Wife of Rep. Tom McClintock died from reaction to herbal remedy, coroner's report says

Noah Goldberg
State Sen. Tom McClintock, the Republican candidate for the 4th Congressional District, and his wife, Lori, left, smile as they watch election returns are posted at his election night party in Roseville, Calif., Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2008. McClintock is in a tight race against Democrat Charlie Brown.(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
Lori McClintock, with her husband Rep. Tom McClintock, in 2008. A report concludes she died in December after ingesting an herbal medicine. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press)

Lori McClintock, the wife of U.S. Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Elk Grove), died in December after taking an herbal remedy that is touted for treating high cholesterol, according to a coroner's report.

McClintock died of dehydration caused by "adverse effects of white mulberry leaf ingestion,” the Sacramento County coroner said in the death report.

The news was first reported by Kaiser Health News.

White mulberry leaf is advertised as having numerous health benefits, such as lowering cholesterol, helping manage diabetes and helping "block cancer cell growth," according to the Healthline website.

But the supplement can also cause vomiting and diarrhea, and McClintock's death was caused by "dehydration" and "gastroenteritis," according to the report.

The report was filed on March 10.

The report notes that McClintock was found unresponsive by her husband at their California home.

"The day prior she had complaints of an upset stomach," the report says. "There was no suspicious circumstances found."

The coroner’s office ruled her death an accident. The original death certificate, dated Dec. 20, 2021, listed the cause of death as “pending,” KHN reported.

Lori McClintock was a Michigan native who practiced real estate in California. She had two children with the California congressman and also spent time working in churches.

She was 61 when she died.

Tom McClintock, a conservative Republican who previously served in the California Legislature, was elected to represent the 4th Congressional District in 2008 and has been reelected five times since.

"Our family’s darkest day and most terrible nightmare has come. Lori is gone," McClintock said when his wife died. "And with her all the light, warmth, fun, friendship and love she brought everywhere she went and to everyone she met."

The congressman and his representatives could not immediately be reached through calls to his Washington and California offices.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Advertisement