The agency said the claim was unfounded.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said that a claim that Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. had collected a whale skull was “unfounded.”
In a 2012 interview, Kennedy’s daughter Kick said that her father had cut the head from a whale carcass that washed to shore in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts when she was a child. While campaigning for former President Donald Trump last month, Robert Kennedy claimed that the NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Institute (NMFS) investigated him for collecting the whale specimen, which he said showcased “the weaponization of our government against political opponents of the party in power.”
The NMFS stated, “NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement received a letter reporting a possible violation of a federal marine resource law regarding Robert F. Kennedy’s reported collection of a whale skull.”
“Following standard procedure, the office initiated an investigation into the matter,” the institute continued. “The office determined the allegation to be unfounded and closed its investigation on Wednesday, October 16, 2024.”
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Administrator Spinrad as he oversees the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
- For NOAA officials as they seek to ensure the protection of ocean wildlife.
Sources: The Hill, Politico
