Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the former US presidential candidate, is reportedly being investigated for an incident that allegedly took place two decades ago. The investigation centers on accusations that Kennedy used a chainsaw to decapitate a whale and transported the head home.
Allegations and Response
Kennedy recently disclosed at a rally that he had been contacted by the National Marine Fisheries Services regarding the incident. At an event in Glendale, Arizona, Kennedy described the inquiry as “the weaponisation of our government against political opponents.” According to Kennedy, he received a letter from the National Marine Fisheries Institute stating that he was under investigation for collecting a whale specimen 20 years ago, as per media reports.
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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which oversees the fisheries services, has declined to comment on the ongoing investigation, citing a policy of not discussing open cases.
Background of the Allegation
The allegations first surfaced in 2012 when Kennedy’s daughter, Kathleen Kennedy, claimed in a magazine interview that her father had used a chainsaw to sever the head of a dead whale. She recounted that Kennedy then secured the whale’s head to the family car’s roof and drove it home. “Every time we accelerated on the highway, whale juice would pour into the windows of the car, and it was the rankest thing on the planet,” Kathleen Kennedy said. “We all had plastic bags over our heads with mouth holes cut out, and people on the highway were giving us the finger, but that was just normal day-to-day stuff for us.”
Legal and Environmental Concerns
Since 1972, whales have been protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act in the US. The case gained further attention from the Centre for Biological Diversity Action Fund, a non-profit organization that eventually contacted authorities about Kennedy’s actions.
Brett Hartl, the national political director of the Centre for Biological Diversity Action Fund, criticized Kennedy’s actions as “both bizarre and illegal.” Hartl stated, “Kennedy may think that his name and privilege mean the rules don’t apply to him, but if he had a shred of integrity left, he’d surrender this whale skull and any other illegally collected wildlife parts to the authorities. If he doesn’t, NOAA law enforcement should open an investigation and potentially bring charges against him.”
Kennedy’s Counterclaims
In response to the investigation, Kennedy has accused NOAA of harming wildlife through “giant offshore wind farms off the East Coast.” Additionally, Kennedy has admitted to a separate incident where he disposed of a dead bear’s body in New York City’s Central Park several years ago.
The ongoing investigation into the whale decapitation and Kennedy’s counterclaims highlight the complex intersection of environmental law, political scrutiny, and public figures’ conduct.
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