The Biden administration denial of five requests for the federal security is a “political scandal,” the independent presidential candidate believes.
A “number” of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s siblings asked President Joe Biden to authorize Secret Service protection for the independent presidential candidate last week, Mr. Kennedy said on April 25.
Stating that he does not qualify for Secret Service protection, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has denied Mr. Kennedy’s requests five times—the most recent being in late March.
Kerry Kennedy and another of Mr. Kennedy’s siblings, Rory Kennedy are among the family members who have expressed concern that their brother’s candidacy will prevent President Biden from winning a second term and lead to President Trump’s return to the White House.
Speaking at a rally on April 18 in Philadelphia, Kerry Kennedy, the candidate’s younger sister, called President Biden her “hero” and added that “the Kennedy family endorses Joe Biden for president.”
Upon learning of the April 18 event, RFK Jr. said, “We are divided in our opinions but united in our love for each other” and remarked that his family has more than 100 members and many are backing his campaign.
Regarding the public statements from Kerry and Rory Kennedy, and his brother, Joseph Kennedy II, Mr. Kennedy said “I love my siblings and they love me” before adding that they asked President Biden to grant Secret Service protection.
RFK Jr. entered the presidential race last April, challenging President Biden for the Democrat party nomination.
After encountering multiple hurdles from the Democratic National Committee and accusing the organization of “rigging the primary” and not allowing any candidate to compete against President Biden, Mr. Kennedy announced he would run as an independent last October.
President Biden considers Robert F. Kennedy, the former U.S. attorney general and New York senator, a political hero and displays his bust in the Oval Office.
Robert Kennedy was fatally shot in 1968 after giving a presidential primary campaign speech in Los Angeles. Former President John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy’s brother, was assassinated in Dallas in 1963 as he rode in a presidential motorcade.
At the Philadelphia rally, after calling former President Donald Trump’s vision for America “one of anger, hate, revenge, and retribution,” President Biden referenced the tragedies.
“Your family, the Kennedy family, has endured such violence,” he said.
President Biden could grant RFK Jr. Secret Service protection and prevent another Kennedy family tragedy, Mr. Kennedy has said.
Federal law states that the president and the Secretary of Homeland Security, who is currently Alejandro Mayorkas, have “broad discretion” in authorizing protection.
This is outside of protection that is typically granted by the Secretary of Homeland Security to “major” presidential and vice presidential candidates 120 days out from the first Tuesday of November in an election year.
Mr. Kennedy has called the repeated denials a political move, “weaponization of government” against candidates seeking to unseat President Joe Biden, and “a political scandal.”
“I worry about the safety of my family and the safety of bystanders if there happens to be a more serious incident. I’m mostly troubled by the weaponization of federal law enforcement agencies to serve political agendas. It’s not right for the President to provide protection for his family and political favorites while denying it to his political rivals,” Mr. Kennedy told reporters after a campaign stop in Des Moines, Iowa, earlier this month.
Mr. Kennedy has publicly praised the Secret Service and has pointed out that it does not determine who gets protection, nor is it empowered to independently initiate protection for a candidate.
DHS did not respond to a request for comments from The Epoch Times.
Since he declared his candidacy in April, two armed men have been arrested in separate incidents for attempting to gain access to Mr. Kennedy.
Last September, an armed man impersonating a U.S. Marshal was arrested outside a campaign event in Los Angeles by security personnel.
A month later, another armed man was arrested for twice attempting to break into Mr. Kennedy’s house in Los Angeles. Mr. Kennedy and his wife, actress Cheryl Hines, were home at the time.
The intruder was later released and issued a restraining order. He returned to Mr. Kennedy’s house, tried to gain entry, and was arrested again.
Earlier this month, Mr. Kennedy threatened to take legal action against DHS after Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas denied him Secret Service protection for a fifth time.
In a March 28 letter sent to Mr. Kennedy’s campaign, Mr. Mayorkas wrote, “Based on the facts and the recommendation of the advisory committee, I have determined that Secret Service protection for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is not warranted at this time.”
The advisory committee includes House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who are Republicans; along with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who are Democrats.
Senate Sergeant at Arms Karen Gibson is also part of the committee.
A day later, Mr. Kennedy’s attorney Aaron Siri dispatched a letter addressed to Mr. Mayorkas and called the denials “capricious, an abuse of discretion, and clearly politically motivated.”
Mr. Mayorkas is ignoring real risks to Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Siri charged.
Mr. Siri wrote in the letter that he would attempt to hold Mr. Mayorkas personally responsible if Mr. Kennedy or bystanders are harmed. The attorney also claimed that Mr. Mayorkas would not disclose the names of people that the Secret Service has deemed a threat to Mr. Kennedy.
“If any harm befalls Mr. Kennedy or any other member of the public who may be injured or killed in any incident that arises due to lack of Secret Service protection to the candidate and the deterrent it affords, we will seek to hold you accountable.
“Attacks on public figures often result in serious injury and death to bystanders, and we will not hesitate to represent them in an action against you personally for your conduct.”
Since Robert F. Kennedy’s death in 1968, at least 32 candidates have received Secret Service protection, Mr. Siri wrote.
“Many of these candidates had less financial support and lower national polling than Mr. Kennedy, and additionally they had not experienced any actual specific attempted harm,” he explained.
“The Secret Service revealed numerous instances of threats to the candidate which included a threat of ’serious terrorist act‘ and one seeking to ’bury’ him,” Mr. Siri wrote.
Judicial Watch, a conservative foundation, filed a Freedom of Information lawsuit and request last September seeking to discover why Mr. Kennedy’s repeated Secret Service requests were not approved.
The organization said it received 99 pages of records (pdf) that showed Secret Service Assistant Director Michael Plati ordering staff members not to respond to information requests from Mr. Kennedy’s head of security.
The documents also confirmed that “the Secret Service does not determine who qualifies for protection, nor is the Secret Service empowered to independently initiate candidate protection.”
Mr. Mayorkas and President Biden have the discretion to authorize Secret Service protection for Mr. Kennedy at any time, the documents showed.
Included in the records is a July 21, 2023 letter that Mr. Mayorkas sent to Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle referencing one of Mr. Kennedy’s protection requests.
“On May 26, 2023, Candidate for President Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. submitted a request to the Department of Homeland Security for United States Secret Service protection. In accordance with the authority set forth in Title 18, United States Code, Section 3056(a)(7), and in consultation with the Candidate Protection Advisory Committee, I decline to identify Candidate Kennedy for United States Secret Service protection at this time.”
Mr. Mayorkas copied the letter to the members of the Candidate Protection Advisory Committee, which at the time included Mr. Schumer, Mr. McConnell, then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Mr. Jeffries, Ms. Gibson, and then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said in a statement that the documents confirm the Biden administration’s “bureaucratic and political runaround” to deny Mr. Kennedy’s Secret Service protection requests.
Mr. Fitton called the repeated refusals “dangerous and vindictive.”
Gavin de Becker owns a private security firm that provides protection to Mr. Kennedy. He is also a major donor to American Values 2024, a Kennedy-aligned super PAC.
In previous correspondence to DHS, Mr. de Becker outlined examples of how President Jimmy Carter’s administration offered Secret Service protection for multiple candidates, including Ronald Reagan, “long before the 1980 election.”
The Carter administration provided Secret Service protection for Sen. Edward Kennedy, Mr. Kennedy’s uncle, 441 days before the 1980 election, “even though Kennedy hadn’t formally announced his candidacy.”
The Reagan administration in 1983 and 1987 provided Secret Service protection to Democrat presidential candidate Jesse Jackson 362 days and 351 days before the 1984 and 1988 elections, according to Mr. de Becker.
Every subsequent administration offered Secret Service protection to presidential candidates, and President Donald Trump gave then-Democrat candidate Joe Biden the courtesy in March 2020 “about 231 days before the election,” Mr. de Becker noted.
Every administration for 55 years has authorized Secret Service protection to candidates upon request, Mr. de Becker wrote. The Biden administration is the only one to deny a protection request, he added.
Before a campaign event in suburban Detroit on April 21, Mr. Kennedy told The Epoch Times that the Biden administration’s repeated refusals to authorize Secret Service protection “is blatant election interference.”
“One reason they are refusing to give me Secret Service protection is to drain my campaign funds, stop the momentum of our movement, and exclude me from the ballot,” he said.
“They want us out of the race by any means necessary, but I’m not going anywhere,” he added. “Our movement is growing, and we are more steadfast than ever about winning in November.”
Jeff Louderback covers news and features on the White House and executive agencies for The Epoch Times. He also reports on Senate and House elections. A professional journalist since 1990, Jeff has a versatile background that includes covering news and politics, business, professional and college sports, and lifestyle topics for regional and national media outlets.