The family of a late U.S. Representative is suing his widow over claims that she went back on a promise to pay back medical expenses for his cancer treatments.

U.S. Representative Jim Hagedorn of Minnesota passed away on February 17 at age 59 after a battle with kidney cancer. Hagedorn and his wife Jennifer Carnahan were married in 2018 shortly before Hagedorn learned of his stage IV kidney cancer in February 2019. At the time of his diagnosis, he was serving his first term as a U.S. Representative.

In battling his cancer, Hagedorn received medical treatment from the Mayo Clinic. After having roughly 99% of cancer removed from his body, he announced in the summer of 2021 that the cancer had returned.

While the Mayo Clinic helped to successfully remove most of the cancer from his body during his first battle, the clinic told him that they did not have any other treatment options available to him during his second diagnosis. As a result of this news, Hagedorn sought out treatments from Envita Medical Centers located in Scottsdale, Arizona.

In the two lawsuits filed by Hagedorn’s mother, stepfather, and sister, the family alleges that Carnahan had made promises to pay back some of the cost of Hagedorn’s medical treatments. In the lawsuit, the family contends that they helped pay for treatments received in Arizona's Envita Medical Centers. According to reports, the family details in the complaint that Carnahan had made a “clear and definite” promise to use money inherited and received after her husband's death to pay back Hagedorn’s parents and sister who had used their own money for the medical treatments.

The money that was promised includes a $174,000 death benefit provided by the federal government. Another $174,000 from a life insurance policy is also contested in the lawsuits.

One suit which was filed by Hagedorn’s mother and stepfather contends that the parents used $10,000 of a $25,000 home equity loan to pay for the medical treatment.

The second suit, which was filed by Hagedorn's sister, Tricia Lucus, contends that she put $10,000 on a credit card to help pay for additional treatment for her brother.

Carnahan has pushed back against the lawsuit alleging that the family is pulling a political stunt. Carnahan is currently running for the same seat her husband held before he passed away. Following the lawsuits, she has shared in a statement, “Grief affects everyone differently. Handling the affairs of my husband’s estate should be a private matter. It’s unfortunate a very simple process has been turned into a political stunt.” She adds that she wishes "Jim’s family well and knows this time has been very difficult for all of us.”

In an interview with local news outlet KTTC, Carnahan shared that the family had already been paid back. She shares, “Jim asked for our help, for my financial help, for his family’s financial help and support. We did so willingly. I stepped up willingly; there never was a conversation that I needed to be paid back. I said, “What can I do to help you (Jim), to give you hope and give you these treatments?” Carnahan adds that the family was given Hagedorn’s retirement account which had over $80,000. The account was intended to serve as reimbursement.