Washington D.C. – This week, Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) launched an investigation into the Trump-RFK Jr-HHS’s recent industry-friendly actions on dangerous flavored vapes and kratom products linked to thousands of deaths that target young Americans, especially at convenience stores, “alleging a pattern of quid pro quos after the tobacco and kratom industries made large donations to the presidential campaigns of Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.” [See Wyden letter to Sec. Kennedy] Protect Our Care echoed Senator Wyden’s call for Kennedy’s resignation over his pattern of corrupt behavior at the expense of public health.
The inquiry follows the investigation Sens. Warren, Alsobrooks, Blumenthal, and Kim opened last week into whether RFK Jr.’s family may be profiting from “a $50 million anti-vaccine settlement that his actions as Secretary could have influenced.”
“As a thank you gift to their poison-peddling donors, Donald Trump and RFK Jr. have abused their power to make it easy for kids to get their hands on addictive and potentially deadly products like flavored vapes and kratom,” said Anne Shoup, Senior Advisor for Protect Our Care. “At the same time, RFK Jr. is making it easier for his anti-vax lawyer friends to file frivolous lawsuits against vaccine makers to apparently put more money in his own family’s pocket. The Trump HHS wears corruption on its sleeve and is even happy to risk kids’ lives for the right price, whether it’s setting up for a lifetime of nicotine addiction, exposing them to liver toxicity from gas station kratom, or scaring them away from proven safe and effective vaccines. No one in America is being made healthier from Trump and Kennedy’s favor-trading with snake oil salesmen, anti-vax grifters, and big tobacco.”
AT ISSUE:
- The NYT recently blew the lid off Kennedy’s latest brush with corruption. Specifically, RFK Jr. abused his power as health secretary to personally pressure Ohio’s governor out of a state ban on the potentially addictive mind-alternating drug Kratom, often found in gas stations and linked to “thousands of deaths”. Kennedy apparently did so on behalf of an ex-con Kratommaker who coincidently poured money into his presidential campaign coffers after it was suspended. Shortly after RFK Jr’s shady intervention, a million dollar-check from the ex-con’s company discreetly floated into a RFK Jr.-tied PAC.
- In May, Health Secretary RFK Jr. dutifully followed Donald Trump’s order to push FDA Commissioner Marty Makary out the door for not moving ‘quickly enough’ to approve addictive and harmful flavored vapes and nicotine products that appeal to American teens and kids after big tobacco interests cut a $5 million check to a Trump SuperPAC and after a fancy golf course luncheon between Trump and big tobacco and vape lobbyists.
RELATED FROM PROTECT OUR CARE:
- Like Trump, RFK Jr. Never Misses Chance to Personally Benefit From Power
- Report: The Many Ways Trump & RFK Jr. Sold Out Public Health to Big Tobacco For Trump’s Personal Benefit
- RFK Jr. Goes Swamp Swimming Again
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