some questions emerge. The first one: When did Congresswoman Granger’s health begin to deteriorate? The first to be contacted was Granger’s son, JD. Mr. Granger was less than gracious and threw a reporter from “The Dallas Express” out of his restaurant in a profanity-laced barrage. The next stop was Rep. Granger’s staff. Her Chief of Staff, Director of Casework, Senior Legislative Assistant, Director of Communications, Executive Assistant, Deputy Chief of Staff, and Campaign Manager were all contacted for any information about Rep. Granger. No one responded. 

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But a dubious timeline is beginning to emerge. In March of 2023, Granger stepped down as Chair of the House Appropriations Committee. In April, a staff member claimed that Granger was already dealing with memory issues and was scheduled to be evaluated at the Brain Institute in Dallas. In October of 2023, Granger announced that she would not be running for reelection. Granger’s other son, Brandon, may have revealed that her condition had worsened earlier than thought. In a statement to “The Dallas Morning News,” Brandon Granger said, “It’s been a hard year,” and commented how surprising it was that her health had declined quickly.

Here is where things get sketchy. Granger’s Campaign Manager, Hillary Shepheard, continued to collect a salary after Granger announced she would not seek reelection. She was listed on a LinkedIn profile as Granger’s Campaign manager from December 2020 to October 2024. Shepheard was paid $68,000 from October 30, 2023 to October 15, 2024. If Kay Granger was not running for reelection, what did she need a campaign manager for?

The sketchiness continues. Chief of Staff Stephen Ruhlen collected $27,280 for management consulting fees, William Salmon got $1,200 for administrative consulting, Rose Strategies LLC received $30,651.58 for financial consulting, and Crosby Ottenhoff Group was paid $35,267.45 for compliance consulting. All this after Granger’s announcement she would not be running.

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Granger’s staff also continued to be paid from July 1, 2024, to September 30, 2024, with Ruhlen earning $50,025, Deputy Chief of Staff Charles E. Cripliver earning $48,750, and Director of Casework Josie Flores earning $38,750. In total, roughly $1,394,926 was paid out to 25 staff members for fiscal year 2024, and $1,250,155.81 in campaign funds between January 2023 and November 2024. 

Surely, Kay Granger’s family and staff knew of her condition and where she was living. Why did they not disclose it? Why were staff members, especially a campaign manager, continuing to collect salaries when Granger had already said she would not run again? Was Granger’s condition kept a secret so they would continue to be paid? And the most important question, why were the people of Texas CD12 left with no representation when crucial House votes were coming up? 

One constituent had this to say about the treatment they had received:

“As a lifelong resident of Tarrant County I find it shocking that our US Representative is in a Senior Care care unit in Fort Worth, and the constituents haven’t even been notified! I understand that she didn’t seek re-election but she is still the sitting rep until January 3rd 2025. The taxpayers deserve answers!”

Texas State Rep. J.M. Lozano (R-Kingsville) has called for:

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“a full investigation of any health professional that may have “cleared” her to resume “normal work duties” and A COMPLETE AND THOROUGH INVESTIGATION OF HER DISTRICT AND DC STAFF to analyze WHAT THEY KNEW.”

Is there a chance that Granger’s condition was known long before it could no longer be covered up? This may just be the beginning of even more Swamp Tales.

ALSO READ: You Are Not Safe From Your Own Government