Robert F Kennedy Jr, the US health secretary, received $4m in book advances over the last year from allies within the Make America Healthy Again movement, according to a new report. These advances were for upcoming books from Skyhorse Publishing, a company owned by Tony Lyons, who is also president of the non-profit Maha Center.
According to a 2024 ethics filing, Kennedy Jr pledged not to engage in writing, editing, marketing, or promotional services for these books during his government service. An HHS spokesperson stated that Kennedy Jr "complies with all applicable federal ethics laws, regulations and financial disclosure requirements."
Kennedy Jr's 2026 financial disclosure forms also indicate he accepted $126,500 worth of housing in Washington DC from security consultant Gavin de Becker, an ally who also provided gifts including nearly $45,000 in airfare to Greece and nearly $97,000 in airfare to Fiji. De Becker told the New York Times that Kennedy Jr is among his closest friends and that they have hosted each other's families for years.
Additionally, Kennedy Jr’s wife, Cheryl Hines, accepted $210,000 in consultation fees from Maha Action, a non-profit advocacy group also led by Tony Lyons.