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To: Les H who wrote (47533)	9/8/2025 5:29:49 PM
From: Les H	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 49106

Like many on the Trump cabinet, RFK Jr. has conflicts of interest having spent years monetizing the anti-vaccine position. He can't do an about face without damage to his business. As the current Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s anti-vaccine advocacy is monetized through various avenues, including book deals and legal referral fees related to vaccine injury lawsuits. Recent financial disclosures and reports have highlighted his continued and expected earnings from these activities, even after taking a government position. Financial disclosures and recent earnings Lawsuit earnings: Financial disclosures from January 2025 revealed Kennedy plans to keep collecting referral fees from lawsuits against the pharmaceutical company Merck, relating to its HPV vaccine. These fees, which amounted to over $850,000 in one recent reporting period, come from the law firm Wisner Baum. The firm's website encourages parents to call if they believe their child was harmed by the HPV vaccine. Book advances and royalties: Kennedy is set to earn between $2 million and $4 million in future advances from his publisher, Skyhorse Publishing, for two upcoming books. This is in addition to more than $450,000 he reported for prior work with the company. Kennedy has written several books for Skyhorse, including titles that promote his anti-vaccine views, such as The Real Anthony Fauci. Children's Health Defense: Before his December 2024 resignation, Kennedy earned a substantial salary from the non-profit Children's Health Defense (CHD), an organization he founded and which promotes vaccine skepticism. In 2023, he received $326,056 from CHD, where his pay rate had doubled that year. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the CHD saw its donations surge as it exploited public uncertainty about vaccines. "Make America Healthy Again" brand: According to a January 2025 financial disclosure, Kennedy received a $100,000 licensing fee for the use of the "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) brand. Continuing concerns over conflicts of interest Kennedy's financial ties to anti-vaccine activities have caused alarm among public health experts and political figures, who raise concerns about conflicts of interest in his role as HHS Secretary. For instance, Senator Elizabeth Warren criticized him for potentially benefiting financially from anti-vaccine lawsuits, even as he holds a position that oversees vaccine policy. Warren and other critics have highlighted several ways Kennedy could use his office to benefit his anti-vaccine agenda and profit financially, such as appointing anti-vaccine advisors and restricting vaccine access. Legal challenges to Kennedy's policies Following Kennedy's appointment, public health organizations have grown increasingly concerned over his actions affecting national vaccine policy. In July 2025, the American Academy of Pediatrics and other medical groups sued Kennedy for allegedly violating federal law. The lawsuit was in response to HHS's removal of the COVID-19 vaccine from the list of recommended shots for healthy children and pregnant women. These policy changes have left health providers confused about how to advise patients and whether insurance will cover the shots.