James Talarico (D-Texas) spent two months hiding behind a girlfriend to make questions about his personal life go away. His campaign insisted the romance with Menard began only after she left his employ. An earlier relationship involved a different staffer in another office before Menard ever came along. An inappropriate relationship with a staffer is a serious problem on its own. Lying to Texas voters about it for months is an entirely separate scandal, and it's one Talarico built for himself.