Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, the longtime nonvoting representative for D.C. in the U.S. House of Representatives, recently admitted that she had been scammed out of around $4,000. The scam worked like this: Some people came to her house claiming that they were there to do HVAC work. Then, they did nothing and charged her credit card for over $4,000.

If you’re thinking, “How can something like this happen?,” it’s because, according to the police report, Norton is in the early stages of dementia. Also, she’s running for reelection.

Yeah. Let’s just let that sink in for a moment.

To start, the police report says that the 88-year-old woman has a caretaker. While Norton’s staff calls the alleged caretaker a “house manager and friend,” the caretaker *does* have power of attorney, which is not something most people can say about their “friends.”

The police report also states that Norton is in the “early stages of dementia,” which Norton’s staff also denies. However, it’s a denial that’s a little difficult to accept given that there have been several reports of her having difficulties reading, walking, understanding basic concepts, and, per the New York Times, being “unable to function independently.” She also has seven no-shows jobs that claim she hasn’t been present in years, so…make of that what you will.

At least the shutdown hasn’t been much of a change of pace for her!