Victim's Family Denies Talarico Contact Claim in Texas Senate Race, Saying They're Tired of Being Used
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 17
Victim's Family Denies Talarico Contact Claim in Texas Senate Race, Saying They're Tired of Being Used
1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 17
Summary
A child sex abuse victim's family publicly rejected James Talarico's statement that his campaign had been in contact, saying it gave him no statement and had not spoken with him.
Melissa Dieterich, a family friend and spokesperson, posted that the family is "tired of being used in this election" and later added that claims Talarico's side had spoken to the victim's mother were "not true."
Talarico's campaign then said it had only facilitated outreach to offer support, after the Democrat used the case at a July 9 news conference attacking Republican rival Ken Paxton over an "Epstein-style sweetheart deal."
The dispute centers on Paxton's office securing a plea deal for former Waco lawyer Adam Hoffman, who received 60 days in jail and was released after 29 days after a 2025 mistrial.
The victim's mother has separately blasted the plea deal as corrupt, while both campaigns accuse the other of exploiting the child victim in the Texas Senate contest.