According to a report by the American newspaper 'The Feral Daily' on October 12, recently, Republican U.S. Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas was publicly criticized for an outstanding debt and had to settle the bill owed to a bakery that had been unpaid for 6 years.
The 66-year-old Marshall was first elected to the federal Senate in 2020. During that year, his campaign team ordered cookies, muffins, and brownies for the primary election watch parties, but never paid for them. Now, as he campaigns for re-election, this old debt is being brought to the forefront of public opinion.
On October 18th, local time, Holly Sweet Shop owner Holly Thomas posted on Facebook: “Do you know why I would never vote for Roger Marshall? Six years ago, when I first opened this little bakery, his campaign team ordered cookies and pastries to use for the primary election viewing parties. But I never received any payment for those orders.”
"For nearly a year now, I have repeatedly called and emailed to request payment, but I still haven't received a reply. This invoice also remains unpaid." Thomas wrote.
Thomas made it clear that this debt was a significant amount of money for her at that time. Even after many years, she still feels angry. “I had just started my business at that time, and it happened to be during the COVID-19 pandemic. Small businesses everywhere were struggling to survive, and every penny was crucial.”
Roger Marshall’s unpaid bills and campaign cookies he bought at that time. Facebook
Thomas’ post quickly spread online. Many netizens recalled the recent news: Marshall, who is a doctor, had sued hundreds of patients who owed medical fees. Among them, 81 people were arrested due to inability to pay their debts.
In recent elections, Marshall is competing fiercely against Democratic candidate Adam Hamilton, striving to retain his seat as a senator. If he loses this race, he would become the first Republican candidate in Kansas to lose an election for federal senator since 1932.
On October 10th, local time, Marshall tried to regain his damaged image. He posted on the X platform, stating that he had paid off the debt and incurred interest. The orders included 150 pieces of cream cheese cookies, 100 mini strawberry muffins, and 100 pieces of soft candy brownies.
Marshall said, “We have no idea how things ended up this way. But please rest assured that as soon as we learned of the situation, we immediately contacted the store owner to apologize, and we have already paid twice the amount owed for the year 2020.”
He also attached a screenshot of online transfer, transferring 1300 USD to Holly's Sweet Treats shop.
But this crisis response was quickly criticized by netizens on the X platform. Netizens cited reports from The New York Times, stating that Marshall was once a obstetrician who would sue women who could not afford medical expenses after giving birth. Netizens argued that Marshall should also experience the difficulties that those patients face.
Marshall ceased practicing medicine when he ran for election as a United States Representative from the 1st District of Kansas in 2016. According to The New York Times, even after being elected as a representative, he continued to pursue payment from patients who owed him money.
Last month, at a debate at the Kansas State Fair, Marshall told voters, "Don’t believe anything in the New York Times," but he did not directly deny the related allegations.
A netizen commented under Marshall’s post about paying off the bakery bill, saying, “If it was a pregnant woman who needed $50 in medical expenses, you would have already sent her to jail.” Another netizen left a message: “You should have sued or requested an arrest against you, just as you treat patients.”
On October 11th, local time, Thomas confirmed that she had received the payment. “It’s better to have it late than not at all, right? Six years have passed, and this invoice can finally be marked as paid!” she wrote on Facebook.
Even so, some netizens pointed out that the $1300 that Marshall paid does not match the amount calculated according to normal standards. “Calculated with 18% compound interest over six years, the total amount would be $1830.97—which is more than just a usual tip. Indeed, 18% seems high, but it is said to be the standard practice…”
Thomas said that the people who placed the order were members of the campaign team, so she wouldn’t attribute all the blame to Marshall himself. “But as a manager, if my employees make mistakes, the responsibility also falls on me.”
Facing media's comments and requests for opinions, Marshall's campaign team did not respond to the controversy. They only expressed to "The Wild Beast Daily" that Marshall "fought for farmers, pursued greater benefits for the middle class through tax cuts, and pushed forward related work on border security, achieving positive results."
