Key Takeaways:
– Robert F. Kennedy Jr. incorrectly reported his salary by over $500,000 from two sources in his 2023 and 2024 public financial disclosure reports.
– The incorrect information involved income from Children’s Health Defense, an anti-vaccine nonprofit Kennedy founded, and JW Howard Attorneys, where Kennedy works.
– Upon review, the U.S. Office of Government Ethics concurred that Kennedy is in compliance with relevant laws and rules despite amending reports.
– Kennedy’s view on vaccination and fluoridation, as well as his affiliation with controversial groups, brings into question his suitability for the health secretary position.
The Story Breakdown:
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., selected by President-elect Donald Trump to be the head of the Department of Health and Human Services, recently stumbled on his financial reporting. He initially failed to accurately declare well over half a million dollars of income, revealed by filings submitted to the U.S. Office of Government Ethics.
Unraveling the Disclosure:
The 2023 and 2024 public financial disclosure reports Kennedy presented amidst his presidential race inaccurately depicted his salary and bonuses. The misunderstandings total more than $500,000, and involve sums Kennedy generated from his work with Children’s Health Defense and JW Howard Attorneys.
Children’s Health Defense, a nonprofit which Kennedy founded that stands against vaccines, was part of the faulty income count. JW Howard Attorneys – a law firm in California, where Kennedy is a constitutional and environmental litigator and has fought over 40 cases contesting vaccine mandates – was the other source of the incorrectly reported income.
Corrections to Misreporting:
Papers sent to Shelley Finlayson, the acting director of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, on December 11, addressed the misunderstanding. The letters clarified that Kennedy recorded his net pay instead of his gross pay for the two organizations, leading to a substantial under-reporting of his income.
Actual earnings versus earnings initially reported presented a major difference. In 2023, Kennedy earned $836,571.25 from Children’s Health Defense, a severe contrast to the earlier reported $515,960. Similarly, he received $326,056 in 2024 instead of the disclosed figure of $215,510.53.
In 2024, an even further discrepancy popped up – Kennedy failed to mention earning a whopping $481,732 from JW Howard Attorneys, noting a salary of only $409,094.31.
Ethics Office Approval:
Even after the financial blunders, Finlayson stated that Kennedy abides by the applicable rules and laws following her review of the amended reports.
Delayed Filing and Other Earnings:
After pushing back the filing of his 2024 earnings twice, Kennedy finally admitted to earning millions from various other sources. Compiler of conservative literature, Skyhorse Publishing, and environmental law company, Kennedy and Madonna, were among such fiscal inflow directions.
Nomination Concerns:
Kennedy’s nomination for the Health Secretary position in the wake of his altered views on medical practices like vaccination and water fluoridation has stirred up debates. His most recent shift of stance in favor of retracting the polio vaccine approval has only fanned the flames.
Kennedy’s representation is yet to respond to the comments sought on the eventualities. The larger implications of his financial disclosure corrections on his nomination are still being gauged.