U.S. Rep. John Rutherford is “on his way to a full and swift recovery” after being taken Wednesday night from the U.S. Capitol on a stretcher, his chief of staff said this morning.
The 64-year-old freshman congressman for the 4th District collapsed just after 6 p.m. Wednesday while members of the House of Representatives were voting.
Kelly Simpson, Rutherford’s chief of staff, said this morning the former Jacksonville sheriff “experienced significant discomfort” outside the House chamber.
However, Rutherford did not suffer a heart attack as was widely reported, Simpson said. Instead, an “acute digest flare-up” was the cause of the discomfort.
“After ruling out more serious concerns, testing showed that he is experiencing an acute digestive flare up that is generating the discomfort,” Simpson said in a statement.
“While he will briefly remain in the hospital to treat the inflammation, the congressman’s care providers expect that he will be back to full strength in little time,” the statement continued.
U.S. Rep. Al Lawson, a Democrat elected to the 5th District, said Rutherford was taken to George Washington University Hospital.