Senator Dianne Feinstein’s office admits 89-year-old DID contracted brain infection despite denial

Ailing Democrat Senator Dianne Feinstein’s office has admitted that the 89-year-old has contracted a brain infection, despite her own insistence that she was just battling the flu.

The New York Times reported Thursday that Dianne Feinstein, 89, has been diagnosed with vision and balance disorders, as well as facial paralysis known as Ramsay Hunt syndrome, in addition to encephalitis, a brain infection.

‘It was a very bad flu. I’m doing better, thank you,” Feinstein initially said of her condition.

However, the senator’s own office countered and upheld it CNN later Thursday.

After confirming her diagnosis included Ramsay Hunt syndrome and encephalitis, a spokesperson said: “While the encephalitis resolved on its own shortly after she was released from hospital in March, she still has complications from Ramsay Hunt syndrome.”

Ramsay Hunt syndrome is a known complication of shingles, from which Feinstein recovered, leaving Democrats one vote short in the Senate.

The virus also caused a previously unreported case of encephalitis that leaves patients with persistent memory or language problems, sleep disturbances, bouts of confusion, mood disturbances, headaches and difficulty walking.

Feinstein, a Democrat who has represented California since 1992, is due to step down when her sixth and final term ends next year.

The legislator is also known to suffer from vision and balance problems, and aides often wheel her around the Senate Building in a wheelchair.

During her months-long absence, she received increasing calls to resign, particularly from other California Democrats and the editors of the New York Times.

But her cognitive abilities and health have been in question for months after she missed a series of important Senate votes.

She also seemed confused in public, sometimes yelling at aides as she struggled to keep up with the voices in the upstairs room.

Her return to work earlier this month also restored the Democrats’ 51-49 majority in the Senate, increasing the likelihood of Democratic-backed bills getting a stamp.

“My doctors have advised me to work a lighter schedule when I return to the Senate,” Feinstein said last month. “I hope those problems will go away as I continue to recover.”

She caused confusion in her first Senate appearance in nearly three months by claiming she was there all the time.

‘No, I’ve been here. I voted,” the 89-year-old told reporters when they asked how she felt and what her colleagues thought of her return. ‘Please. You either know it or you don’t,” she added bizarrely.

She then returned to the Senate Judiciary Committee last Thursday, arriving almost 90 minutes late and after some judicial candidates had already been voted on.

She received a standing ovation from both Republicans and Democrats on the panel when she joined them after being away due to health concerns.

She is helped around the US House of Congress by the daughter of former speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Nancy Corinne Prowda, 58, has been spotted alongside Dianne Feinstein, 89, who has just returned from 10 weeks of sick leave due to shingles.

The marketing manager has appeared with the outgoing senator following the departure of several trusted associates amid questions about her eligibility for office.

A Feinstein spokesperson said Prowda was not paid a salary for her role. Feinstein’s office did not respond to a separate request regarding the senator’s health diagnosis.

Politico reported Thursday that the Pelosi family is helping care for the long-serving legislator to increase the chances of Nancy Pelosi’s favored successor.

The outlet’s Playbook newsletter stated that ensuring Feinstein completes her full term will help Adam Schiff, currently a member of Congress, win the seat.

Schiff, who as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee investigated the now-debunked conspiracy theory that Donald Trump colluded with Russia, has already raised $15 million for a possible election race.

But California Governor Gavin Newsom has vowed to appoint a woman of color if Feinstein retires early.

That would leave the door open for Barbara Lee, a congresswoman representing California, to take up the remainder of the current term.

California has a jungle primary, meaning the top two winners, regardless of party, advance to the general election.

That would see the heavily Democratic state running with two Democrats in the November 2024 election.

Pelosi’s office angrily denied the claims, insisting their friendship is “personal, not political.”

Nancy Corinne and Senator Feinstein have been friends for decades. Nancy Corinne supported her recovery from her shingles,” the spokesperson said.

A longtime ally of the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Feinstein has served as a senator for the Golden State since 1992 and is the oldest senator in the chamber.

She has gradually moved away from several senior positions in recent years.

In 2020, she said she would not serve as top Democrat on the judicial panel after criticism from liberals over her handling of Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation.

Fiercely independent, she also famously clashed with the Obama administration over her refusal to keep secret intelligence reports about the US military’s use of torture.