That’s how the cookie crumbles: GOP senator who sued patients for medical debt gets shamed into paying bakery bill after six years
The bakery got its dough, finally.
Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) on Saturday settled a six-year-old unpaid bakery bill after its owner accused him of stiffing the business on nearly $700 worth of cookies and other sweets. The conservative lawmaker pled ignorance of the unpaid bill, but added a hefty amount of interest to make up for the very late payment.
“As some folks may have seen, there was a post on social media regarding an unpaid 2020 cookie bill,” Marshall posted on X. “We have absolutely no idea how this happened, but rest assured as soon as it became known to us, we immediately attempted to contact the business in order to apologize, and we have repaid the bill from 2020, double.”
He then shared a screenshot of a digital receipt, showing he paid $1,300 to Holly’s Sweet Treats in Hutchinson, Kansas.
Marshall, a physician, has sued hundreds of patients in a poor, rural part of his state over unpaid medical debt — landing some in jail over bills as small as $101, according to reports.
Marshall’s payment comes two days after owner Holly Thomas claimed on Facebook the senator never paid his $678.75 bill. Thomas included a screenshot of the receipt, showing his campaign ordered $375 worth of custom sugar cookies, $75 worth of cupcakes, and $175 worth of fudge brownies.
“Do you know why I will never vote for Roger Marshall?” she wrote. “Because six years ago, when I was a brand-new small business owner, his campaign ordered cookies and treats from my bakery for his primary election watch party. And I never got paid.”
She continued, “For nearly a year, I made repeated attempts to collect payment, reaching out by phone and email. I never received a return phone call, and the invoice was never paid.” Thomas said it was especially important because her business was just trying to survive the Covid-19 pandemic and “every single dollar mattered.”
As for Marshall, he is locked in a tight Senate race against Democratic challenger Adam Hamilton. Three of the six polls tracked by RealClearPolitics give Marshall an edge, while two lean towards Hamilton, and another shows they are tied; RCP gives Marshall a slight edge — 45.6% to 45.4% — when it comes to who will win, less than a month before Election Day.
