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RFK Jr lied in Senate confirmation hearings, newly revealed documents indicate
The Guardian • • nation
Key Points:
- Newly obtained documents reveal that US health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. misled Congress by denying that his 2019 Samoa trip was related to vaccines, despite letters showing he explicitly intended to study the MMR vaccine there.
- Kennedy’s visit occurred amid a controversial period following two child deaths linked to a faulty MMR vaccine batch, which led to a vaccination halt and a subsequent deadly measles outbreak killing 83 people.
- During his Senate confirmation hearings, Kennedy repeatedly denied vaccine-related motives for the trip, but correspondence with Samoan officials and emails from his anti-vaccine nonprofit contradict these claims.
- Legal experts suggest Kennedy’s false statements could prompt congressional hearings or impeachment inquiries if Democrats regain control of Congress, although prosecution for lying to Congress is rare.
- The Department of Health and Human Services denied Kennedy lied under oath, noting he was not under oath during the hearings; the White House has not commented on the contradictions.
