Key facts
- Robert F Kennedy Jr received $4 million in book advances from allies within the Make America Healthy Again movement.
- The advances were for upcoming books by Skyhorse Publishing, owned by Tony Lyons.
- Kennedy Jr pledged not to engage in book-related services during his government service.
- Kennedy Jr's wife, Cheryl Hines, accepted $210,000 in consultation fees from Maha Action.
- Gavin de Becker provided Kennedy Jr with $126,500 worth of housing and nearly $142,000 in airfare.
Robert F Kennedy Jr, the US health secretary, received $4 million in book advances from allies within the Make America Healthy Again (Maha) movement over the past year, according to a new report. The advances were for upcoming books by Skyhorse Publishing, a publishing house owned by Tony Lyons, a friend of Kennedy Jr and president of Maha Center. Kennedy Jr has pledged not to engage in writing, editing, marketing, or promotional services for these books during his government service.
According to a 2024 ethics filing, Kennedy Jr also accepted $126,500 worth of housing in Washington D.C. at a "vacation home" owned by Gavin de Becker, a security consultant and Kennedy Jr ally. De Becker also provided gifts including nearly $45,000 in roundtrip airfare to Greece and nearly $97,000 in roundtrip airfare to Fiji. De Becker has also published a book with Skyhorse Publishing.
In addition, Kennedy Jr's wife, Cheryl Hines, accepted $210,000 in consultation fees from the non-profit advocacy group Maha Action, which Lyons also leads. An HHS spokesperson stated that Kennedy Jr complies with all applicable federal ethics laws and financial disclosure requirements.