RFK Jr. Faces Criminal Investigation Call Over False Vaccine Testimony, August 28

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faces calls for criminal investigation after documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit contradicted his testimony to Congress. Kennedy told lawmakers his 2019 trip to Samoa had nothing to do with vaccines, but newly released letters show he explicitly asked the Samoan prime minister to let his team study the nation’s measles, mumps and rubella vaccines. The trip preceded a measles outbreak that killed 83 people, mostly children under five.

What Kennedy said versus what the letters show

During Senate confirmation hearings last year, Kennedy testified that his Samoa visit had nothing to do with vaccines. Senator Ron Wyden and Ed Markey of Massachusetts asked him directly about the trip. Kennedy, then leading an anti-vaccine nonprofit, denied any vaccine connection. But letters obtained by the Guardian and Associated Press tell a different story. Kennedy wrote to the Samoan prime minister requesting his team conduct a detailed health assessment of the nation’s MMR vaccines after two children died following vaccination. He used the word vaccine or vaccination eight times in the letter.

The criminal referral and investigation calls

Senator Ron Wyden said on August 27 that he would press Republican colleagues to issue a criminal referral of Kennedy to the Department of Justice. Wyden stated, “RFK’s platform is built on lies and grifts that leave a trail of dead children in their wake. There are consequences for lying to Congress.” The government watchdog group American Oversight also sent a letter to the Justice Department requesting an immediate investigation into whether Kennedy violated the law by making false statements to Congress. Knowingly giving material false testimony to Congress is a crime that carries possible prison time, though it is rarely prosecuted.

The Samoa outbreak and Kennedy’s role

In 2018, a bad batch of MMR vaccine resulted in two children’s deaths in Samoa, prompting the government to halt all vaccinations for 10 months. Measles cases then surged. Kennedy visited the island in 2019 while leading an anti-vaccine organization. Critics argue the visit emboldened anti-vaccine activists in Samoa and influenced the government’s response. The subsequent measles outbreak killed 83 people, mostly children under five. The Department of Health and Human Services denied the Samoa visit was related to vaccines, calling any claim that Kennedy lied “outright defamatory.” Kennedy was not under oath during his confirmation hearing, though that does not shield him from prosecution for false statements to Congress.

What happens next

Other Democratic officials have called for Kennedy to be removed or leave office. However, Republicans currently control the Senate, giving Democrats limited power to force action. Wyden said that when Democrats retake the Senate majority, Kennedy will be at the top of the list for the finance committee to hold accountable. The White House and HHS have not made Kennedy available for interview or comment on the allegations.

Final Thoughts

Kennedy’s contradictory statements create legal exposure regardless of Senate control. The Justice Department now faces pressure to investigate whether he knowingly misled Congress, a rare but serious charge that could result in prison time.

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