Watchdog group accuses RFK Jr. of voter fraud in 2024 election
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Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Trump's nominee to be Secretary of Health and Human Services, arrives for meetings at the U.S. Capitol on December 19, 2024. Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
A watchdog group alleged Robert F. Kennedy Jr. committed voter fraud by registering for and voting in the 2024 election from a New York residence where he does not legally reside.
Why it matters: The complaint Accountable.US filed with the New York State Board of Elections on Wednesday marks yet another controversy for President-elect Trump's pick to lead America's health agencies.
- Kennedy navigates a narrow path to Senate confirmation and is set to face high-profile hearings.
Driving the news: Accountable.US urged the State Board of Elections to investigate the former independent presidential candidate for "knowingly voting" from a residence that New York courts "had already determined was not his legal residence."
- Politico was the first to report on the recent complaint.
- In it, the watchdog group alleged that Kennedy was registered to vote in New York from a Katonah address and cast his ballot via mail to the Westchester County Board of Elections, which received his ballot Nov. 2.
- The primary address listed in voting records shared by Accountable.US was the same one at the center of a separate legal case in which his residence came under scrutiny.
Representatives for Kennedy and the Trump transition team did not respond to Axios' requests for comment.
Catch up quick: This is not the first time Kennedy has been accused of falsely claiming New York residency.
- A New York judge ruled in August that Kennedy falsely claimed New York residency on his nominating petition when seeking to qualify for the state's presidential ballot.
- Kennedy testified at trial that he always planned to move back to New York, Axios' Erin Doherty reported. He said he began renting a room in a friend's Katonah home in 2023, but the friend's wife testified he only stayed overnight once.
- The judge ruled in favor of the left-leaning Clear Choice Action PAC, which said Kennedy was living in the Los Angeles area at the time.
- The legal battle eventually made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court — which denied Kennedy's appeal to appear on New York's presidential ballot.
Zoom out: A number of Trump's picks for his cabinet and other key agencies have been embroiled in controversy amid the confirmation process.
- With less than two weeks until Trump retakes the White House, the fate of some of his more shocking picks remains in uncertain limbo.
What they're saying: "Not actually living in New York in the eyes of the law apparently did not stop RFK Jr. from casting his election ballot there illegally," said Accountable.US Executive Director Tony Carrk in a statement.
- "If RFK Jr. is so dismissive of the law in his personal matters, how can he be trusted to properly apply the law when it comes to our public health?" he added.
Go deeper: Exclusive: RFK Jr.'s secret push to prove CIA killed uncle
