Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has issued a legal threat against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) following a refusal to grant him Secret Service protection, marking his fifth such request to be denied.
DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has once again concluded that Kennedy does not meet the criteria set out for such protection.
He has issued this directive after consultation with an advisory committee that includes top congressional leaders and the Senate Sergeant at Arms.
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In response to the repeated denials, Kennedy’s attorney, Aaron Siri, has labeled the decision as “capricious, an abuse of discretion, and clearly politically motivated.”
The campaign has expressed readiness to pursue legal action against the DHS.
The Kennedy campaign has highlighted significant security concerns, pointing to an incident at a recent event where an attendee was discovered with two loaded handguns.
This underscores their argument that Kennedy’s personal safety is at risk.
The secret service protection provided to presidential candidates is a process that was instituted after Kennedy’s father, Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated during his own campaign.
This policy was meant to prevent such tragedies from recurring.
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The Secret Service outlines specific criteria for candidates to receive protection, including a substantial level of public support and credible threats to their safety.
Kennedy, however, is currently polling at about 11%, below the threshold typically required for independent candidates.
Secretary Mayorkas holds broad discretion to decide which candidates receive federal protection, a policy that Kennedy’s attorney argues is being misapplied due to political reasons.
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Kennedy’s legal team has suggested that not providing Secret Service protection to Kennedy could be seen as neglecting his safety as well as those around him at his public rallies.
“Your disregard for the safety of Mr. Kennedy and others in his environment is contemptible,” wrote Siri, in a letter to Mayorkas.
He added, “Failure to provide him Secret Service protection forthwith lays naked your political motivations and lowers the esteem of our great nation.”
The refusal to grant protection is seen by Kennedy’s campaign as a politically motivated decision, especially given his status as a direct challenger to President Joe Biden in the upcoming election.
As tensions escalate between the Kennedy campaign and the DHS, the dispute highlights deeper issues regarding the fairness and impartiality of security provisions for presidential candidates, setting a contentious tone as the election approaches.
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