RFK Jr. Urged Iowa Libertarian to Quit House Race, Audio Raises Hatch Act Questions
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. reportedly urged an Iowa Libertarian congressional candidate to withdraw from a competitive U.S. House race, a move that could draw scrutiny under federal rules limiting political activity by government officials.
The Washington Post reported that Kennedy pressed Rick Stewart, a Libertarian candidate in Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District, to leave the race to help Republicans protect control of the House. Gray Media Iowa reported that the Libertarian Party of Iowa released audio of a June 11 call involving Kennedy and Stewart. Stewart declined to drop out.
The legal question centers on the Hatch Act, which bars federal employees from using official authority or influence to interfere with or affect the result of an election. That does not mean Kennedy has been found to have violated the law. It means the reported conduct raises a specific ethics and election-law issue because Kennedy is a sitting Cabinet secretary.
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The story also carries political stakes beyond one Iowa district. Control of the House can turn on a small number of competitive races, and third-party candidates can affect margins in close contests. According to Gray Media Iowa, this was the second recent Iowa-related allegation involving Kennedy and Libertarian congressional candidates, after Marco Battaglia in Iowa’s 3rd District claimed Kennedy and Republican Rep. Zach Nunn tried to get him to exit that race.
The strongest unresolved issue is whether Kennedy acted in a personal political capacity or used the influence of federal office. No public enforcement finding has been reported.
For now, the recording turns a campaign pressure effort into a federal ethics story with election-control implications.
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