RFK Jr. May Have Violated Criminal Conflict-of-Interest Laws to Benefit Wife’s Production Company, Campaign Legal Center Complaint Alleges

Date
Case
Holding the Trump Administration to High Ethical Standards
Issues
Ethics

WASHINGTON — Today, Campaign Legal Center (CLC), a nonpartisan nonprofit organization, filed a complaint with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General, calling for an investigation into whether HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has violated his ethics agreement — and federal law — to benefit the consulting work of his wife, Cheryl Hines.

Youngster Productions Inc. is a media production company of which Hines is the sole owner, according to Kennedy’s financial disclosures and ethics agreement. In his ethics agreement, Kennedy explicitly pledged to not participate personally in government matters that could have a financial impact on his spouse’s company. However, recent financial disclosures indicate that in 2025, Youngster Productions Inc. received a $210,000 payment for consulting fees from MAHA Action, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization “driving advocacy and activism for the Make America Healthy Again movement.” As a part of this contract, Hines has been a vigorous advocate for MAHA Action, appearing in numerous videos and press releases and at various events put on by the group.

“Americans deserve to know whether their leaders are prioritizing the public good, or focusing more on their personal financial gain,” said Kedric Payne, vice president, general counsel and senior director for ethics at Campaign Legal Center. “This is true whether that money is going directly into their pocket, or the pocket of their spouse. After pledging publicly to not participate personally in matters that could financially benefit his wife, Secretary Kennedy seems to have done just that, and a swift and thorough investigation is needed.”

The HHS Office of the Inspector General should determine whether Secretary Kennedy's actions had a direct, positive impact on Hines' contract. If he is in fact using his position in government to financially benefit her company, it would be a significant violation of both his ethics agreement and federal law.

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The nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center advances democracy through law. We safeguard the freedom to vote, defend voters’ right to know who is spending money to influence elections, and work to ensure public trust in our elected officials.

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