Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall MD says about the patients he sued: ‘I never had anyone arrested’
About two weeks ago, Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas, an embattled Republican, approached the senior leadership of his campaign with an idea.
Mr. Marshall, an obstetrician facing re-election, wanted to film an ad responding to all of the attacks he was taking on medical debts.
Back when he was a full-time doctor, Mr. Marshall filed lawsuits against more than 700 patients, seeking payments of their debts, and at least 81 were arrested when the patients missed court dates, The New York Times reported in September. Others faced wage garnishments. Mr. Marshall routinely charged an 18 percent interest rate on the outstanding debts.
The litigation — and its fallout — has become a central campaign issue.
Mr. Marshall wanted to personally push back, according to four people with knowledge of the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe internal deliberations ahead of the election.
His top advisers said no. Such an ad was a bad idea so close to the election, they argued, and Mr. Marshall needed to contrast his record with Adam Hamilton, his Democratic rival, especially on immigration.
That’s when Mr. Marshall went rogue.
The senator — without the knowledge of at least some top aides — arranged for his own film crew to record and package just such an ad.
Wearing a red button-down shirt in front of a bucolic background, Mr. Marshall made the case in a 60-second ad that he had often provided free care.
“We did have to keep the lights on,” Mr. Marshall said. “So we occasionally handed some accounts over to a collection agency, just like nearly every private medical practice does.”
“My involvement in any patient’s account ended the minute it was turned over to an outside agency,” he went on. “I never had anyone arrested.”
Mr. Marshall sent a copy of the would-be ad to other aides on the campaign and asked that it be part of a paid advertising program, according to two of the people.
Top campaign leaders moved to block the release of the ad, believing it would do more harm than good.
Mr. Marshall, however, did not give up. He began sending it directly to people outside the campaign, according to the two people, who were briefed on Mr. Marshall’s texts.
On Saturday evening, Pete Mundo, a Kansas City talk radio host, posted the video on X, which is how it became public. [Continue reading…]