AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.
A woman who worked with the anti-vaccine nonprofit run by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. accused him of sexual misconduct and was paid a nearly $1 million settlement as part of a nondisclosure agreement in late 2020, multiple sources told Mediaite.
Kennedy, President Donald Trump’s pick to serve as the head of Health and Human Services, is set to have his nomination voted on by the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday, after tense hearings last week that fixated on his history of anti-vaccine advocacy and conspiracy theories.
In recent days, Kennedy admitted under questioning from Senate Democrats to two misconduct claims against him, which he kept quiet through confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements. He declined to inform the Senate of the details of these agreements, including how much he paid to his accusers and what he was accused of.
“Twice, I have been targeted by frivolous, unfounded allegations, which I strenuously denied at the time and continue to deny,” Kennedy said in response to questions from Democrats about the sum and nature of the agreements. “I entered into confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements to prohibit these individuals from continuing to make these allegations.”
Sources told Mediaite that one of the women who accused Kennedy of misconduct worked with Children’s Health Defense, an anti-vaccine nonprofit Kennedy served as the chairman of until he announced his run for president in 2023.
The payout was a high six-figure sum, under $1 million, sources said.
The allegations against Kennedy came to the attention of Senate Democrats after the political scion was asked in a series of written questions whether he ever reached confidential monetary settlements with anyone accusing him of misconduct.
Kennedy replied that he had, which prompted further questions from Democrats. A representative for Kennedy did not respond to a request for comment.
Kennedy has faced several allegations of misconduct. In July, a woman who Kennedy employed as a babysitter for his children in the late 1990s accused him publicly of multiple instances of sexual misconduct, including groping her against her will. Kennedy said he did not remember the incident.
Last September, the media world was rocked when New York magazine correspondent Olivia Nuzzi confessed to a relationship with Kennedy, who is married to actor Cheryl Hines.
In October Mediaite reported that at least three women claimed to have had romantic relationships with Kennedy in the last year. A representative for Kennedy denied the affairs, insisting he has never had a relationship with another woman since marrying Hines.
