Anti-vaccination group tied to RFK Jr. got another windfall last year, records show

Del. Bigtree, a leader in the anti-vaccination movement, gave the nonprofit he founded a record windfall last year, according to his latest tax filings.

The Informed Consent Action Network (ICAN) reported revenue of $23 million in 2023, a 74% increase from the previous year. The organization spent nearly $17 million on legal action and anti-vaccine propaganda, an increase of about 25% from the previous year.

Tax documents obtained by NBC News from ICAN show the growing importance and profitability of the anti-vaccination movement in the ongoing battle over vaccine policy and public health. The pandemic has put tremendous pressure on groups such as ICAN, which took in about $3.5 million in 2019, expanding the audience interested in anti-vaccination content and increasing revenue for producers. Numerous studies have found that vaccines are safe, save lives, and are not linked to autism, but that hasn’t stopped the spread of misinformation.

Revenue for Children’s Health Defense, the anti-vaccination group founded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., had been growing until last year, when it fell more than 30% to $16 million. The defeat coincided with Kennedy’s resignation as chairman and chief litigator to launch an unsuccessful presidential campaign.

But ICAN’s revenue continues to grow, and Bigtree’s profile continues to grow. The former television producer and anti-vaccination filmmaker, whose organization was known for high-profile stunts and filing Freedom of Information requests, became communications director for Kennedy’s third-party presidential campaign and served as Kennedy’s health secretary. Provide advice and human services to potential characters as they prepare.

Bigtree and ICAN did not respond to requests for comment.

Katie Miller, a spokesperson for the Kennedy transition team who was recently appointed to the newly created Department of Government Effectiveness, said Bigtree was never involved in the transition and that his views “do not represent those of Mr. Kennedy or President Trump’s administration.”

ICAN is not required to disclose information about individual donors, although tax documents filed last year show that significant donations came from family foundations and donor-advised funds, as well as charitable intermediaries that combine donations and make them anonymous.

The group celebrated what it called several major victories last year, including a lawsuit that forced Mississippi to grant religious vaccine exemptions. The group said it plans to pursue a similar strategy in five other states that do not allow religious exemptions.

ICAN relies on individual supporters to fund the production of anti-vaccination content, including “The HighWire,” a weekly anti-vaccination and conspiracy-laden Internet show hosted by Bigtree, which the organization calls its educational arm. Bigtree highlights the show not with ads but with impassioned appeals for donations and, most recently, multimillion-dollar fundraising goals tied to specific legal battles.

ICAN’s largest payout last year was a $6 million payment to the New York law firm Siri & Glimstad, which pursues public records requests, intervenes in states’ anti-vaccine battles and petitions the federal government to suspend or withdraw vaccines, including one against polio vaccine). The company, led by attorney and Kennedy adviser Aaron Siri and assisted by dozens of attorneys working on vaccine cases, has paid out about $20 million from ICAN since 2017, according to tax filings.

Siri defended his work in an email to NBC News, saying his petition seeks to improve the safety of vaccines and that ICAN’s financial support is “minuscule” compared with spending by the pharmaceutical industry.

Miller said Seeley is no longer involved in the transition and does not represent Kennedy’s views.

ICAN describes its legal work as “advocating for the human right to informed consent.” Experts describe it as an exploitation of the courts. “Time and time again, this anti-vaccine group has distorted the legal and factual implications of court decisions, settlements, and other legal proceedings to fabricate stories to inspire its followers and influence newcomers,” a 2022 article published by Northwest Law Journal and Society Policy reading. (Siri called the article “full of patently false claims.”)

The intent of other spending is less clear. ICAN paid $176,000 for “research consulting” to a British company led by a chiropractor who gave lectures on what he claimed were dangers posed by vaccines and 5G technology. The organization also paid $152,000 to provide consulting services to Uncover DC, a news website created and edited by Tracy Diaz. Diaz, who describes her website as “real journalism,” publishes press releases for ICAN and serves as a contributor to the nonprofit’s website.

In 2023, Bigtree received a salary of $234,000 from ICAN, in addition to income from paid speaking engagements (he said he only charges for ticketed events). Bigtree also earned $350,000 over the past two years by providing consulting and communications work for the Kennedy presidential campaign through KFP Consulting, a Texas organization registered with Bigtree.

Bigtree now runs a super PAC (MAHA Alliance) and a nonprofit (MAHA Action), both of which stand for Make America Healthy Again, a nod to Kennedy who dropped out of the race and endorsed the eventual winning candidate. An interpretation of Trump’s MAGA motto.

Bigtree acknowledged his multiple sources of income and endeavors on “The HighWire” in November. “I feel like God has blessed me so much to have all these opportunities at the same time,” he said.

This article originally appeared on NBCNews.com