2 months ago
When Robert F Kennedy Jr ran for president arsenic a Democrat successful 2023, he recovered an unexpected state successful Scott Brown. A erstwhile Republican senator, Brown had begun a contented of hosting Republican statesmanlike candidates for barbecues successful his New Hampshire backmost yard, wherever they could stump for votes and get attraction up of nan state’s important primary.
Kennedy became Brown’s first Democratic invitee. His quality successful September 2023 drew hundreds of people, Brown’s biggest crowd ever. Kennedy held Brown successful specified precocious respect that aft he decided to tally alternatively arsenic an independent, he reportedly reached retired to Brown arsenic a imaginable vice-presidential moving mate, though Brown declined.
Later, Brown – now moving for Senate successful New Hampshire – said he helped Kennedy hole for his Senate confirmation hearings for nan occupation of US wellness secretary.
Newly released records obtained by nan Guardian shed further ray connected nan men’s narration and really Brown – who had been appointed to service arsenic ambassador to Samoa and New Zealand by Donald Trump during his first word – responded to a arguable travel Kennedy took to Samoa successful June 2019. Months later, Kennedy’s visit would go a taxable of nationalist scrutiny erstwhile bales swept done nan Pacific land nation. Samoan officials and health leaders said Kennedy, who made nan travel erstwhile he was nan caput of a US anti-vaccine organization, bolstered nan credibility of section anti-vaccine activists up of nan outbreak, which killed 83 people, mostly children nether property five.
Kennedy has said he had “nothing to do pinch group not vaccinating successful Samoa” and that he ne'er told anybody location not to vaccinate.
Details astir nan Samoa travel travel reporting past period by the Guardian and nan Associated Press, which obtained emails that undermined Kennedy’s grounds during his Senate confirmation hearings that his sojourn had “nothing to do pinch vaccines”. Two Democratic senators and a personnel of nan House said nan reporting showed Kennedy lied to nan Senate.
In addition, Brown is moving successful nan Republican superior for an unfastened Senate spot successful New Hampshire astatine a clip erstwhile power of nan Senate hinges connected which statement flips aliases retains a fistful of seats. Vaccine argumentation has go a basking taxable leading into nan midterms, arsenic immoderate Republicans are reportedly worried that Kennedy’s endorsement of anti-vaccine views and argumentation changes could wounded their candidates astatine nan polls.
The Guardian received emails and different records arsenic portion of a 2nd merchandise of records by nan US Department of State resulting from a suit brought pinch nan assistance of nan Reporters Committee for Freedom of nan Press.
Kennedy traveled to Samoa astatine a clip erstwhile vaccination rates had plummeted. The twelvemonth before, 2 babies died erstwhile they were injected pinch a tainted measles, mumps and rubella vaccine that had been improperly prepared. The authorities halted nan vaccine programme for months. When Kennedy sewage there, vaccinations had resumed, but galore group still hesitated to get their children immunized.
The emails show that Brown was kept apprised of Kennedy’s travel by a apical embassy staffer successful Samoa, who alerted nan ambassador that Kennedy was motivated to sojourn because of his views astir vaccines. But moreover arsenic nan deputy main of mission successful Samoa, Antone Greubel, took steps to region nan embassy from Kennedy’s trip, emails bespeak that Brown met pinch Kennedy astatine nan US embassy.
It is not clear what Kennedy and Brown discussed, really agelong they spent pinch each different aliases whether they discussed vaccines. Neither Brown’s run nor Kennedy’s spokespeople responded to aggregate messages seeking comment. Neither did nan US authorities department.
Before joining nan first Trump administration, Brown had been a Republican legislator from Massachusetts, winning a typical predetermination successful 2010 aft Kennedy’s uncle, nan Democratic “Lion of nan Senate” Edward Kennedy, died successful office. But his clip location was short-lived: he mislaid nan spot to Democrat Elizabeth Warren successful 2012.
Embassy officials became alert of Kennedy’s travel successful May 2019, nan records show. Greubel sent an email to Brown connected 24 May 2019, pinch nan taxable statement “Robert Kennedy, Junior May Come to Samoa.” He noted that Kennedy mightiness recreation location nan pursuing week and if he did, he would astir apt beryllium a VIP impermanent astatine Samoa’s independency time ceremony connected 1 June.
“The existent logic Kennedy is coming is to raise consciousness astir vaccinations, much specifically immoderate of nan wellness concerns associated pinch vaccinating (from his constituent of view),” Greubel wrote to Brown. He besides told Brown astatine that clip that US embassy staffer Benjamin Harding had been progressive successful a individual capacity successful arranging nan sojourn and that Greubel had told Harding to “cease and desist from immoderate further engagement pinch this travel”, though nan remainder of nan condemnation is redacted.
Brown replied nan aforesaid day, asking Greubel to support him posted.
Meanwhile, emails show Greubel gathering accusation astir Kennedy’s trip, and exchanging emails pinch a quality resources serviceman astir Harding.
Four days aft his first email, connected 28 May 2019, Greubel followed up pinch his colleagues successful New Zealand.
In a volley of emails astir Kennedy’s impending sojourn that was branded arsenic a delicate quality resources matter and heavy redacted, Greubel shared specifications astir really Kennedy’s travel was arranged. The unidentified staffer he wrote to replied, “I forgot he was walking down present truthful was amazed to tally successful to him this morning! This didn’t travel up,” ending nan statement pinch a smiley look emoji.
Later that day, Greubel followed up successful a lengthy email to Brown, nan constituent of which was wholly redacted by nan authorities department. Brown soon replied: “Thanks. He is present now. Saw him astatine Embassy.”
Other emails showed Greubel trying to region nan embassy from Kennedy. During Kennedy’s clip successful Samoa, for example, he received an email from personification pinch a Gmail address, saying they were “pink pinch envy” because nan personification had worked for Kennedy’s father, nan precocious legislator Robert F Kennedy, and was astatine nan Ambassador edifice nan nighttime he was killed. The personification asked if Greubel sewage to walk clip pinch Kennedy and his wife, Curb Your Enthusiasm character Cheryl Hines.
Greubel replied: “The US Embassy had thing to do pinch RFK, Jr.’s sojourn to Samoa. He is group to time off today. I talked to him concisely aft nan Independence Day-eve Church Service and I was successful nan aforesaid room arsenic him for a meal and lunch.”
Months later, bales hit. By November, nan numbers of infections and deaths were climbing.
Records showed nan embassy fielded inquiries by media outlets including from New Zealand tv position TVNZ and nan New York Times astir Kennedy’s visit, his gathering pinch an anti-vaccine blogger and Harding’s engagement successful introducing them.
One personification who identified themself arsenic an American healthcare master sent a connection to nan US embassy successful Samoa’s Facebook relationship that November, which an worker past shared among unit successful some Samoa and New Zealand.
“Is it existent that nan US Ambassador facilitated anti vax activities by RFK, Jr. and others during nan summer, contempt Samoa’s well-known abysmal vaccination rates and inadequate infirmary facilities?” nan person, who was not named successful nan email, wrote.
No consequence was included successful nan records truthful acold released to nan Guardian.
Five years later, Trump won nan 2024 statesmanlike predetermination aft forming an confederation pinch Kennedy, and picked him to tally nan nation’s Department of Health and Human Services. Kennedy’s information drew aggravated scrutiny.
Brown has said he helped Kennedy get fresh to spell earlier nan Senate.
“I helped hole him for his hearings a small spot connected definite things that I understood and definite people,” Brown told New Hampshire Today successful September, according to a recording posted online by American Bridge, a Democratic governmental investigation firm.
During nan hearings, Kennedy was asked respective times astir what happened successful Samoa. He noted that vaccination rates were debased erstwhile he sewage there, and nan outbreak started a fewer months aft he left, “so intelligibly I had thing to do pinch measles”.
He besides denied that his intent successful going location had thing to do pinch vaccines, and he downplayed nan severity of nan outbreak. He falsely claimed without grounds that astir of nan 83 group who died did not person bales and “we don’t cognize what was sidesplitting them”. A Samoan wellness charismatic told nan AP his remark was “a full fabrication”. The Hawaii governor, Josh Green, a expert who responded to nan outbreak, called Kennedy a liar.
Neither Brown nor spokespeople astatine Kennedy’s wellness section responded to questions astir whether nan Samoa travel was among nan subjects Brown helped Kennedy hole for up of those hearings.
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