<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>For 12 weeks, Tom Kean hasn't shown up to work.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He hasn't explained why he's been away, or even said where he is.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But because of his job, there's no way to sack him, force him back into the office or replace him, at least until November.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-stephen-colbert-ai-generated-video-dumpster-late-show-final-show/f590c02d-5725-4bf3-a75d-38a9f0c448b9"><strong><span>Trump posts AI video of himself attacking Stephen Colbert</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It's because Kean is a </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/usa" rel="" target="" title="US congressman"><span>US congressman</span></a><span>, representing a swing seat when his party holds the narrowest majority.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Since mid-March, Kean has not faced the media, appeared on camera, gone to the office or done any public events.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>His staff have told the media he has a medical condition, but have not disclosed what it is.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/tom-kean-missing-congressman-representative-usa-politics-news/28a222e5-489f-48ac-9c60-83acfd8cd663" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But his public spending disclosures revealed he or someone in his office claimed travel expenses for three rideshare trips in San Francisco last month, the other side of the country from his home district.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He has also been trading stocks in his absence from the office.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>When his father was asked why Kean had not been seen in weeks, he replied: "There's no cameras where Tom is."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"He has seen more than one doctor, and he's under a doctor's care," Kean Snr told NJ.com.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"All the doctors say he's gonna be fine. But it's gonna take some time."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But last week Republican officials in his state of New Jersey began receiving phone calls from Kean, offering a proof-of-life but no details as to his condition.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I anticipate that in the next couple of weeks, I'll return to voting and to the campaign trail," he told the </span><em><span>New Jersey Globe</span></em><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Kean is in for a difficult race no matter what.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>His district in New Jersey is one of the closest in the country, with Kean eking out narrow victories in 2022 and 2024. He lost his first bid for Congress in 2020 by only a few thousand votes.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Long before his mysterious disappearance, Kean was a </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/us-election" rel="" target="" title="top target for Democrats"><span>top target for Democrats</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>His absence is odd but entirely permissible under US law.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Members of Congress don't answer to anybody but their voters, and in between elections there is no mechanism to force them to show up to work.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-confirms-he-wont-attend-sons-wedding/71e905e7-46aa-43ce-ada2-a726ba2d92e2"><strong><span>Donald Trump too busy to attend son's wedding</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Florida Democrat Frederica Wilson missed a full month of votes, though her social media accounts were reposting photos as if she was busy at work.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She revealed last week she had been recovering from eye surgery and was unable to fly "under my doctors' orders".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The 83-year-old is planning on running for re-election.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/iran-war-vote-congress-house-of-representatives-senate-usa-politics-news/a816e23a-d2e8-479d-8bf0-a4076caf9588" rel="" target="" title="Trump comes one vote away from being forced to end war in Iran"><strong><span>Trump comes one vote away from being forced to end war in Iran</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><strong><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></strong></em><span> </span><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><em><strong><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>Apple</span></strong></em></a><span> </span><em><strong><span>and</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>Google Play</span></strong></em></a></li><li><em><strong><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://9.nine.com.au/8x987w" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>ticking this box here</span></strong></em></a></li><li><em><strong><span>Sign up to</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></strong></em></a></li></ul></div></div>