Senators Investigate Whether RFK Jr. Misled Congress About Samoa Trip; Records Due December 4
WASHINGTON, D.C. — November 12, 2026. Democratic Sens. Ron Wyden of Oregon and Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland have opened an inquiry into whether Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. misled Congress about a 2019 visit to Samoa. The senators have given his former organization, Children’s Health Defense, until December 4 to provide records concerning the trip and related communications.
Why the senators are investigating
During his 2025 confirmation hearings, Kennedy said his Samoa visit had “nothing to do with vaccines,” describing the purpose as introducing a medical-records information system. But documents obtained by the Associated Press and The Guardian include a letter Kennedy sent to Samoa’s then-prime minister on Children’s Health Defense letterhead, proposing an assessment of the country’s measles, mumps and rubella vaccination program. The letter refers to vaccines or vaccination eight times.
The senators say the discrepancy warrants scrutiny of whether Kennedy knowingly made materially false statements to Congress. The investigation is not a finding that Kennedy committed a crime.
The deadly Samoa measles outbreak
Kennedy traveled to Samoa in 2019, months before a measles outbreak that killed 83 people, mostly young children. The country’s immunization coverage had fallen following a 2018 incident in which two infants died after improperly prepared vaccine injections. Public-health officials and critics have questioned the influence of anti-vaccine messaging. The timeline alone does not establish that Kennedy caused the outbreak or those deaths.
What records are being requested?
Wyden and Alsobrooks are seeking documents about Kennedy’s Samoa trip, communications surrounding his 2024 presidential campaign and Senate confirmation, and interactions between Children’s Health Defense and federal officials during Trump’s second term. The deadline for the requested material is December 4, 2026.
How HHS responds
The Department of Health and Human Services maintains that the visit was unrelated to vaccines. It has characterized allegations that Kennedy lied to Congress as false and defamatory. Kennedy was not under oath at the confirmation hearings, although knowingly making materially false statements to Congress can be a federal offense regardless of an oath.
What happens next?
Lawmakers will evaluate any documents produced and determine whether further hearings, referrals or other oversight steps are warranted. No criminal charge or adjudicated finding of false testimony has been reported in this inquiry.
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Sources: Associated Press, November 12; The Guardian, November 12; AP reporting on Samoa documents, August 27.
