Republican Senator Roger Marshall has settled a six-year-old debt for bakery goods ordered for a 2020 election watch party after the vendor publicly detailed repeated, ignored attempts to collect payment. Marshall stated he had no idea how the bill went unpaid but paid double the $678.75 invoice amount.
The incident highlights potential financial accountability issues for elected officials and underscores the challenges faced by small businesses in collecting payments, particularly during economic downturns. It also emerges at a critical time for Marshall's re-election campaign, which has been reclassified as a toss-up.
Republican US Senator Roger Marshall announced he has paid off a six-year-old debt for bakery goods ordered for a 2020 election watch party, following public attention drawn by the vendor. The invoice from Holly's Sweet Treats in Hutchinson, Kansas, for $678.75 was for cookies and treats.
Holly Thomas, the owner of Holly's Sweet Treats, stated on social media that Marshall's campaign had ordered the items for a 2020 primary election watch party. She recounted making repeated attempts to collect payment by phone and email for nearly a year, but the invoice remained unpaid. Thomas emphasized the financial strain this caused her small business, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic when every dollar mattered.
Marshall addressed the situation on social media, stating he had "absolutely no idea how this happened" but that as soon as it came to his attention, he contacted the business and paid double the invoice amount, totaling $1,300. He posted a screenshot of the payment.
Thomas later acknowledged receiving the payment, writing, "Better later than never, right? Six years later, I guess we can finally mark that invoice PAID!"
The incident gained significant attention online, with some social media users calculating that Marshall owed more than $1,400 with interest and noting that doubling the original invoice would be $1,357.50, not $1,300. A community note on X also highlighted that multiple attempts to get paid were ignored.
Marshall, who is running for re-election, had his race against Democratic challenger Adam Hamilton recently reclassified from leaning Republican to a toss-up by the Cook Political Report. The announcement also followed a New York Times report that Marshall's obstetrics-gynecology practice had sued hundreds of patients over unpaid medical bills.
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