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Kennedy drew $4 Million in book advances from publisher who also monetized MAHA

Ethics experts said the payments and travel gifts could violate federal rules as Kennedy’s allies fund books and MAHA-related projects.

  • Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. accepted $4 million in book advances and more than $270,000 in gifts over the past year from allies advancing his Make America Healthy Again agenda, according to his latest financial disclosure.
  • Tony Lyons, a longtime friend of Kennedy, owns Skyhorse, the publisher of the books, and directs a network of MAHA-related entities that accept political contributions and corporate sponsorships from health-related companies.
  • Kennedy accepted $126,000 in Washington lodging from Gavin de Becker, a security firm owner, while de Becker also paid nearly $150,000 for airfares including trips to Greece in July 2025 and Fiji in November.
  • Ethics experts noted that payments for the book "Unsettled Science" raise questions, as federal rules state an official may not "receive compensation from any source other than the government" for writing books related to official duties.
  • Critics argue these gifts undermine confidence that Department of Health and Human Services actions regarding childhood vaccines and ketamine will be based on public interest rather than gratitude toward the gift giver.
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Wall Street Journal broke the news in New York, United States on Friday, September 18, 2026.
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