Roger Marshall repays Hutchinson bakery $1,300 for unpaid campaign treats
Kansas Senator Roger Marshall has repaid a Hutchinson bakery for campaign treats ordered six years ago, after its owner publicly said the bill had gone unpaid. The dispute drew attention as Marshall seeks re-election, with the bakery owner saying the experience had affected her view of his campaign.
Holly Thomas said her bakery supplied 150 decorated cookies, 100 cupcakes and 100 brownies for Marshall’s 2020 primary watch party, invoicing $678.75. She said repeated attempts to collect payment went unanswered while her new business was struggling during the pandemic. Marshall said his office apologised and paid $1,300, describing it as double the bill; that amount is $57.50 short of twice the original invoice. Thomas confirmed the payment.
- A Kansas bakery says Marshall’s campaign left a $678.75 bill unpaid.
- Marshall later paid $1,300 after the owner went public.
- The dispute surfaced as he seeks re-election.
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Roger Marshall is a United States Senator from Kansas who is currently seeking re-election. His campaign ordered baked goods from a Hutchinson bakery in 2020, but the bill went unpaid for six years.
Holly Thomas owns the bakery and invoiced Marshall's campaign $678.75 for treats for a primary election watch party. She said that despite repeated attempts to collect payment, her invoices went unanswered, which caused hardship for her newly established business during the pandemic.
The unpaid bill became public during Marshall's re-election campaign, raising questions about how political campaigns handle financial obligations to small local suppliers. Thomas said the experience affected her view of the candidate.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
This incident reflects problematic campaign practices and timing. A small business owner was owed £678.75 for goods supplied to Marshall's campaign, made repeated collection attempts over six years whilst her new business struggled during the pandemic, and was repeatedly ignored. Marshall only remedied the situation after she went public about it during his re-election campaign, suggesting his office addresses obligations to small vendors only when facing political pressure rather than through diligent management or principle.
The case against
Campaign offices process hundreds of vendor transactions, and administrative oversights occur without reflecting intentional wrongdoing. Once brought to Marshall's attention, he promptly resolved the matter and paid £1,300—more than double the original invoice—demonstrating good faith and genuine contrition. The generous overpayment and immediate resolution show a commitment to making matters right when problems are raised, which is the appropriate response to a billing dispute.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Kansas senator finally pays bakery $1,300 after they exposed that his campaign didn’t pay bill for custom cookies and brownies six years ago”.