Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is in the crosshairs. Oregon Senator Ron Wyden wants the Health Secretary investigated for allegedly breaking federal law. The accusation? Kennedy reportedly pressured third-party candidates to quit key Iowa congressional races.
Wyden filed a formal complaint Monday with the U.S. Office of the Special Counsel. He claims Kennedy violated the Hatch Act. That is the 1939 law banning federal employees from using their official clout for political campaigns. Wyden did not mince words. He accused Kennedy of using his taxpayer-funded gig to meddle in elections to help Donald Trump’s allies.
“Kennedy has spent sixteen months using his official position to undermine the health and well-being of his fellow Americans,” Wyden said in a statement. “Now he is using his official position to undermine the integrity of democratic elections too.”
Neither Kennedy’s team nor the Department of Health and Human Services responded to requests for comment.
The drama centers on two highly competitive U.S. House races in Iowa. Libertarians often pull 2% to 3% of the vote there. That is enough to play spoiler. Republicans have already tried to kick Libertarians Marco Battaglia and Rick Stewart off the ballot. Battaglia was booted. Stewart survived. Both cases are tied up in court.
“They feel we are spoilers,” said Stephanie Berlin, chair of the Iowa Libertarian Party. “This is just another example of the major two parties trying to strangle us.”
Berlin was in the room when Stewart took a call from Kennedy. She recorded it.
On the tape, Kennedy did not make a direct, explicit job offer. He danced around it. He told Stewart he could act as his “liaison with the White House.” He suggested Stewart could “make an agreement” to get into a position to “make a real difference.”
“I can’t go into specifics because, you know, there’s legal prohibitions about that,” Kennedy said on the recording.
Stewart told reporters it was obvious what Kennedy wanted. Still, he figured the health secretary tried to stay on the right side of the line. “That’s how all politics works,” Stewart said. “Everybody does their best to avoid breaking the rules, but they also do their best to go around the rules.”
Wyden sees it differently. He called it an illegal quid pro quo.
Watchdogs agree. Donald Sherman, president of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, called the recording a “clear violation” of the Hatch Act. Kennedy openly worried on the call about fighting congressional subpoenas for the next two years instead of doing his job. That, Sherman said, tied his political pitch directly to his official government role.
“Invoking the White House specifically, referring to his official duties and his official role as HHS secretary, is where he blurs the line,” Sherman said.
Will anything happen to Kennedy? Do not hold your breath. Hatch Act violations rarely lead to real punishment. The Office of the Special Counsel has historically issued slap-on-the-wrist warning letters to officials in both Democratic and Republican administrations.
Besides, Trump has spent his second term tightening his grip on independent watchdog agencies. He already fired the head of the Office of the Special Counsel.
Craig Holman, a lobbyist for Public Citizen, said Kennedy’s actions are a textbook violation. But he expects zero consequences. “The Office of the Special Counsel could recommend that RFK be removed,” Holman said. “But I am not expecting that.”
