Two Democratic senators, Ron Wyden of Oregon and Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland, have opened an investigation into whether US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. lied to Congress about why he went to Samoa in 2019, months before a measles outbreak there killed 83 people, most of them small children.[1][2][3] In a letter sent on Wednesday, November 11, they asked Children's Health Defense, the anti-vaccine group Kennedy used to chair, for a wide range of records by December 4.[1][2][4] HHS says the trip was "unrelated to vaccines" and calls claims that he lied "outright defamatory".[1][2][3]
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| Cover photo: United States Department of Health and Human Services, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. | |
| Who is investigating | Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.)[1][2][3] |
|---|---|
| Subject | HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.[1][2] |
| Question | Whether he lied to senators about the purpose of his 2019 Samoa trip[1][2][3] |
| Letter sent | Wednesday, November 11, 2026, to Children's Health Defense[1][2][4] |
| Deadline | December 4, 2026[1][2][3] |
| Key evidence | A January 2019 letter to Samoa's prime minister using "vaccine" or "vaccination" 8 times[1][2][5] |
| Samoa outbreak | 83 deaths, mostly children under 5[1][2][6] |
| HHS response | Visit "unrelated to vaccines"; lying claims "outright defamatory"[1][2][3] |
What happened this week
On Wednesday, Wyden and Alsobrooks wrote to Children's Health Defense (CHD), the nonprofit that Kennedy chaired before he joined the Trump administration, and said they were starting an investigation.[1][2][3] "We are beginning an investigation into evidence that Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F Kennedy, Jr unlawfully lied to Congress on multiple occasions," Wyden wrote in the letter, which the Guardian obtained.[2] The Associated Press, the Independent and MS NOW reported the same letter and the same December 4 deadline.[1][3][4]
The senators did not hold back on the stakes. "We intend to hold Secretary Kennedy accountable for the grave harm he has caused to vulnerable children," they wrote. "We also intend to hold him accountable for any false statements made to Congress, a crime that undermines the Senate's ability to fulfill its constitutional duties."[1][2][3]
The timing is not an accident. Democrats won back control of the House and the Senate in this month's midterm elections, and AP describes the Samoa inquiry as one of a long list of investigations planned into the Trump administration.[1][3] Wyden is expected to chair the Senate Finance Committee from January, which oversees Kennedy's department, and Alsobrooks sits on the Senate health committee (HELP), which also oversees it.[1][2]
Why the Samoa trip matters
Kennedy travelled to Samoa in 2019 while he was leading CHD.[1][2] While there, he met local anti-vaccine activists.[1][6] A few months later, measles swept the island nation. By January 2020 there had been more than 5,700 cases and 83 deaths, mostly children under five.[2][6]
The ground was already dry. In July 2018, two babies died after nurses wrongly mixed the MMR vaccine with an expired muscle relaxant instead of sterile water. Anti-vaccine groups seized on the deaths, Samoa paused its measles vaccine programme, and infant vaccination rates fell as low as about 31 per cent.[5][6] Nearby islands were close to 99 per cent.[6]
Critics, including Samoan officials, have said Kennedy's visit emboldened anti-vaccine activists at the worst possible time.[1][2] Kennedy has denied this and says he never made a public statement about vaccines or told Samoans not to get vaccinated.[2] Hawaii Governor Josh Green, a doctor who treated Samoan measles patients in 2019, has blamed Kennedy for preventable deaths and called for him to resign.[4][5]
What Kennedy told senators, and what the letters say
At his two confirmation hearings in January 2025, Kennedy told senators that the Samoa visit had "nothing to do with vaccines".[1][2][5] In an exchange with Wyden he said: "I went there, [it had] nothing to do with vaccines. I went there to introduce a medical informatics system that would digitalize records in Samoa and make health delivery much more efficient."[5] The Senate confirmed him in February 2025.[1][7]
In August 2026, AP and the Guardian published letters that point the other way.[1][2][5] In a letter dated January 20, 2019, written on CHD letterhead to then-Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, Kennedy described wanting to study Samoa's use of the MMR vaccine and used the words "vaccine" or "vaccination" eight times.[1][2][5] He suggested the earlier deaths might be linked to problems with particular vaccine lots and offered a "detailed health informatics assessment".[1][5] A month later, the prime minister replied that Samoa could benefit from CHD's assessment of MMR vaccines and invited him to visit.[2][5]
AP notes that the letter "did not specifically discuss anti-vaccine activism".[1] That nuance matters, because Kennedy's defence is about purpose, not wording. Still, the gap between "nothing to do with vaccines" and a letter offering to study vaccine lots is exactly what the senators want explained.
Is lying to Congress a crime if you are not under oath?
Yes, it can be. Kennedy was not under oath at his confirmation hearings, but AP points out that knowingly giving materially false testimony to Congress is a crime that can carry a prison sentence whether or not the person is under oath, although it is rarely prosecuted.[1][2]
The main law is 18 U.S.C. § 1001, which covers anyone who "knowingly and willfully" makes a materially false statement in a matter within the jurisdiction of the federal government, including Congress. The standard maximum sentence is five years in prison.[8] For matters before Congress, the law reaches administrative matters and investigations or reviews carried out under a committee's authority.[8]
Wyden has pushed this angle before. In August he called for the Samoa testimony to be referred to the Justice Department for a criminal investigation.[2][5] Legal experts quoted by the Guardian think a Trump Justice Department is unlikely to prosecute, so the practical tools left are hearings, subpoenas and public pressure.[2]
What the senators want from Children's Health Defense
The letter asks for a broad set of records:[1][2][3]
- All documents on any travel to Samoa by Kennedy or CHD employees or associates.[2]
- Any communications with Samoan government officials.[2]
- Records on Kennedy's 2024 presidential campaign and his Senate confirmation process.[1][2][3]
- Records on Kennedy's speech to CHD's September conference.[2]
- All communications between CHD and federal government officials since January 20, 2025.[1][2][3]
For now this is a voluntary request. MS NOW notes that if the group declines, it is likely to face a subpoena early next year, when Democrats hold the majority.[4] The Guardian adds that the committee or its chair could issue subpoenas if CHD does not cooperate.[2]
The separate gifts probe
This is not the only inquiry. On the same day, the same two senators announced a separate investigation into gifts reportedly worth hundreds of thousands of dollars given to Kennedy last year by a donor and former employee.[1][9] We will add details on that probe once more of the reporting can be checked.
What happens next
| Date | What to watch |
|---|---|
| Now to Dec 4, 2026 | Whether Children's Health Defense hands over records[1][2] |
| Dec 4, 2026 | Deadline in the Wyden and Alsobrooks letter[1][2][3] |
| January 2027 | Democrats take control of the Senate; Wyden expected to chair the Finance Committee[1][2] |
| Early 2027 | Possible subpoena if the group does not cooperate[2][4] |
The most likely next headline is not a charge but a fight over documents. If CHD hands over records that show more planning around vaccines, pressure on Kennedy will rise. If it refuses, expect subpoenas in the new year. HHS has so far not explained why his testimony differed from his letter.[2]
Frequently asked questions
Why are senators investigating RFK Jr?
To find out whether he lied to Congress when he said his 2019 Samoa trip had "nothing to do with vaccines", after letters showed he wrote about studying Samoa's MMR vaccine before the trip.[1][2]
Who is leading the RFK Jr Samoa investigation?
Senators Ron Wyden of Oregon and Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland, both Democrats.[1][2][3]
What happened in Samoa in 2019?
A measles outbreak killed 83 people, mostly children under five, after infant vaccination rates fell to about 31 per cent.[2][5][6]
Was RFK Jr under oath?
No, but knowingly giving false testimony to Congress can still be a crime.[1][8]
What does HHS say?
That the visit was "unrelated to vaccines" and that claims he lied are "not only false but outright defamatory".[1][2][3]
When is the deadline?
References
- "Senators probe RFK Jr.'s reason for Samoa trip after letter refuting his testimony published", Ali Swenson, Associated Press via PBS NewsHour, 12 November 2026.
- "Senator opens investigation into evidence RFK Jr 'unlawfully lied' to Congress", The Guardian, 12 November 2026.
- "RFK Jr faces Senate probe over 'lies' to Congress about Samoa trip", The Independent, 12 November 2026.
- "Democratic senators launch investigation into RFK Jr., questioning whether he lied to Congress", Steve Benen, MS NOW, 12 November 2026.
- "'RFK Jr. has lied to the Senate': Lawmakers call for criminal probe, ouster", Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 28 August 2026.
- "2019 Samoa measles outbreak", Wikipedia, accessed 13 November 2026.
- "Robert F. Kennedy Jr.", Wikipedia, accessed 13 November 2026.
- "18 U.S. Code § 1001: Statements or entries generally", Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School.
- "Democrats investigate RFK Jr, donor over expensive gifts", The Hill, 11 November 2026.
Image credits: Cover photo: United States Department of Health and Human Services, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.