Independent journalists claim a recorded conversation with an Ohio medical facility raises questions about Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico’s absence from campaigning, but his spokesperson denies the allegations and maintains that he was recovering from influenza.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
AUSTIN, Texas — New allegations concerning Democratic U.S. Senate nominee James Talarico’s recent absence from the campaign trail have intensified political controversy in Texas after independent journalists released a recorded telephone conversation they say contradicts his campaign’s explanation that he was recovering from the flu. The allegations surfaced Sunday, Oct. 11, less than a month before Talarico faces Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
Journalists Nick Sortor and Rhein Amacher said they contacted an Ohio medical facility and obtained information that appeared to contradict the campaign’s account. However, the recording does not independently establish the identity or authority of the person answering the telephone, and the medical facility has not publicly verified the allegation.
Talarico’s campaign has directly denied the report, maintaining that the candidate spent his time away from public appearances recovering from influenza at his home in Austin.
The controversy follows approximately 12 days without an in-person campaign appearance by Talarico, whose absence had prompted questions from Republican opponents and political commentators during the final weeks of a competitive Senate campaign.
Sortor announced the new allegations Sunday after he and Amacher reportedly contacted the Lindner Center of Hope in Mason, Ohio, a facility providing mental health services.
In a report published Sunday by Just the News, the publication described the recording and noted that the individual’s identity had not been verified independently.
Sortor characterized the campaign’s explanation as “a BIG FAT LIE.”
Amacher said he personally contacted the facility to investigate earlier speculation and recorded the exchange.
“During my recorded call, an individual identifying themselves as a female facility employee reportedly stated that Talarico was no longer a patient and had been discharged within the previous 24–48 hours,” Amacher wrote on X.
“Texans deserve accurate, independently verified information about candidates seeking to represent them in the U.S. Senate. The stakes are too high for speculation.”
According to published accounts of the conversation, the person answering the telephone appeared to provide information about a patient’s discharge status. However, no independently authenticated medical records or other direct evidence substantiating the allegation have been made public.
The distinction is important because a telephone recording alone does not establish whether the person speaking had access to accurate records, correctly identified the individual being discussed or was authorized to disclose information.
Talarico campaign spokesperson JT Ennis rejected the allegations in a statement Sunday.
“This is a lie designed to promote a pathetic conspiracy theory. Last week James Talarico was home in Austin, Texas recovering from the flu,” Ennis said, according to The Post Millennial’s reporting on the campaign response.
The campaign’s denial followed several days of online speculation that began before the recorded telephone conversation was released.
Republican strategist Caroline Wren had previously circulated information concerning a purported private aircraft flight between Texas and Ohio, questioning whether the flight was connected to Talarico’s absence.
Wren pointed to aircraft-tracking information involving an airport near Cincinnati and suggested that the timing of the reported flight warranted further investigation.
However, publicly available aircraft movement information does not establish who traveled aboard a particular aircraft. No authenticated passenger manifest or other independently verified documentation has been released linking Talarico to the flight.
The speculation was also discussed by political commentators including BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales and former Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt, who questioned the explanation provided by Talarico’s campaign.
Such claims circulated before the alleged telephone recording emerged and have remained disputed.
The controversy began after Talarico stepped away from in-person campaigning following a September fundraising appearance in New York.
His campaign said he received an influenza diagnosis after seeking medical attention in Dallas on Sept. 30 and subsequently canceled public appearances while recovering.
Talarico participated virtually in an event with the U.S. Hispanic Business Council on Sept. 30 but did not return to an in-person campaign appearance until Friday, Oct. 9.
According to The Texas Tribune’s reporting on his return, the campaign said his recovery had required additional time and that he had avoided public events while ill.
Talarico reappeared at the Austin City Limits music festival in Austin, where photographs and videos showed him greeting voters and interacting with attendees.
Ennis responded to earlier speculation by publishing video from the festival.
“Hate to disappoint the conspiracy theorists, but James is still alive and meeting with voters at ACL today,” the spokesperson wrote on X.
The appearance confirmed that Talarico had resumed public activities but did not resolve the subsequent dispute over the competing explanations of his absence.
President Donald Trump also questioned the length of the interruption during a Saturday campaign appearance, joining Republican criticism of the Democratic nominee’s extended absence.
“He had the longest flu ever recorded. He was away for, like, almost 14 days. He was missing in action!” Trump said.
“I don’t think it was the flu either, that it was a new strain of flu. It keeps you out of commission for weeks!”
Trump’s remarks reflected skepticism about the campaign’s explanation but did not provide independent evidence supporting an alternative account.
The president has endorsed Paxton in the Texas Senate contest, and Republicans have used Talarico’s absence to question his campaign’s public communications.
Paxton’s campaign circulated messages highlighting the lack of recent appearances and calling for additional information about when the Democrat would return.
Talarico, meanwhile, has challenged Paxton to participate in a public debate before the election.
The Associated Press reported Friday that Trump had called for the candidates to debate, an invitation Talarico publicly welcomed.
The dispute has unfolded as both campaigns intensify their efforts to reach voters ahead of early voting and Election Day.
Additional commentators have criticized Talarico’s campaign for how it handled questions about his absence.
Journalist Breanna Morello argued that the campaign should have responded more extensively to inquiries rather than allowing competing accounts to circulate.
“James Talarico’s campaign knew this story was being released. They decided to ignore journalists reaching out,” Morello wrote.
“They had over 13 days to construct a plan, but decided to do nothing. It’s an interesting PR strategy mainly because it’s horrendous.”
Morello also questioned whether influenza could explain an absence lasting nearly two weeks. However, recovery times vary according to the severity of illness and individual circumstances. The duration of an absence from public appearances cannot, by itself, establish whether a reported diagnosis was genuine.
The release of the telephone recording introduced another issue: the legal protections governing confidential medical information.
Political commentator Laura Loomer raised concerns about whether an employee’s alleged disclosure of patient information could violate federal medical privacy law.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, commonly known as HIPAA, generally prohibits covered healthcare providers and their personnel from disclosing protected patient information without authorization, subject to specified exceptions.
Under 42 U.S.C. Section 1320d-6, knowingly obtaining or disclosing protected health information in violation of the law can result in criminal penalties.
The statute permits penalties of up to one year of imprisonment and a $50,000 fine for certain violations. Offenses committed under false pretenses can carry penalties of up to five years in prison and a $100,000 fine. More severe penalties apply to certain offenses involving commercial advantage, personal gain or malicious harm.
Whether any violation occurred in connection with the alleged telephone conversation would depend on facts that have not been established publicly, including the authenticity of the recording, the identity of the speaker and the circumstances under which any information was obtained.
No public finding has established that the facility or any individual violated federal medical privacy law.
The controversy also raises broader questions about the boundaries between public scrutiny of political candidates and the confidentiality of personal health information.
Candidates routinely face questions about their ability to fulfill official responsibilities, particularly when illnesses interrupt campaign activities. At the same time, private medical records generally remain protected unless individuals authorize disclosure or another legal exception applies.
Claims that a person received mental health treatment do not independently establish any inability to perform public duties. Assessments of a candidate’s qualifications require evidence concerning the responsibilities of the office rather than assumptions based on an alleged medical history.
Several commentators involved in the controversy have nevertheless argued that voters deserve additional information about Talarico’s absence.
Pratt, who had circulated earlier speculation, said Friday that reports concerning an undisclosed medical emergency should be approached with concern for the individual involved.
“If this is true, this is actually a time to pray for Talarico,” Pratt wrote.
“Campaigns are brutal, and not everybody is cut out for it. You need very thick skin.”
He also said he hoped the claims were inaccurate.
“I’m praying that this isn’t true, and he’s OK. You want to win these fights on the battlefield of ideas, not the minefield of poor health.”
Those statements were made before the latest recorded conversation became public and did not independently substantiate the allegations.
The controversy arrives during a closely contested Texas Senate election between Talarico and Paxton.
Recent polling has shown the candidates separated by narrow margins, placing additional attention on campaign appearances, public statements and opportunities for voters to evaluate both nominees.
Texas has not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1988, making the contest an important focus of national Democratic efforts to compete in traditionally Republican states.
Republicans are attempting to retain the seat as they defend their majority in the Senate, while Democrats are seeking to expand their opportunities to gain seats in the November elections.
Talarico’s temporary absence occurred during a period when candidates typically intensify their public schedules, making the interruption a subject of political interest even before the newer allegations emerged.
The campaign has maintained that the Democrat was recovering from influenza and has resumed public appearances. The journalists challenging that account have released a recording and described their investigation, but the central allegation remains unverified independently and has been expressly denied by his spokesperson.
As of Sunday, no authenticated medical documentation or official statement from the facility had been made public establishing the reported hospitalization. The competing accounts remain unresolved, while Talarico’s campaign continues preparing for the Nov. 3 election.
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