The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is investigating Robert F. Kennedy Jr. following the resurfacing of a decades-old incident in which Kennedy allegedly transported a dead whale’s head across state lines, according to a representative from the agency.
Kate Silverstein, a spokeswoman for NOAA Fisheries, confirmed to media on Monday that the agency is looking into the matter, corroborating Kennedy’s recent remarks during a public event in Arizona. At the event, Kennedy mentioned receiving a letter from NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service regarding an investigation into a whale specimen he collected two decades ago.
“I got a letter from the National Marine Fisheries Institute saying they were investigating me for taking a whale specimen 20 years ago,” Kennedy stated while campaigning for former President Donald Trump, whom he endorsed after suspending his own presidential run.
In a 2012 Town & Country article, Kennedy’s daughter, Kick Kennedy, recounted an anecdote about her father removing the head of a whale that had washed ashore in Massachusetts. According to her story, Kennedy used a chainsaw to sever the whale’s head and strapped it to the roof of his minivan, an event that took place about 30 years ago.
Read More: Waffle House Employee Fatally Shot by Customer
The story resurfaced last month, prompting at least one environmental group to call for NOAA to investigate the incident. When asked about the specifics of the investigation and its connection to Kick Kennedy’s account, Silverstein declined to provide details, stating that NOAA does not comment on active investigations.
