The digital age has amplified the reach of misinformation. The onus is on influential persons, and there is little to no online policing. Not enough legislative changes have been made in this area. If a person was unauthorized to practice Medicine in the 1990s, they may have had an impact on a few people per day. Today, illegitimate medical advice could negatively impact millions of people via social media. Where do we draw the line to set a clear boundary?

The dissemination of accurate, scientifically-backed information is essential to public health, particularly during times of crisis. As American healthcare providers, patients, and parents of young children deeply concerned about the integrity of our medical system, I am troubled by recent actions that undermine this trust. Many medical professionals, from doctors and nurses to researchers and aides, devote their lives to upholding the standards and trust in healthcare. The spread of false information: misinformation (unintentional) or disinformation (intentional deception), threatens not only individual health but also public safety and our collective wellbeing.

Many CDC and HHS staff have resigned or have been fired due to not wanting to participate in upholding harmful vaccine policy changes led by RFK Jr., the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services. He is also being sued by leading medical professional societies for vaccine changes (https://www.acponline.org/acp-newsroom/leading-medical-professional-societies-patient-sue-hhs-robert-f-kennedy-jr-for-unlawful-unilateral). Additionally, Doctors for America, American Public Health Association, the American College of Physicians, and others deemed him unfit to serve.

RFK Jr. is an environmental lawyer, not a medical doctor. Even if he resigns from HHS, his statements and actions have raised serious concerns regarding the violation of D.C. Code § 3-1210.01, which prohibits anyone from practicing or offering to practice a licensed health occupation without appropriate licensure. There is a pressing need for accountability when such actions have the potential to mislead and harm the public.

His statements including claiming to DIAGNOSE passerby children with a fictional medical diagnosis by glancing at them. He stated, "I know what a healthy child is supposed to look like. I'm looking at kids as I walk thru the airport today and as I walk down the street. I see these kids that are just overburdened with mitochondrial challenges, with inflammation. You can tell from their faces, their body movements, um and from their lack of social connection. And, I know that's not how our children are supposed to look", on Aug 28, 2025 at a bill signing. The video of his statement is available all over the US and world. Pediatricians disagree with his assessment and he lacks authority to arrive at this conclusion.

He has also provided TREATMENT guidance for COVID-19: He promoted the use of ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine as COVID-19 treatments, despite a lack of evidence. RFK Jr. is not a physician and is NOT licensed to practice Medicine, which includes diagnosing and treating people. He also misattributed vaccines as a cause of autism, and stated that HIV does not cause AIDS. Again, he is not legally authorized to diagnose any medical conditions.

During the pandemic, Kennedy and his organization, Children's Health Defense (known for anti-vaccine advocacy), promoted false claims, including that COVID-19 was "ethnically targeted" to spare certain populations. Additionally, a 2025 analysis of his private emails (shared by his physician niece) showed him making false claims about COVID-19 shots during the pandemic. He also stated "there is no vaccine that is safe and effective", which is contradictory to the consensus by medical experts and medical societies, including the American Academy of Pediatrics.

RFK Jr. has engaged in activities that could be interpreted as practicing a health occupation without a license, a clear violation of existing laws intended to protect public welfare. Misleading information can result in individuals making uninformed and potentially harmful health decisions.

In light of these actions, it is imperative that the D.C. Attorney General (Brian Schwalb), other state attorney generals, and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi take swift action to address these violations. Holding individuals accountable for breaking the law serves as a deterrent and underscores the importance of respecting professional standards in healthcare. There is legal precedent for this from a 2023 case: “FDA is not a physician. It has authority to inform, announce, and apprise—but not to endorse, denounce, or advise,” Judge Don Willett. https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-ivermectin-fda-doctors-lawsuit-bbc8d4fc726c08940ae4b0dad70170e0 This was in response to the tweet by the FDA in August 2021, "You are not a horse. You are not a cow. Seriously, y'all. Stop it" in a viral post warning against using veterinary ivermectin to treat COVID-19. The tweet was a direct response to a surge in people self-medicating with animal-grade ivermectin, which led to multiple hospitalizations. 

By pressing criminal charges against RFK Jr., we send a strong message that spreading false information and lacking proper qualifications will not be tolerated in our great nation and that the health and safety of the public is paramount. Sign this petition to urge the attorney generals to act now in the interest of public health and safety.

Penalties for the unauthorized practice of Medicine vary by state.

The information included in this petition is derived from news publications and Google AI.

On September 3, 2025, over 1,000 current and former HHS staff released the following letter formally calling for the resignation of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. from his position as Secretary of Health and Human Services. https://www.savehhs.org/

False Information and Hoaxes (18 U.S. Code § 1038): This FEDERAL law makes it illegal to knowingly spread false or misleading information about a major crisis, which could include the COVID-19 pandemic. Penalties are severe and can range from fines and imprisonment to life in prison if death results from the false claims. 

Health officials, journalists, and government officials, including Samoa's Director-General of Health, have said that Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s anti-vaccine rhetoric and meetings with local activists worsened vaccine hesitancy in Samoa, contributing to the deadly 2019 measles outbreak which killed 83 people (mostly young children).