WASHINGTON — Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Trump’s nominee to run the Department of Health and Human Services, is giving away the fees that he could earn from litigation over Merck’s HPV vaccine Gardasil — to one of his sons.
Kennedy has referred “many hundreds of cases” to the law firm Wisner Baum, including related to Gardasil, according to a written response Kennedy gave to the Senate Finance Committee. Kennedy is entitled to 10% of the fees that the personal injury law firm earns from those cases, whether by settlement, judgement, or otherwise.
Kennedy made $856,559 in referral fees from Wisner Baum from the beginning of 2023 through Dec. 21, according to his financial disclosures. The New York Times reported that none of those fees were from vaccine litigation, citing the law firm, and Kennedy told senators he has not received fees from the Gardasil lawsuits.
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