Last weekend, we looked at the ongoing mystery of what’s happening with Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman. He checked himself into Walter Reed a month and a half ago, supposedly seeking treatment for clinical depression, and we haven’t seen so much as a cellphone photo of him since. But now there is some allegedly new information coming out from ABC News. They claim to have a source who says that Fetterman will be returning to work during the week of April 17. So is this it? Are we really going to see him back in the Senate and doing his job? I hope you’ll pardon me for being a bit dubious for reasons we’ll get to in a moment.

Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman is expected to return to Congress the week of April 17, after the upcoming two-week recess, according to a source familiar with the matter.

The Democratic lawmaker, who suffered a stroke during his campaign, checked himself into an impatient facility on Feb. 15 while suffering from depression.

“While John has experienced depression off and on throughout his life, it only became severe in recent weeks,” his chief of staff, Adam Jentleson, said in a statement at the time.

It’s possible that this story is legitimate and that Fetterman will be back to work sometime between the 17th and 21st of April. If so, then at least part of the mystery will be solved. But as with everything else that has come to light (or failed to do so) during this saga, the ABC report raises questions.

First of all, in any other set of similar circumstances, this would be nothing more than a simple scheduling announcement from a Senator’s office. But ABC is quoting “a source familiar with the matter.” Fetterman has a senatorial staff and spokespeople. Why is someone talking about this public servant’s work schedule only willing to speak on background? Did ABC get the information from a staffer? Or was it from a friend or a relative? If the former, then it might be official but there should be a name attached. If the latter, then it may not mean anything.

A second point involves something I addressed over the weekend. We’ve kept hearing the same thing on the rare occasions that anyone from Fetterman’s office has been willing to speak up. Fetterman is “continuing to improve” and they expect him to be back to work “in a few weeks.” Well, yesterday was March 29. “A few weeks” from then would be April 19th, right in the middle of the time a source claims he’ll be back.

Why should we expect this to be any different from the other times we were told “a few weeks?” It’s entirely possible that ABC was just looking to lock down an “exclusive” on this story and was conned by someone in Fetterman’s orbit with the same stalling tactic we’ve heard repeatedly.

And finally, let’s return to the other question I raised previously. If John Fetterman truly is over the hump and well on his way to a recovery that will allow him to return to work, why do we still have no “proof of life?” It sounds as if he should at least be up for a very brief and respectful interview with a friendly reporter. Here… allow me to write the script for you.

“Thank you for speaking to us today, Senator, particularly while you are still recovering. We won’t take up much of your time. First of all, how are you feeling, and what’s the prognosis from your doctors?”

(Insert some answer, assuming he’s able to process the question and respond.)

“I see. One of your aides told us that you plan to be back in the office during the week of April 17. Is that the current plan?”

(Insert answer.)

“Thank you, Senator. We’ll let you get back to your treatment. Get well soon.”

See? It wasn’t that difficult. That’s really all it would take and this whole thing would be behind him. But I maintain that it’s still possible that Fetterman isn’t doing that because he’s simply not capable of it. I’m not diving down the conspiracy rabbit hole and proposing that Fetterman died and was replaced by a body double. But he may still be unable to process verbal inputs and deliver cogent responses. And if that’s the case then how is he qualified to participate in the greatest deliberative body in the history of democracy and fully represent his constituents? Far more than the rest of us, the people of Pennsylvania deserve answers.