Amid the ongoing media coverage surrounding an exclusive report from The Dallas Express—which revealed that Texas Congresswoman Kay Granger has been residing in a senior care facility and missing votes since July 2024—new questions are emerging about the handling of her campaign and office.
It appears her campaign manager continued to receive payments while Granger was reportedly struggling with dementia and no longer running for reelection.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, our team visited a senior living facility in Fort Worth to confirm whether Granger was living there when we couldn’t reach anyone by phone and her office appeared unstaffed. Two employees at the senior facility confirmed that Granger was indeed residing there; however, we were not allowed to interview her.
Brandon Granger, the son of Kay Granger, told The Dallas Morning News on December 22, “It’s been a hard year,” noting that he was taken aback by how rapidly his mother’s health problems have developed. He mentioned that his mother has been “having some dementia issues late in the year.”
According to U.S. House records, Granger has not voted since late July. Given her confirmed health condition, residence in a senior care facility, and absence from voting, several questions remain.
Why was Granger’s condition not disclosed by Granger’s family, staff, or campaign? Why were constituents left without representation during a critical period, including debates on the Trump transition and spending bills?
Further investigation by The Dallas Express revealed that Granger’s campaign manager, Hillary Shepheard, continued to receive payments even after Granger announced in October 2023 that she would not seek re-election. According to Shepheard’s LinkedIn profile, she was listed as Granger’s campaign manager from December 2020 to August 2024. However, Federal Election Commission (FEC) records show that Shepheard was paid more than $68,000 between October 30, 2023, and October 15, 2024.
Why did Shepheard continue receiving payments until October 2024, even after Granger had withdrawn from the election in 2023, stopped working in July, and lived in a care facility?
Did Granger’s campaign deliberately withhold information about her health and living situation to continue drawing from campaign funds?
Shepheard was not the only one receiving compensation for a campaign that no longer had a purpose. Stephen Ruhlen was paid $27,280 for management consulting fees, William Salmon received $1,200 for administrative consulting, Rose Strategies LLC was paid $30,651.58 for financial consulting, and Crosby Ottenhoff Group received $35,267.45 for compliance consulting, since Granger’s announcement in October 2023.
The Federal Election Committee reported that Granger spent a total of $1,250,155.81 in campaign funds between January 2023 and November 2024.
However, concerns are not just about Granger’s campaign team.
According to Legistorm, at least $1,394,926 was distributed to Granger’s 25 staff members in fiscal year 2024.
Between July 1, 2024, and September 30, 2024, over $340,000 was spent on staff salaries. Key figures included Chief of Staff Stephen Ruhlen, who earned $53,025; Deputy Chief of Staff Charles E. Cripliver, who received $48,750; and Josefa L. Flores, who was paid $38,750.01 during that three-month period.
Why did the staff not disclose to the public that Granger was in a senior living facility? Why did they not disclose that she was struggling with memory issues? Did her staff and campaign hide Granger’s dementia and her residence at a senior care facility to milk cash at the taxpayers’ expense, while District 12 was left without representation?
“This demands an ethics investigation, because what was the staff doing, how were they responding to constituents?” former congressman Jason Chaffetz said on Fox News Outnumbered.
“Granger announced in Oct 2023 she would not seek reelection in 2024. Why did she need a campaign manager after that decision was made?” MarmyB wrote on X.
“Kay Granger should’ve resigned … but it’s her staff’s fault, who, like Joe Biden, Dianne Feinstein and Mitch McConnell… knew she wasn’t fit to serve, but propped her carcass up to keep collecting their paychecks,” Comedian Tim Young wrote on X.
Granger stepped down as Chair of the House Appropriations Committee in March 2024.
In her resignation letter, she stated, “As I reflect on my time in the House of Representatives and more than 5 years as Ranking Member and now Chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee, I realize I have accomplished more than I ever could have imagined,” Granger said in a letter to Republican leadership, reported The Texas Tribune.
Though Granger publicly endorsed Congressman-elect Craig Goldman in the Republican primary earlier this year, reports of her dementia and residence in a senior living facility raise doubts about whether this decision was truly hers or if it was made by her campaign team.
The Dallas Express reached out to Granger’s Chief of Staff Stephen Ruhlen, Director of Casework Josie Flores, Senior Legislative Assistant Jerome A. Vainisi II, Director of Communications Valerie Nelson, Executive Assistant John Walker, Deputy Chief of Staff Charlie Cripliver, and Campaign Manager Hillary Shepheard for comment, but did not receive a response.