Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has acknowledged that he flew twice on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s private jet decades ago, while also revealing that his wife had “some kind of relationship” with Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
The remarks came during a televised interview with Fox News on Wednesday, May 20, when Kennedy was asked directly if he was ever on Jeffrey Epstein’s jet.
“I was on Jeffrey Epstein’s jet two times,” Kennedy responded. “I was on it in 1993… I went to Florida with my wife and two children to visit my mom over Easter.”
Kennedy added that “my wife had some kind of relationship with Ghislaine Maxwell,” explaining that Epstein and Maxwell had offered the family a ride to Palm Beach.
Secretary Kennedy speaks on ties to Epstein
He said he later flew a second time with additional family members, insisting both trips involved his wife and children.
The jet Kennedy referenced later became widely known as the “Lolita Express” because of its association with Epstein’s trafficking network and allegations involving underage girls transported to his private properties.
Kennedy’s remarks come amid renewed political and legal scrutiny surrounding the so-called Epstein files, a massive cache of records linked to federal investigations into Epstein’s operations and social network.
Earlier this year, the Trump administration released more than 3.5 million pages of Epstein-related documents following the passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, legislation requiring the Justice Department to publish unclassified records tied to the disgraced financier.
The rollout, however, sparked bipartisan criticism over delays, redactions, and questions about whether politically sensitive information was withheld.
An internal Justice Department watchdog is now reviewing whether federal authorities fully complied with the law’s disclosure requirements.
Kennedy’s ties to Epstein have been publicly documented before. During his 2024 presidential campaign, the nephew of former President John F. Kennedy acknowledged traveling on Epstein’s plane while insisting the trips occurred “before anybody knew about Jeffrey Epstein’s nefarious issues.”
Photographs that later resurfaced also showed Kennedy attending a 1994 New York social event alongside Epstein. Court records additionally listed “Kennedy, Bobby & Mary” in Epstein’s infamous “little black book,” a contact directory containing names of politicians, celebrities, academics, and business figures connected to Epstein’s social circle.
Kennedy has repeatedly denied any involvement in Epstein’s criminal conduct and has said he was never alone with him.
Handling of files
The renewed focus on Epstein-related connections comes as President Donald Trump continues facing pressure over his administration’s handling of the files.
Trump himself maintained a documented social relationship with Epstein during the 1990s and early 2000s, though he has denied wrongdoing and described political controversy around the files as a “hoax.”
The broader fallout from the records release has extended internationally. British authorities this month confirmed fresh investigations into allegations arising from the Epstein documents, while lawmakers in the United States continue to demand fuller disclosure of unredacted records.
Human rights experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council have also called for a “full and transparent investigation” into the trafficking allegations revealed through the files, warning that failures in accountability helped perpetuate “a culture of impunity” surrounding the abuse of women and girls.
There is no allegation in the released files that everyone mentioned in Epstein’s records participated in or had knowledge of criminal activity. Numerous public figures named in documents connected to Epstein have denied wrongdoing.
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