RFK Jr. Allegedly Lied to Congress on Vaccines, Senator Calls for Investigation
Documents obtained by the AP and The Guardian show Kennedy wrote to Samoa's prime minister in January 2019 to propose evaluating the country's MMR vaccines. He told senators at his confirmation hearing that the trip had 'nothing to do with vaccines.'
- Kennedy used the words 'vaccine' or 'vaccination' eight times in the letter.
- 83 people — most of them children — died in a Samoan measles outbreak months after his visit.
- Kennedy repeated the denial at least three times across two days of hearings.
- HHS called any claim Kennedy lied under oath 'outright defamatory.'
Why it matters: The dispute matters because knowingly making false statements to Congress is a federal crime, though prosecutions are rare. Kennedy oversees national vaccine policy.
- Two unvaccinated Americans died from measles this week, intensifying scrutiny of Kennedy's tenure at HHS.
How 19 sources split on this story
Where they split: Whether Kennedy's pre-visit letters constitute evidence of deliberate false testimony or an innocuous inconsistency is the central dispute.
Center coverage, 3 sources: The center presents the document findings factually, noting the AP's characterization that the letters 'refute' Kennedy's testimony without editorializing on consequences.
Left coverage, 11 sources: The left frames the letters as proof of a deliberate pattern of deception that has cost lives, and argues Kennedy must be removed or prosecuted.
Right coverage, 5 sources: The right reports Democratic calls for investigation straightforwardly while noting legal ambiguity around whether Kennedy was under oath and that such prosecutions are rare.
What’s next: Wyden says he is pressing Republicans to support a DOJ criminal referral for Kennedy.
- American Oversight sent a separate letter to DOJ Thursday requesting an immediate investigation.
- There are conflicting reports on whether Kennedy was under sworn oath during the confirmation hearings.
- Whether Kennedy was under oath during the confirmation hearings — a question with direct bearing on criminal exposure.
- Whether any Republican senators will support a referral to the Justice Department.
- What, if any, direct effect Kennedy's 2019 visit had on Samoa's vaccination rates before the outbreak.
