Kennedy Ties to Gardasil Settlement Under Fire from Democratic Senators

Four Democratic senators are questioning Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s financial ties to Merck's (MRK) $50 million settlement related to its HPV vaccine Gardasil.

The senators, Elizabeth Warren, Angela Alsobrooks, Richard Blumenthal, and Andy Kim, signed a letter sent to Kennedy this week raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest tied to the settlement.

Kennedy's son currently works as an associate attorney at Wisner Baum, the law firm that handled multiple lawsuits for which Kennedy was the attorney of record. The senators noted that Kennedy has not pledged to recuse himself from HHS communications related to Gardasil, even as those communications could materially affect ongoing litigation.

Brent Wisner, managing partner of Wisner Baum, pushed back on concerns about potential conflicts, stating that Kennedy and his son 'will at no time' receive fees from the Gardasil settlement. However, the senators questioned whether Kennedy may have exerted influence over the Merck settlement outcome in his capacity as HHS secretary.

The senators also highlighted Kennedy's financial disclosure form, which shows he collected $856,000 from Wisner Baum last year. The lawmakers have laid out a list of 21 questions and commitment requests for Kennedy to address in response to their letter.