RFK Jr. book advances are drawing scrutiny after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. disclosed $4 million in payments to write two books, along with luxury travel and other gifts, in a recently filed federal ethics report.
Shortly before Kennedy addressed an anti-vaccine conference in Washington, D.C., last Thursday, MAHA Institute President Mark Gorton described vaccines as a public health disaster. The event was hosted by Children’s Health Defense, an anti-vaccine group that has pursued numerous lawsuits over vaccine mandates and related policies.
Kennedy helped found the organization and, according to a federal ethics filing, received $326,056 in salary and bonuses in the year before he left its leadership to head HHS. Addressing attendees, he said they have a steadfast friend in the White House and claimed the administration had achieved in 19 months what once seemed unthinkable.
His appearance before the group he once led is one of several actions testing norms. Kennedy has received sizable book advances, promoted one of his earlier books online despite an ethics pledge, and accepted high-value gifts.
Dr. Jason Goldman, immediate past president of the American College of Physicians, said having the nation’s health secretary champion an anti-vaccine agenda is dangerous and outside the norm. HHS did not respond to detailed questions, instead issuing a statement that Kennedy complies with applicable federal ethics laws and works with agency ethics officials to ensure proper disclosure and handling of financial interests, gifts, and outside activities.
Hefty advances for two books and pricey gifts
In a financial disclosure signed by an HHS ethics official on Sept. 17, Kennedy reported traveling on complimentary flights to Fiji and Greece and receiving two $2 million advances from Skyhorse Publishing. Skyhorse has published other Kennedy titles and paid him $451,000 in consulting fees the year before he became secretary. One forthcoming book is titled Unsettled Science, a play on the phrase “settled science” often used regarding vaccine safety.
The report also lists free flights and use of a Washington, D.C., vacation home, together valued at more than $250,000. These were provided by Gavin de Becker, a celebrity security adviser who has authored a Skyhorse book, Forbidden Facts, that alleges government suppression of information about vaccine risks.
Virginia Canter of the Democracy Defenders Fund called the sums unusual for a public official, questioning whether they could amount to prohibited supplementation of salary. She noted the timing is notable because senior appointees face strict limits on outside earned income, including paid book work, while in office.
Canter said she would also want more details about the personal nature of de Becker’s gifts. De Becker described a longstanding close friendship with Kennedy and said their families have exchanged hospitality and vacationed together for years, adding he has no dealings with HHS.
Kathleen Clark, a Washington University law professor who specializes in government ethics, said it is odd to accept $4 million in advances for books he has pledged not to write or edit while serving, citing Kennedy’s ethics agreement. Clark also noted the agreement bars him from promoting prior Skyhorse titles, yet in July he shared a social media post about his 2021 book critical of former NIAID Director Anthony Fauci.
Kennedy’s latest disclosure was filed Aug. 13, after an extension, which is 90 days past the May 15 deadline. It was revised four times in September before ethics officials provided it publicly. HHS ethics officials have approved it, but the Office of Government Ethics has not yet given final sign-off.
The Gardasil lawsuit
The filing did not fully resolve questions about whether Kennedy or relatives benefited from his previous work connected to litigation against Merck over its HPV vaccine, Gardasil, now regulated by HHS. Kennedy reported a nearly $7,000 payment from the law firm Wisner Baum as a final payment at termination of an agreement for referral fees on a contingency case. The firm told reporters the payment was not related to the Gardasil matter.
During his 2025 confirmation process, records showed Kennedy planned to receive 10 percent through contingency fees in the Gardasil case and that he had collected $856,559 in contingency fees from Wisner Baum from other cases in the prior year. That prompted concern from lawmakers, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, who cited potential conflicts.
Following the hearing, Kennedy amended his ethics agreement to irrevocably assign rights to any outstanding contingency fees to a non-dependent adult family member. In June, Merck said it agreed to settle the litigation, resolving all but one case for an amount it described as less than its expected defense costs and not material to the company. Other reports placed the settlement at $50 million, though neither Merck nor Wisner Baum confirmed that figure.
After lawmakers questioned whether a Kennedy family member profited from the settlement, Kennedy said on social media that fees went back to Wisner Baum, a claim not reflected in his OGE filings. His son Conor is listed as an associate attorney at the firm, though the Gardasil case is not mentioned in his profile. Wisner Baum said neither the secretary nor any family member received fees from the Gardasil cases.
RFK Jr. book advances and gifts raise ethics questions
For Hawaiʻi readers following national health policy, Kennedy’s disclosures and public engagements could influence federal vaccine guidance and public health messaging that reach island communities. The ethics reviews underway will determine whether his outside finances and activities comply with federal rules.
For more on how Washington ethics debates intersect with health leadership, see our coverage of a recent Senate health committee hearing on HHS nominations.
