The mystery is only deepening about the monthslong disappearance of Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ), who has missed dozens of votes this year while his office says he is recovering from an unspecified medical issue.
According to NOTUS' Jose Pagliery, it's not just voters and his fellow GOP lawmakers who don't know where he is, but even his neighbors.
"Kean’s two-story Tudor-style house has been dark for weeks, according to three neighbors who spoke to NOTUS but preferred not to be identified to avoid irking this politically powerful member of their community," said the report. "Kean’s wife hasn’t been spotted walking the family dog. No one could remember the last time her car was parked in the driveway. A single gardening glove was left on the front lawn this past weekend."
Kean's office still declines to specify what exactly is wrong with him, other than to insist it's not life-threatening and he'll be back before long.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), for his part, "said he’d talked to Kean 'a few weeks ago now' and that Kean had assured him he’d be back 'soon,'" in response to questions on Wednesday. "The speaker has little room for error as he will attempt to push through a partisan budget bill this week and can lose only two Republican votes on the legislation if all Democrats are present and oppose it."
According to Pagliery, his wife appeared at their house after he went to investigate for some time, but refused to comment. Meanwhile, "there are signs the Keans haven’t disappeared entirely from the area. According to municipal records, the couple paid their sewer bill ahead of time on March 31; they paid their $6,910 property tax bill five days late on May 6."
Despite Kean's extended absence, his office is continuing to put out upbeat newsletters as if nothing is amiss, which drew criticism from people who are still demanding answers.
