2024 independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is gearing up for a legal challenge against Joe Biden’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS). After his fifth request for Secret Service protection was denied, Kennedy’s attorney, Aaron Siri, is not only accusing DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas of political bias but is also threatening to hold him personally accountable if Kennedy suffers any harm.
The most recent decision to deny Kennedy Secret Service protection was communicated through a letter from Mayorkas dated March 28. Mayorkas deflected his personal responsibility by citing an advisory committee’s recommendation — a group made up primarily of Democrat lawmakers and the Senate Sergeant at Arms — that protection for Kennedy was “not warranted at this time.”
Biden administration is the most corrupt, unethical in history. https://t.co/lpd3QihElS
— C Young (@cathyyoung421) April 13, 2024
Siri has described the repeated denials of a security detail as “capricious” and “clearly politically motivated.” He argues that Mayorkas and DHS are willfully overlooking the credible risks Kennedy faces. Those include a recent incident at a campaign event where a person was found with two loaded handguns in close proximity to Kennedy. Siri has also pointed out that Mayorkas’s refusals have forced Kennedy to divert campaign funds to very expensive private security details. That would fall in line with the argument that the Biden administration uses its governmental power to hamper the election efforts of political opponents across the spectrum.
One political analyst who requested anonymity due to the matter’s sensitivity said, “It seems the Biden administration, through Secretary Mayorkas, is playing politics with Mr. Kennedy’s security, possibly fearing his candidacy could siphon votes from President Biden. The refusal to provide security is seen by some as a tactic to weaken Kennedy’s campaign.”
In reality, Mayorkas’ decision-making process lacks transparency and consistency. Historically, lower-profile candidates with much smaller polling numbers and financial support have been provided Secret Service protection. The Secret Service itself has provided DHS with ample evidence of the numerous credible threats against Kennedy — including one serious threat made on the anniversary of his father’s assassination.
The Kennedy campaign has made a clear case under the law for the urgent need for protection due to specific threats and Kennedy’s unique historical circumstances. For an administration that blows its own horn daily about “protecting democracy,” the situation with Kennedy speaks to the truth of establishment hypocrisy. The administration’s refusal to protect a major presidential candidate, particularly one from a historically significant family, paints a true picture of actual disregard for the electoral process.
