Eleanor Holmes Norton, a longtime D.C. House member, was duped by people claiming to work for a heating, ventilation and air conditioning company, according to a police report that said the 88-year-old lawmaker was in the “early stages of dementia.”
Norton, who has served as a nonvoting delegate to Washington's House of Representatives since 1991, repeatedly said she is seeking a 19th term in 2026, despite concerns about her age. Scammers showed up at the delegate's residence Thursday afternoon and charged her credit card more than $4,000 for cleaning services they did not provide. according to police report obtained by NBC4 Washington.
The internal document reportedly describes the “complainant” or victim of the incident as “Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), 88, Black female, suffering from early stage dementia.”
According to the publication, the Democrat personally allowed a group calling itself HVAC personnel into her home in the southeast quadrant of the District of Columbia. An unspecified amount of time later, a person identified in the report as Norton's “caretaker/power of attorney” spotted the alleged cleaning crew on a doorbell camera.
The alleged caretaker, identified in a separate public incident report as Jacqueline Pelt, was reportedly not at the delegate's home when she first noticed the strange people on camera. Pelt then went there after realizing that Norton's card had been charged, and notified police, according to the newspaper. (RELATED: Eleanor Holmes Norton Can't Walk a Few Feet Without Help)
No arrests were made following the incident, NBC4 Washington reported.
WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 24: Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) listens as those in attendance speak during an all-hands meeting with federal employees on January 24, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Zach Gibson/Getty Images)
Federal Election Commission (FEC) lists Pelt as treasurer of Eleanor Holmes Norton's Citizens, the main campaign committee supporting the 18-term D.C. delegate's re-election bid in 2026. Pelt is also a longtime friend and supporter of Norton, according to NBC4 Washington.
Norton's office denied that the elderly Democrat had a guardian, but did not directly answer a question about whether she had been diagnosed with “early stage dementia,” the newspaper reported.
“The medical diagnosis included in the police report was based on the assumption that the reporting officer was not sufficiently qualified,” Delegate Rep. told NBC4 Washington in a statement. The spokesperson, however, still declined to confirm or deny the accuracy of the diagnosis, noting that the congressional office does not comment on Norton's health matters.
“Congresswoman Norton does not have a caretaker. The house manager is a longtime employee and friend who lives at a separate address,” NBC4 Washington said in a statement. The manager is reported to “supervise all maintenance services, so [Norton] “Initially assumed that her staff had arranged the visit and provided her with a credit card for payment.”
“After notifying her property manager, who reviewed the Ring doorbell recording and confirmed that no such meeting was scheduled, the incident was immediately reported to police,” the spokeswoman reportedly continued.
Norton's office did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation's request for additional comment.
Norton is the oldest member of the House of Representatives and is several months older than 87-year-old Kentucky Republican Hal Rogers, the oldest voting member of the lower chamber. (RELATED: 'Nursing Home': Ron DeSantis Teams Up with Democrat to Pass Term Limits in Congress)
In September Norton seemed necessary the help of a woman who looked like an employee simply walked away from the outdoor podium. Norton had just given a speech in which he criticized President Donald Trump for allegedly using “the people of the District of Columbia as props in a political play.”
“Yes, I'm running for re-election” – Norton said NBC News June 25. That same day, a spokesperson for her office told Axios that “no decision has been made on this matter.”
Norton has raised just $3,000 for her third-quarter 2025 re-election bid, Politico reported October 8. She will face two high-profile challengers in the Democratic primary, Robert White and Brooke Pinto, who are both running in DC Council. White especially served as legislative counsel in Norton's congressional office for several years.
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