Two Democratic senators have launched an investigation into whether Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. lied to Congress about the reason for a 2019 trip to Samoa, after reporting by The Associated Press and The Guardian published documents that appear to refute his testimony.
Sens. Ron Wyden of Oregon and Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland said in a letter sent Wednesday to Children's Health Defense, the anti-vaccine nonprofit Kennedy chaired until December 2024, that they are beginning an investigation into evidence that Kennedy "unlawfully lied to Congress on multiple occasions."
The inquiry centers on what Kennedy told senators during his confirmation hearings in January 2025, when he repeatedly said his visit to Samoa had "nothing to do with vaccines." The trip came amid concerns in the country about the safety of measles, mumps and rubella vaccines, shortly before a deadly measles outbreak that sickened thousands and killed dozens.
Reporting by the AP and The Guardian in August, based on documents obtained through a public-records lawsuit, showed that a letter Kennedy sent to the Samoan prime minister ahead of the trip on Children's Health Defense letterhead indicated otherwise.
The senators have asked the group for a broad range of documents, including materials related to travel to Samoa by Kennedy or others connected to the organization, communications with Samoan government officials, records tied to Kennedy's 2024 presidential campaign and his confirmation process, and communications between federal health officials and Children's Health Defense. The group has been given until December 4 to respond.
The letter is not a subpoena and does not by itself carry the force of one, and the inquiry is not a finding that Kennedy committed a crime. The Department of Health and Human Services has maintained that the Samoa visit "was unrelated to vaccines." The AP also reported that Kennedy was not under oath during his confirmation hearing, and knowingly lying to Congress is a federal crime that is rarely prosecuted.
Wyden is the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, which oversees the health department, and is expected to become its chairman when Democrats take majority control of Congress in January. Alsobrooks serves on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which also oversees the department.
The same senators on Wednesday also announced a separate investigation into hundreds of thousands of dollars in gifts reportedly given last year to Kennedy by a donor and former employee. The inquiry is one of a wave of investigations Democrats plan after regaining control of the House and Senate in the midterm elections, and several Democrats, including newly elected senators, have said they plan to investigate Kennedy and may seek to impeach him next year.
