Even after potentially securing the role of Health and Human Services secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. plans to receive compensation from a legal firm named Wisner Baum. This company is currently engaged in a lawsuit against pharmaceutical giant Merck, alleging that Merck failed to sufficiently inform consumers about potential dangers associated with the company’s HPV vaccine, Gardasil. Documents submitted to the Office of Government Ethics reveal these details.
According to these documents, Kennedy’s agreement to receive payment is contingent on Wisner Baum’s success in the lawsuit. This arrangement applies only to cases where the United States is not involved or does not hold any significant stake. These conditions are clearly stated in Kennedy’s signed statement of ethical considerations.
These ethical filings, which form a part of Kennedy’s confirmation process, also provide insights into his various financial assets and interests. Continuing as an HHS secretary while receiving payments from the lawsuit could put him in a position to potentially gain from vaccine-related legal disputes. In this role, Kennedy would have the authority to regulate pharmaceutical companies as well as oversee federal vaccine policy.
This arrangement raises questions of potential bias due to his financial involvement in the lawsuit against Merck. A government ethics specialist raises these concerns calling attention to his ethical agreement, which does not address the potential conflicts.
The Senate Finance Committee is slated to hold a hearing on Wednesday, Jan. 29, to debate Kennedy’s nomination for the HHS position in light of these allegations. Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a common sexually transmitted disease, which may lead to cancer in later life stages.
Recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advise that two doses of the HPV vaccine be administered at the ages of 11-12 years. This advice is based on the premise that the vaccine is safe while providing efficient and long-term protection against HPV infections.
In his personal financial disclosure statement, Kennedy stated that he had obtained $856,559 as referral fees from the law firm. This amount is in addition to the $326,056 accounted in his salary and benefits received from the Children’s Health Defense, an organization Kennedy headed.
The organization under Kennedy’s chairmanship brought nearly 30 legal cases at the Federal and State levels post 2020, including cases that concern the very federal agencies he might assume responsibility for at the HHS. Multiple legal actions initiated by the organization involved challenges to vaccinations and public health mandates.
Kennedy stepped down from his role as the chairman of the Children’s Health Defense in April 2023 without pay when he officially chose to run for a presidential bid. He formally parted ways with the organization in December 2024.
He also declared a profit share from his law firm, Kennedy and Madonna, LLP (which later became Madonna and Madonna, LLP) amounting to $8,848,402. Kennedy received his final share of the partnership income in May 2024.