Last Updated on January 28, 2025
Federalist Society co-chair, Leonard Leo, has come under fire after it was discovered that he’s been working with a Mike Pence-founded org, aimed at blocking the appointment of Robert F. Kennedy for health secretary.
A report disclosed on Wednesday that Leo’s PR firm, CRC Advisors, is collaborating with a political advocacy group established by ex-VP Mike Pence. Their objective is to persuade GOP senators not to approve Kennedy as the Secretary of Health and Human Services. CRC Advisors is actively promoting the campaign initiated by Pence’s organization, known as Advancing American Freedom, with a significant financial investment.
Mike Pence, the former Vice President during Trump’s initial term, is notably recognized for his rift with the President regarding the validation of the contentious 2020 election results.
POLITICO Pro published an article confirming Leo’s involvement in this initiative, shedding light on his associations with the pharmaceutical industry.
The CRC employee’s 2020 resume file lists another corporate client: pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly. Like its competitors, the drugmaker has faced scrutiny from Democratic lawmakers for jacking up the price of insulin products that diabetics need to live. While Lilly announced a price cut last year, the Los Angeles Times noted that the new price was “still higher by two-thirds than what it should be,” and the company could actually end up collecting higher profits.
Robert F. Kennedy, who mainstream media has labelled “anti-vax”, has been vocal about his skepticism of vaccines and the use of vaccine mandates. Kennedy has also expressed a desire to “devote half of research budgets … toward preventive, alternative and holistic approaches to health.” Additionally, Kennedy has been an outspoken opponent of the multi-billion-dollar a year “direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising” industry, which he believes should be banned.
Pence’s AAF has fought to sway senators from supporting Kennedy’s confirmation, primarily by focusing on his past support for abortion; a legal issue that is determined by the courts at the state level – not HHS. Both sides of the aisle, however, oppose Kennedy’s views on vaccines; given the power the pharmaceutical lobby has in Washington.
On Sunday, Kennedy’s former running mate, Nicole Shanahan, took to X, calling out Leo’s firm for its collaboration with Pence’s AAF. The post, which included screenshots of the POLITICO Pro article, has received 3.7 million views as of the writing of this article.
“Why is a “conservative” PR firm spending hundreds of thousands of $ to try to sink RFK’s nomination? Could it be because they’re also pocketing millions from Big Pharma and super PACs that supported Nikki Haley’s campaign against Trump? This is the precise corruption the American public voted against in November,” Shanahan wrote in her post.
The POLITICO Pro article also highlighted Leo’s involvement with the Koch network’s political advocacy arm, Americans for Prosperity – and their history of opposition to President Trump’s agenda.
AFP’s super PAC spent more than $40 million supporting former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley’s failed Republican primary campaign against Trump this election cycle.
Given Leonard Leo’s questionable involvement with anti-Trump elements of the establishment Republican party, and his business connections to Big Pharma, whether his influence is enough to block Kennedy’s nomination is yet to be seen.
