If Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. were assessed solely on his job performance, he would be widely recognized as one of the most controversial Cabinet members of his generation.

Indeed, it was a year ago this month when nine former directors of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wrote a scathing joint op-ed for The New York Times, arguing that Kennedy’s work as the country’s top health official “is unlike anything we have ever seen at the agency, and unlike anything our country has ever experienced.”

Around the same time, one of the co-authors, former CDC Director William Foege, said of the secretary, “Kennedy would be less hazardous if he decided to do cardiac surgery. Then he would kill people only one at a time rather than his current ability to kill by the thousands.”

But complicating matters is that Kennedy’s on-the-job efforts are only part of a larger story, which includes a steady stream of related problems, including difficult ethics questions. The New York Times reported:

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. accepted $4 million in book advances and more than $270,000 in gifts over the past year from close allies who are working to advance his Make America Healthy Again agenda, according to his latest financial disclosure form.

Ethics experts said the financial relationships may violate federal rules barring officials from profiting from their government position, and call into question the secretary’s ability to remain independent and impartial.

The millions of dollars in book advances came by way of a company owned by Tony Lyons, Kennedy’s longtime publisher, who co-founded a political action committee that supported Kennedy’s failed presidential campaign, and who now helps oversee a series of entities related to the Make America Healthy Again movement, some of which accept contributions and corporate sponsorships from health-related companies.

The Times’ report added that federal rules prohibit officials from receiving compensation “from any source other than the government” for writing books related to their duties while in office.

Lyons’ network also includes an advocacy group called MAHA Action, which paid Kennedy’s wife $210,000 in consulting fees.

Richard Painter, a White House ethics counsel under George W. Bush, told the Times, “You have a situation like this, it just looks horrible.”

To be sure, a spokesperson from the Department of Health and Human Services told the Times that Kennedy “complies with all applicable federal ethics laws, regulations and financial disclosure requirements.”

But as the discussion over Kennedy’s efforts continues, it’s tough not to note just how frequently the public is confronted with developments like these.

The Times’ latest reporting comes on the heels of a controversy surrounding Kennedy moving money from the Office of Minority Health to pay for his security detail.

Which came on the heels of reporting on Kennedy receiving more than $250,000 worth of free flights to Fiji and Greece from a security consultant and supporter.

Which came on the heels of Kennedy speaking at an anti-vaccine conference, where he vowed to take chemtrails seriously.

Which came on the heels of allegations that Kennedy used military plans while trying to help Republican congressional candidates.

Which came on the heels of allegations that Kennedy misled senators about his efforts in Samoa years before he became a powerful White House Cabinet secretary.

Note: All of these controversies have emerged over the past month or so.

In a normal administration, it’s safe to say that Kennedy would be updating his résumé right about now, but in 2026, the health secretary’s job nevertheless appears safe.

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