Texas Dem's claim about abuse victim's family unravels after relatives say they're 'tired of being used'
Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico is facing blowback after the family of a child sex abuse victim whose case he invoked publicly contradicted his claim and said they are "tired of being used" in the election.Talarico held a news conference July 9 outside the office of his Senate opponent, Texas Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, at which he accused Paxton of giving an "Epstein-style sweetheart deal" to former Waco, Texas, attorney Adam Hoffman.Pressed by reporters on whether he had personally spoken to the victim’s family, Talarico answered, "Our team has been in contact."However, Melissa Dieterich, a friend and spokesperson for the family, publicly disputed Talarico's assertion that his team had been in contact. Dieterich posted a "note from the victim's family" on Facebook, which said, "We have not given any statement to Talarico.
Reported by 2 outlets — Fox News Latest. See all sources ↓
Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico is facing blowback after the family of a child sex abuse victim whose case he invoked publicly contradicted his claim and said they are "tired of being used" in the election.Talarico held a news conference July 9 outside the office of his Senate opponent, Texas Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, at which he accused Paxton of giving an "Epstein-style sweetheart deal" to former Waco, Texas, attorney Adam Hoffman.Pressed by reporters on whether he had personally spoken to the victim’s family, Talarico answered, "Our team has been in contact."However, Melissa Dieterich, a friend and spokesperson for the family, publicly disputed Talarico's assertion that his team had been in contact. Dieterich posted a "note from the victim's family" on Facebook, which said, "We have not given any statement to Talarico. We have not spoke to him."PROGRESSIVE TALARICO KNIFES BIDEN'S OPEN BORDER, TRIES MODERATING STANCE ON KEY ISSUES IN TEXAS SENATE RACEDieterich further noted that the family is "tired of being used in this election" and "we are tired of lies being told by both Paxton & Talarico, tired of the divide and just tired."In response to a comment on her post saying, "I have yet to see any politician NOT use this case as a talking piece," Dieterich wrote, "Right, but someone said they have spoke to the victims (sic) mom and this and that and it isn’t true.""That isn’t cool," she wrote.After Dieterich's post, JT Ennis, a spokesperson for Talarico's campaign, told Fox News Digital, "This family has gone through hell. They have experienced something unimaginable and deserve respect."Ennis explained that Talarico's team "facilitated outreach to offer our support and ensure the family has a way to get in touch at any time, for any reason.""Elected officials on both sides of the aisle have called out this plea deal," he said.
Read the full report at Fox News Latest ↗
Why it matters
2 outlets are covering this world story — one to watch as reporting develops.
- What's the story?
- Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico is facing blowback after the family of a child sex abuse victim whose case he invoked publicly contradicted his claim and said they are "tired of being used" in the election.Talarico held a news conference July 9 outside the office of his Senate opponent, Texas Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, at which he accused Paxton of giving an "Epstein-style sweetheart deal" to former Waco, Texas, attorney Adam Hoffman.Pressed by reporters on whether he had personally spoken to the victim’s family, Talarico answered, "Our team has been in contact."However, Melissa Dieterich, a friend and spokesperson for the family, publicly disputed Talarico's assertion that his team had been in contact. Dieterich posted a "note from the victim's family" on Facebook, which said, "We have not given any statement to Talarico.
- How widely is it covered?
- 2 outlets, average source rating 6.0/10.
- When was it last updated?
- 2m ago.
How outlets are framing the same story
Here's how each outlet is covering the story — compare their headlines and timing at a glance.
- Coverage card1 outlet1CoverageScouting report
Texas Dem's claim about abuse victim's family unravels after relatives say they're 'tired of being used'
Sources1TypeCoverageFox News Latest