Kennedy Accused of Concealing Vaccine Lawsuit Deal Despite Divestment Pledge

Democratic senators have raised concerns about Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s involvement in a vaccine lawsuit, accusing him of not adhering to an ethics agreement.

The issue centers around Kennedy's continued involvement with the law firm Wisner Baum, which was suing Merck over its HPV vaccine Gardasil, alleging that it caused neurological and autoimmune injuries.

Kennedy was still involved in the lawsuit during his confirmation process last year, and he initially indicated that he would retain part of the fees awarded in the case. However, he later committed to divesting his interest and assigning them to his son Conor Kennedy, an associate at Wisner Baum, who is not listed among counsel involved with the Gardasil case.

Merck agreed to pay $50 million earlier this year to settle the lawsuit without admitting any guilt, maintaining its product was safe and effective. Wisner Baum confirmed soon after that neither Kennedy nor his son would receive from the settlement, contradicting what the secretary told Congress about how he would handle his divestment.

Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), Ron Wyden (Ore.), Richard Blumenthal (Conn.), and Angela Alsobrooks (Md.) questioned whether Kennedy potentially concealed an agreement to collect money from a settlement with a vaccine manufacturer despite pledging to divest from the lawsuit.