Campaign Denies Claim That James Talarico’s ‘Flu’ Was Mental Health Crisis

Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico’s campaign has denied reports that his recent two-week absence from the campaign trail was due to a mental health crisis, maintaining he was recovering from the flu. The controversy arose after conservative media figures released an audio recording of a phone call to a mental health facility in Ohio, where an unidentified employee appeared to state that a patient named James Talarico had been recently discharged. The facility, the Lindner Center of Hope, declined to confirm or deny the report, citing patient privacy laws.

Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico’s campaign has denied reports that his recent two-week absence from the campaign trail was due to a mental health crisis, maintaining he was recovering from the flu. The controversy arose after conservative media figures released an audio recording of a phone call to a mental health facility in Ohio, where an unidentified employee appeared to state that a patient named James Talarico had been recently discharged. The facility, the Lindner Center of Hope, declined to confirm or deny the report, citing patient privacy laws.