Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took leave as chairman of Children’s Health Defense, a nonprofit known for spreading doubt about vaccines, to run for president last year. But he is still fighting in court alongside the group, putting him in an unusual position for someone nominated as Secretary of Health and Human Services.
If confirmed by the Senate, Kennedy will have power to guide the agencies he oversees toward his priorities. The legal fights he and his group pursue offer a glimpse of his policy interests and the tools he’s used to further them — as well as the scrutiny they could face in court.
Kennedy is listed as an attorney on the nonprofit’s newest case, filed this month against Washington State officials over claims they unfairly disciplined doctors who expressed Covid skepticism. Separately, the same week, an appeals court ruled Kennedy and his group had no standing in a censorship case filed against President Biden and top health officials, including Anthony Fauci.
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