Dems target RFK Jr. in first probe over alleged lie to Congress about Samoa trip

WASHINGTON, DC: Democrats have begun their probe into Trump officials, and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is among their first targets.

A top Democrat on the powerful Senate Finance Committee has launched an investigation into Kennedy, accusing him of making false statements to Congress during his 2025 confirmation hearings.

Democrats launch probe into RFK Jr.’s 2019 Samoa trip

Democratic Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden, along with Maryland Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, has launched an investigation into Kennedy’s 2025 confirmation testimony, during which he allegedly misrepresented the purpose of a 2019 trip to Samoa amid concerns in the country about the safety of measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccines.

In a letter to Children’s Health Defense, the anti-vaccine group Kennedy led until December 2024, Wyden and Alsobrooks outlined the allegations against the Health Secretary and demanded that the organization hand over all documents related to Kennedy’s presidential campaign, his confirmation process, and any communications between the group and federal health officials since January 2025.

Notably, Wyden will take over the chairmanship of the Senate Finance Committee when Democrats take majority control in January.

What is the case?

Kennedy told lawmakers during his 2025 confirmation hearing that his 2019 trip to Samoa, months before a measles outbreak began, had “nothing to do with vaccines.”

In 2018, the Samoan government had stopped vaccinations after two children died from improperly mixed MMR vaccines. The pause continued until April 2019, causing vaccination rates to fall sharply. A measles outbreak began in September that year, eventually infecting 5,700 people and killing 83.

In a 2021 blog post for the advocacy group, Kennedy said he had visited Samoa to attend an independence celebration. He also said he met government officials to discuss systems for monitoring the safety of “every medical intervention or drug on overall health.”

But the January 2019 letter suggests that he was already interested in the MMR vaccine issue months before he travelled to Samoa. He had specifically asked the country's prime minister to investigate the deaths of the two children who received improperly mixed MMR vaccines and look into possible wider safety concerns.

Democrats eyeing Kennedy’s impeachment

The letter to Children’s Health Defense comes amid Democrats' push to investigate several Trump administration officials, including the president himself. Kennedy is also among the officials facing scrutiny, as several Democrats have called for his resignation or removal and promised further investigations next year.

While it is rare to be prosecuted for giving false testimony to Congress, knowingly providing materially false testimony to Congress is a crime, even when the testimony is not given under oath.

Wyden’s letter is co-signed by Maryland Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, who on November 4 posted to X: “The time is now. RFK Jr. must resign or be fired. End of discussion.”