Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faces scrutiny over book advances and CDC staffing losses

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has disclosed receiving $4 million in book advances from Skyhorse Publishing. The publisher is owned by Tony Lyons, a business associate of Kennedy who also leads a network of Make America Healthy Again groups. The disclosure includes two $2 million advances for upcoming works, including a book titled ‘Unsettled Science’. While HHS officials stated that Kennedy is in compliance with all federal ethics laws and regulations, the financial ties have drawn scrutiny regarding his oversight of agencies responsible for vaccine recommendations and drug approvals.

Simultaneously, the American Federation of Government Workers reported a significant reduction in the workforce at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). According to the union, the agency lost one-third of its staff between March 2025 and April 2026. This attrition includes the total elimination of the Office of Health Equity and the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity, as well as a 98 percent loss of human resources personnel. The report suggests that following restructuring efforts by the Department of Government Efficiency, many remaining employees chose to retire or resign, leaving the agency with 3,000 fewer staff members.