Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

RepublicanSecretary of Health and Human Services

Age	72 (b. 1954-01-17)
Gender	Male
In office since	2025-01-20 (~1 yrs)
Race / ethnicity	White (Irish American)
Religion	Catholic
Education	BA in American History and Literature, Harvard University (1976); attended London School of Economics; JD, University of Virginia School of Law (1982); LLM in Environmental Law, Pace University (1987)
Prior occupation	Environmental lawyer; assistant district attorney (Manhattan, 1982–1983); professor of environmental law at Pace University (1986–2017); senior attorney and co-founder, Riverkeeper; founder and chairman, Waterkeeper Alliance (1999–2017); founder and chairman, Children's Health Defense (2016–2024)
Military service	No
Birthplace	Washington, D.C.
Languages	English
Marital status	Married — Cheryl Hines (m. 2014–present)
Children	6
Residence	Malibu, California
Notable relatives	Son of Senator and Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy; nephew of President John F. Kennedy and Senator Ted Kennedy

Wikipedia

Pending research: openly lgbtq.

Career & politics

Previous offices	26th United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (February 13, 2025–present)
Leadership	Secretary of Health and Human Services · Chair, Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission
Party history	Lifelong Democrat until 2023; switched to Independent in October 2023 to run for president; endorsed Donald Trump in August 2024; appointed to and confirmed as HHS Secretary in the Republican Trump administration (February 2025)
Ideology	Formerly associated with progressive/environmentalist wing of Democratic Party; ran 2024 presidential campaign on anti-establishment, anti-vaccine, and health-freedom platform; now aligned with Trump Republican administration. No DW-NOMINATE score (never served in Congress).
Signature legislation	Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Executive Order (February 2025, established MAHA Commission via Trump executive order) · MAHA Commission Report on Children's Chronic Disease (September 2025)

Financial

Net worth: disclosed $8,600,000–$33,400,000 (2024) · estimate

Wolf Point Chicago Development (inherited Kennedy family real estate)	real_estate · $1,750,000–$6,500,000 · 2024
Bitcoin Fund (Fidelity)	other · $1,000,000–$5,000,000 · 2024
Chicago commercial real estate parcels	real_estate · $700,000–$1,500,000 · 2024
NRDC Retirement Plan	fund · $100,001–$500,000 · 2024
ETFs and fixed-income funds	fund · $100,001–$500,000 · 2024
Kennedy & Madonna LLP (law firm earnings)	business_owned · 2024

Top donors: Timothy Mellon ($20M+ to American Values 2024 super PAC) · Nicole Shanahan ($14.5M total to campaign and super PACs)

Top industries: Retired · Lawyers/Law Firms · Ideological/Single-Issue

Scandals & crimes ledger

resolved — Marijuana Possession – Juvenile Arrest (1970)

criminal-other · 1970-07-10 · Barnstable Juvenile Court, Massachusetts · Probation – 13 months; tried as a juvenile

In July 1970, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (age 16) and his cousin Robert Shriver were arrested for marijuana possession in Barnstable, Massachusetts. Tried as juveniles, both received 13 months of probation.

Sources: CelebStoner · Seattle Times

resolved — Felony Heroin Possession – Guilty Plea (1984)

criminal-other · 1983-09-17 · Pennington County Court, Rapid City, South Dakota · Guilty plea to felony heroin possession; 2 years probation, 1,500 hours community service, mandatory drug treatment; no prison time

On September 17, 1983, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was charged with one felony count of heroin possession after authorities found 0.2 grams of heroin in his luggage at Rapid City Regional Airport, South Dakota, following an incident aboard a Republic Airlines flight. In February 1984, Kennedy pleaded guilty in Pennington County Court before Judge John Bastian. He was sentenced to two years of probation, 1,500 hours of community service, and mandatory drug treatment. He was not sentenced to prison. His probation reportedly ended early. There is no confirmed public record of formal expungement.

Sources: UPI Archives · UPI Archives · South Dakota Searchlight

resolved — Federal Trespassing Conviction – Vieques Navy Protest (2001)

criminal-other · 2001-04-28 · U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico; affirmed by U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit (2002) · Convicted; 30 days federal imprisonment; conviction affirmed on appeal

On April 28, 2001, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. participated in a civil disobedience campaign on the Camp García Naval Installation on the Puerto Rican island of Vieques, entering the facility without authorization to protest U.S. Navy live-fire exercises. He was among approximately 180 people arrested. On July 6, 2001, Chief U.S. District Judge Hector Lafitte convicted him of trespassing in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1382 and sentenced him to 30 days in federal prison. Kennedy served the full 30-day sentence. He appealed his conviction to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, which affirmed the conviction in 2002 (289 F.3d 16).

Sources: Tampa Bay Times · Justia (1st Cir. 2002) · Deseret News

adjudicated — civil election-law proceeding — Judicial Finding of False Residency Statement on New York Nominating Petition

criminal-other · 2024-05-01 · New York State Supreme Court (Judge Christina Ryba); affirmed on appeal; U.S. Supreme Court denied review September 27, 2024 · Judge Ryba found by 'clear and convincing evidence' that Kennedy's stated New York address was a 'false statement' and a 'sham' address used solely to maintain voter registration and further his political candidacy. Nominating petition invalidated; Kennedy removed from New York 2024 presidential ballot. U.S. Supreme Court denied emergency appeal without comment.

During his 2024 independent presidential campaign, RFK Jr. listed a rented room at 84 Croton Lake Road in Westchester County, NY as his place of residence on nominating petitions, paying $500/month to the homeowner but having spent only one night there. New York Supreme Court Judge Christina Ryba ruled after trial that this was a false statement under New York election law, finding the address was a 'sham' used to maintain his New York voter registration and ballot access. Kennedy's petition was invalidated and he was removed from the New York ballot. The U.S. Supreme Court denied his emergency appeal on September 27, 2024. (Note: the finding was a civil election-law adjudication, not a criminal charge; no fine or jail sentence was imposed.)

Sources: CBS News · Fox News · CNN Politics — Supreme Court denial · SCOTUS Blog — Team Kennedy v. Berger

ongoing — Federal Court Blocks HHS Mass Layoffs and Restructuring as Exceeding Legal Authority

abuse-of-office · 2025-03-27 · Nineteen state attorneys general and the District of Columbia sued HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (State of New York v. Kennedy, D.R.I., No. 1:25-cv-00196) over a March 2025 plan to send layoff notices to roughly 10,000 HHS employees and restructure the agency. On July 1, 2025, U.S. District Judge Melissa DuBose granted a preliminary injunction, ruling the executive branch lacked authority to unilaterally restructure agencies created by Congress. The court issued a clarified injunction in August 2025 naming specific programs (including Head Start and the World Trade Center Health Program) protected from the cuts. The case remained in litigation into 2026, with the court denying the government's motion to dismiss the amended complaint on April 7, 2026. · Preliminary injunction granted blocking mass layoffs and reorganization; litigation ongoing with motion to dismiss denied in April 2026.

A federal judge ruled that mass layoffs and restructuring of HHS ordered under Kennedy exceeded the executive branch's legal authority, granting a preliminary injunction sought by 19 states and D.C.

Sources: CBS News · New York Attorney General · FierceHealthcare

resolved — Federal Court Voids Kennedy Directive Restricting Gender-Affirming Care as Unlawful

abuse-of-office · 2025-12-18 · Oregon, the District of Columbia, and about 20 other states sued HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (State of Oregon et al. v. Kennedy et al., D. Or., No. 6:25-cv-02409) over a December 18, 2025 declaration asserting that certain gender-affirming care for minors was unsafe and threatening providers' Medicare/Medicaid funding. On April 19, 2026, U.S. District Judge Mustafa Kasubhai vacated the declaration, ruling Kennedy exceeded his statutory authority and failed to follow required rulemaking procedures. Kasubhai wrote that Kennedy's 'wanton disregard for the rule of law causes very real harm to very real people.' · Court vacated Kennedy's directive as unlawful for exceeding his authority and bypassing required administrative procedures.

A federal judge vacated Kennedy's December 2025 directive restricting gender-affirming care for minors, finding he exceeded his legal authority and skipped required rulemaking procedures.

Sources: Maryland Matters · KPTV · Ropes & Gray LLP

ongoing — Federal Court Ruling Voids ACIP Overhaul and Vaccine Schedule Changes as Unlawful

abuse-of-office · 2026-01-01 · In litigation brought by the American Academy of Pediatrics and other medical organizations against HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., U.S. District Judge Brian E. Murphy (D. Mass.) ruled on March 16, 2026 that Kennedy's overhaul of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and reduction of the recommended childhood vaccine schedule from 17 to 11 shots violated the Administrative Procedure Act. The court found the appointment process for 13 of Kennedy's ACIP picks was 'tainted,' that most appointees lacked required vaccine expertise, and barred them from serving. The ruling invalidated prior votes of the reconstituted panel, including downgraded recommendations for hepatitis B and COVID-19 vaccines. The administration appealed to the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. · Court found Kennedy's ACIP restructuring and related vaccine-schedule changes unlawful, arbitrary and capricious; appointments and panel votes enjoined/vacated pending appeal.

A federal judge ruled that Kennedy's restructuring of the CDC's vaccine advisory panel and reduction of the recommended childhood immunization schedule were unlawful, invalidating his appointments and the panel's subsequent votes.

Sources: NPR · Scientific American · pharmaphorum