A report that Kennedy raised the possibility of an “agreement” that would benefit an Iowa Libertarian if he exited the race raises all kinds of red flags.
Rough day for an ethically challenged Cabinet, Part I:
RFK Jr. caught on tape trying to work out an “agreement†with a congressional candidate, as part of an effort to get him to drop out of a key race.
In a normal administration, there’d be real talk right about now about his resignation.
— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2026-06-25T20:30:49.538Z
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/rfk-jr-reportedly-tried-deal-congressional-candidate
Politico also recently reported that
Kennedy urged a Libertarian in the state’s 3rd Congressional District to drop out of the contest in order to help the Republican Party hold onto the seat. The Washington Post has a new report, meanwhile, on Kennedy taking similar steps in Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District — though this time, there are reportedly audio recordings documenting the secretary’s efforts. From the article:
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. urged a Libertarian congressional candidate in Iowa to drop out of a competitive House race to help Republicans keep control of Congress, according to an audio recording of the conversation obtained by The Washington Post.
During the call, Kennedy said he was acting as a “liaison” with the White House, argued that a Democratic takeover of the House would undermine President Donald Trump’s agenda and suggested that he could help the candidate if he left the race. He also suggested that the candidate could “make an agreement” that would accomplish more than a “symbolic run” for office.
Kennedy declined the Post’s request for a comment and referred questions to a spokesperson, who did not immediately respond.
According to the recording, which has not been independently verified by MS NOW, Kennedy told Libertarian candidate Rick Stewart,
“I can’t go into specifics because there’s legal prohibitions about that. … If it’s something that you want to talk about, you know, you and I can talk about specifics.”....
In fact, the Post report added,
“Government ethics experts said Kennedy’s apparent intervention in the Iowa races was unethical and potentially illegal, depending on whether he promised candidates specific favors and whether he made the calls in his capacity as a Cabinet official, among other factors.”
For his part, Stewart told the newspaper that he interpreted Kennedy’s call as an attempt at quid pro quo.
“He was very careful about the words that he used, but the whole implication is: You help us, we’ll help you,” Stewart said.
“They want to get me out because I might pick up 2 or 3 percent — and if I pick up 2 or 3 percent, they think it’ll come out of the Republican pocket.”
The Libertarian Party candidate said he does not intend to end his candidacy. As for Kennedy, it seems awfully likely the questions about his alleged efforts will continue.
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