A report says Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. received $4m in advances over the past year for upcoming books from Skyhorse Publishing, owned by his friend Tony Lyons. Kennedy pledged in a 2024 ethics filing not to write, edit, market or promote them while in office.
Kennedy’s 2026 financial disclosures list $126,500 in housing in Washington, DC, at a “vacation home” owned by security consultant Gavin de Becker. De Becker also provided round-trip airfare worth nearly $45,000 to Greece and nearly $97,000 to Fiji. According to Politico, he donated at least $10m to Kennedy’s 2024 super PAC, with $9.65m returned. Kennedy’s wife, Cheryl Hines, accepted $210,000 in consultation fees from Maha Action, which Lyons also leads.
An HHS spokesperson told the New York Times that Kennedy complies with federal ethics laws, regulations and disclosure requirements and works with career ethics officials to ensure reportable matters are disclosed and handled appropriately. De Becker said he and Kennedy are close friends, have hosted each other and vacationed with their families for years, including before Kennedy took his current job. Kedric Payne, senior ethics counsel at the Campaign Legal Center, said the public deserves transparency about gifts from major political donors and any interests they have before the government.
