RFK Jr.'s financial disclosure delayed as ethics watchdogs await report

The Health Secretary’s annual financial disclosure report has not been filed by the statutory deadline, prompting inquiries from oversight officials and watchdog groups. Under federal ethics rules, cabinet members must submit a detailed account of income, investments, and other financial interests each year, and the missing filing raises questions about compliance with those requirements. The delayed report is expected to reveal the extent of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s earnings from a lawsuit against Merck over a vaccine product, a matter that has attracted attention because the pharmaceutical company now falls under the jurisdiction of the department he leads.

If and when the disclosure is made public, it will allow reviewers to assess whether the income from the Merck litigation creates a conflict of interest for the secretary, who is responsible for overseeing the agency’s regulatory actions involving the firm’s vaccines. The pending filing underscores the importance of transparency for officials in positions of public trust and will likely be scrutinized by both congressional committees and the media as part of ongoing efforts to monitor ethical compliance within the administration.