Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the political scion and outstanding vaccine skeptic who’s difficult President Biden for the Democratic presidential nomination, reported an revenue of $7.8 million within the yr main as much as his entry into the race, together with practically $1.6 million from his consulting work for a private damage legislation agency identified for litigation towards pharmaceutical corporations.
The particulars got here in a monetary disclosure type filed Friday with the Federal Election Commission. It exhibits that Mr. Kennedy earned $5 million at his environmental legislation agency, Kennedy & Madonna, and a $516,000 wage and bonus as chairman and chief authorized counsel of Children’s Health Defense, a nonprofit group he fashioned that has campaigned towards vaccines. (The disclosure says he has been on depart from the group since April, when he introduced his marketing campaign.)
Mr. Kennedy, a number one skeptic of vaccinations and prescription medicines, has gained a foothold within the race at the same time as he has contorted info about vaccine growth and public well being authorities and more and more embraced conservative figures and causes.
His help amongst Democrats has reached as excessive as 20 p.c in polls, though a more moderen Saint Anselm College Survey Center ballot in June put his Democratic help in New Hampshire at 9 p.c. He has additionally appealed to potential voters outdoors the celebration: A Quinnipiac University ballot in June discovered that 40 p.c of Republicans considered him favorably, in contrast with 31 p.c of independents and 25 p.c of Democrats.
Friday was additionally the ultimate day of marketing campaign fund-raising for the second quarter for the presidential race. Mr. Kennedy’s marketing campaign despatched out solicitations asking donors to assist him meet a $5 million purpose by the top of the day. His marketing campaign highlighted a $1 million haul within the 24 hours main as much as Friday’s closing push.
Official numbers will likely be accessible in two weeks, when the marketing campaign information stories with the F.E.C.
On his disclosure type, Mr. Kennedy reported practically $1.6 million in consulting charges from Wisner Baum, a Los Angeles-based private damage legislation agency previously often called Baum Hedlund Aristei & Goldman. The agency’s web site lists him as co-counsel on ongoing litigation over Gardasil — an HPV vaccine manufactured by Merck — in addition to lawsuits over Monsanto’s Roundup weed killer and California wildfires.
Mr. Kennedy additionally reported $150,000 in consulting charges from the Marwood Group, which describes itself as a well being care advisory agency primarily based in New York. And he reported $125,000 from Skyhorse Publishing, which publishes his books and, in line with the disclosure, pays him as a marketing consultant.
Dennis Kucinich, the previous congressman and Mr. Kennedy’s marketing campaign supervisor, stated the disclosure “speaks for itself.”
Source: www.nytimes.com