Did Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Lie to Congress? Senators Open Samoa Trip Probe
Two Democratic senators have launched an investigation into whether Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. lied to Congress about the purpose of his 2019 trip to Samoa. The trip came months before a measles outbreak in the island nation killed 83 people, most of them children under 5.
Kennedy has repeatedly told lawmakers the visit had "nothing to do with vaccines." The Department of Health and Human Services has called any claim that he lied to Congress "outright defamatory."
Who Is Leading the Investigation
Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon and Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland announced the probe in a letter sent Wednesday, Nov. 11, to Children's Health Defense, a nonprofit Kennedy previously chaired that is known for its anti-vaccine activism, according to The Associated Press.
The letter asks the group to turn over documents related to Kennedy's travel to Samoa, his 2024 presidential campaign and his Senate confirmation process. It also requests communications between Children's Health Defense and federal officials since January 2025. The group has until Dec. 4 to respond.
The senators said they intend to hold Kennedy accountable for "the grave harm he has caused to vulnerable children" and will pursue "any false statements made to Congress," which they called "a crime that undermines the Senate's ability to fulfill its constitutional duties."
Wyden has accused Kennedy of having "unlawfully lied to Congress on multiple occasions." The senators also wrote that they are "deeply concerned by the tactics Kennedy has used."
What the Documents Show
The investigation follows reporting in August by the AP and The Guardian, which published documents tied to the trip. Those reports raised questions about Kennedy's explanation for why he went to Samoa.
Before the trip, Kennedy sent a letter to the Samoan prime minister on Children's Health Defense letterhead. That letter used the words "vaccine" or "vaccination" eight times.
In that January 2019 letter, Kennedy said he wanted to study the MMR vaccine in Samoa. Yet during two confirmation hearings in January 2025, he told lawmakers the visit had "nothing to do with vaccines."
Kennedy has denied the allegations. He has said he never made a public statement about vaccines in Samoa or discouraged Samoans from getting vaccinated.
How HHS Has Responded
HHS has stood by Kennedy's account, saying the Samoa visit "was unrelated to vaccines." In August, the department said any claim that Kennedy lied under oath or to Congress is "not only false but outright defamatory."
Spokespeople for HHS and Children's Health Defense did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the new investigation, according to WLKY.
Could Kennedy Face Legal Trouble?
Kennedy was not under oath during his Senate confirmation hearing. However, knowingly giving materially false testimony to Congress is a crime that can carry prison time whether or not a witness is under oath, though such cases are rarely prosecuted.
The investigation could gain more weight next year. Wyden is expected to chair the Senate Finance Committee, which oversees HHS, when Democrats take control of Congress in January. Alsobrooks sits on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which also oversees the department.
On the same day, the two senators opened a separate inquiry into hundreds of thousands of dollars in gifts Kennedy reportedly received last year from a donor and former employee.
Why Measles Remains a Concern
Measles has continued to make headlines in the U.S. this year. Earlier this month, a child died of measles in upstate New York, the state's first measles death in 30 years.
As the nation's top health official, Kennedy oversees federal health agencies, including those responsible for vaccine policy. His past ties to anti-vaccine activism have made his views on vaccines a frequent point of debate.
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