Washington, D.C.’s delegate to Congress, Eleanor Holmes Norton, was scammed by a fake cleaning crew, and police alleged it may have been connected to her reported dementia.
Norton, 88, has served in her position for over 34 years, and she has repeatedly rebuffed calls to step down even as elderly leaders face growing pressure to step aside for the next generation. A police report, obtained by NBC4 Washington, about a group of scammers posing as a cleaning company described Norton as having the “early stages of dementia,” the first time this has been publicly claimed.
The police report also stated that the “caretaker/power of attorney was not at the residence” when the group arrived.
Norton allowed the scammers posing as HVAC cleaners into her home to perform HVAC services. Despite doing no work, the police report said that they charged $4,362 to her credit card for fireplace and duct cleaning.
Jacqueline Pelt, identified as Norton’s caretaker and power of attorney, noticed the people on a security camera and told Norton to ask them to leave. Pelt later realized the credit card had been charged, after which she called the police.
In a statement, Norton’s office contested several details in the police report. They objected to the description of Pelt, instead describing her as “a longtime employee and friend [who] serves as the house manager, residing at a separate address.”
Norton’s office also denied she had dementia, saying, “the medical diagnosis included in the police report was based on an assumption the reporting officer was unqualified to make.”
Despite being one of the oldest people in power in the United States, Norton has scoffed at suggestions that she should step down.
“I’m going to run,” Norton told reporters for Politico and NBC News in June when asked if she would run for reelection in 2026. “I don’t know why anyone would even ask me.”
DEMOCRAT ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON, 87, COMMITS TO REELECTION AS HER OFFICE PUMPS BRAKES
Councilwoman Broke Pinto announced her run against Norton, arguing that the district needs someone with more energy at a critical junction.
“Our future depends in part on building relationships with the federal government and having an effective advocate in Congress on our behalf, and I do worry about where things stand right now with that advocacy,” Pinto told the Washington Post. “I don’t think it’s where it needs to be.”
