Senators Probe Whether RFK Jr. Lied to Congress About 2019 Samoa Vaccine Trip

Two Democratic senators have opened an investigation into whether Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. lied to Congress about his 2019 trip to Samoa, turning a long-running dispute over the visit into a formal probe with a December deadline and the possibility of criminal referral.

Key Points

• Senators Ron Wyden of Oregon and Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland launched the investigation on Wednesday, November 12, 2026, writing to Children's Health Defense, the anti-vaccine nonprofit Kennedy chaired until December 2024.
• The senators say they are investigating evidence that Kennedy "unlawfully lied to Congress on multiple occasions" about the Samoa trip.
• They demanded documents on Kennedy's Samoa travel, his 2024 campaign, his confirmation process, and all communications between the nonprofit and federal health officials since January 2025, by December 4, 2026.
• The probe centres on Kennedy's 2025 confirmation testimony that the June 2019 trip had "nothing to do with vaccines", contradicted by a January 2019 letter he sent Samoa's prime minister on the nonprofit's letterhead.
• Samoa suffered a measles outbreak months after the visit, with 5,700 cases and 83 deaths, most of them children under five.

What Happened

Wyden and Alsobrooks announced the investigation in a letter to Children's Health Defense, known as CHD, the anti-vaccine organisation Kennedy led as chairman until he stepped down in December 2024 to run for president. The senators wrote that they are investigating evidence that Kennedy "unlawfully lied to Congress on multiple occasions", framing the inquiry as a question of criminal false statements, not a policy disagreement.

The letter demands a broad set of records. The senators want documents covering Kennedy's travel to Samoa, his 2024 presidential campaign, his Senate confirmation process, and every communication between Children's Health Defense and federal health officials since January 2025. The organisation has until December 4, 2026, to comply.

The investigation comes as Democrats prepare to take control of Congress in January 2027. Wyden is expected to chair the Senate Finance Committee, which oversees the Department of Health and Human Services, giving the inquiry added weight. Several Democrats have promised broader probes of Kennedy next year, and some have raised impeachment.

Background: The 2019 Samoa Trip and the Measles Outbreak

Kennedy travelled to Samoa in June 2019, months before a devastating measles outbreak swept the Pacific island nation. At his Senate confirmation hearing in 2025, he testified that the trip had "nothing to do with vaccines", a statement his critics have challenged ever since.

The challenge rests on a letter Kennedy sent in January 2019, months before the trip, to Samoa's then prime minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi. On Children's Health Defense letterhead, the letter asked the prime minister to study "what happened" with measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccines in Samoa. It used the words "vaccine" or "vaccination" eight times. The letter was reported by the Associated Press and The Guardian in August 2026.

Samoa had paused its vaccination programme in 2019 after two children died from improperly mixed MMR vaccines. Immunisation rates fell sharply in the months that followed, and a measles outbreak began that September. By the time it ended, 5,700 people had been infected and 83 had died, most of them children under the age of five. Experts have long debated how much Kennedy's visit contributed to the fall in vaccination, but the scale of the outbreak is not in dispute.

RFK Jr. Lied to Congress? The Letter at the Centre of the Probe

The senators' case turns on the gap between Kennedy's testimony and his own letter. Under oath in 2025, he told senators the Samoa trip had nothing to do with vaccines. The January 2019 letter, written on his organisation's letterhead and addressed to the country's prime minister, was entirely about vaccines — and it was sent five months before the trip itself.

Kennedy has denied lying. The Department of Health and Human Services maintains that the Samoa visit was "unrelated to vaccines" and has called the claim that he lied "false" and "outright defamatory". The department has not explained the letter; the senators' demands are designed to establish what Kennedy knew, when he knew it, and what he told Congress.

Kennedy was confirmed as health secretary in February 2025 by a 52-48 Senate vote, one of the narrowest confirmations of a cabinet secretary in recent years. His nomination was controversial from the start, and his long record of questioning vaccine safety dominated the hearings.

Reactions: Democrats Press Ahead, HHS Pushes Back

Wyden, who is in line to lead the Senate Finance Committee from January, has been one of Kennedy's sharpest critics in the Senate. Alsobrooks, elected to the Senate in 2024, joined as Democrats step up oversight of the health department ahead of taking the majority.

The senators have not said what they will do if the documents are not produced by December 4. Congress can subpoena records and refer evidence of false statements to the Justice Department, though prosecutions for lying to Congress are rare.

Why It Matters

Knowingly giving false testimony to Congress is a crime, though it is rarely prosecuted. The stakes go beyond the statute: the credibility of the nation's top health official is at issue, and the Samoa outbreak — 83 dead, most of them small children — gives the dispute a human weight few investigations carry.

The probe also signals how Democrats will use their coming majority. With the Senate Finance Committee, Wyden would have subpoena power over the health department, and Kennedy would face sustained scrutiny of his tenure.

What Happens Next

Children's Health Defense has until December 4, 2026, to hand over the documents. If it refuses or produces only part of what was asked, the senators can escalate with subpoenas. Democrats take control of Congress on January 3, 2027, and Wyden's committee could then compel testimony and records directly.

Kennedy remains in office and has shown no sign of stepping down. How he and the department respond to the December deadline will shape whether this becomes a brief political fight or a lasting legal problem.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the senators investigating?

Whether Robert F. Kennedy Jr. lied to Congress about his 2019 trip to Samoa, when he testified during his 2025 confirmation that the trip had "nothing to do with vaccines".

What is the key evidence?

A January 2019 letter Kennedy sent Samoa's prime minister on Children's Health Defense letterhead, asking him to study "what happened" with MMR vaccines and using "vaccine" or "vaccination" eight times.

What happened in Samoa in 2019?

Samoa paused vaccinations after two children died from improperly mixed MMR vaccines, immunisation rates fell, and a measles outbreak began in September, infecting 5,700 people and killing 83, most of them children under five.

What is the deadline for the documents?

Children's Health Defense must produce the requested records by December 4, 2026.

Is lying to Congress a crime?

Yes. Knowingly giving false testimony to Congress is a federal crime, although prosecutions are rare.

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