Security Photos Show Texas Senate Candidate Talarico Was Home During Absence

Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico’s campaign released a series of security camera images on Monday that appear to capture the state lawmaker at his Austin residence throughout early October, directly contradicting allegations that he was concealing his whereabouts.

The release addresses speculation surrounding Talarico’s near two-week absence from the campaign trail, a gap he attributed to recovering from a severe flu. His Republican challenger, Ken Paxton, seized on the absence to criticize the candidate and fuel rumors.

The eight timestamped photographs, which bear SimpliSafe watermarks, show a male figure with brown hair at various times of day and in different attire. CBS News verified the location by comparing backyard features in the footage with recent satellite imagery of Talarico’s address in the state capital. The images, which were initially reported by The New York Times, document Talarico’s presence at home from Oct. 1 through Oct. 8, the day before his first public appearance following the hiatus.

Separately, the Lindner Center of Hope in Mason, Ohio—the mental health facility at the center of various conspiracy theories—posted on social media that Talarico “has never received treatment” there.

J.T. Ennis, a spokesman for Talarico’s campaign, dismissed the alternative narratives as baseless. “Last week James Talarico was home in Austin, Texas recovering from the flu,” Ennis said in a statement. “Claims that James was anywhere else are a lie designed to promote a pathetic conspiracy theory.”