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Two 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.
The probe was launched after reports by The Associated Press and The Guardian in August, refuting his testimony. It is among a vast array of investigations planned into the Trump administration after Democrats regained control of the House and Senate in the midterm elections.
Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Angela Alsobrooks, D-Md., announced the inquiry in a letter sent Wednesday to Children’s Health Defense, an anti-vaccine nonprofit group previously chaired by Kennedy.
The senators requested a broad range of documents from the group concerning Kennedy’s Samoa travel, his 2024 presidential campaign, and his Senate confirmation process. The letter also asked for all communications between the organization and federal officials since President Donald Trump's second term began in January 2025, setting a compliance deadline of Dec. 4.
Reporting in August revealed that while Kennedy repeatedly told key confirmation lawmakers last year that his visit to Samoa before a lethal measles outbreak had "nothing to do with vaccines," a pre-trip letter sent to the Samoan prime minister on Children's Health Defense letterhead showed otherwise.
