Robert Kennedy Jr. Picks a Wealthy California Lawyer As His Running Mate

(CTN News) – The announcement of Robert Kennedy Jr.’s running mate is a necessary step as he hopes to get on November’s state ballot.

Shanahan, 38, is president and director of Bia-Echo Foundation, a charitable organization that invests in reproductive longevity, criminal justice reform, and a healthy and livable planet.

Former U.S. Attorney General Robert Kennedy is Kennedy’s father, as well as former President John F. Kennedy’s nephew. A longtime environmental lawyer, he is known in recent years as a proponent of conspiracy theories and anti-vaccine advocacy.

Both Democrats and Republicans expressed concern about the announcement of Robert Kennedy’s running mate on Tuesday.

An announcement was preceded by criticisms of pandemic restrictions and censorship.

A former Google co-founder, Shanahan has no experience in politics, but deep ties to the California tech industry. Additionally, she has contributed money to Democrats in the past, including President Biden, but recently helped finance a $7 million Super Bowl ad for a pro-Kennedy super PAC with $4 million.

Dems and the Robert Kennedy family, who support Biden’s reelection, criticized that ad.

While Kennedy seeks to get on the ballot in 50 states, he has selected a political novice as his running mate that may bring in a slurry of cash. The campaign says it takes at least a million signatures on petitions that comply with rules and deadlines that vary from state to state.

According to the campaign and the supporting super PAC, Kennedy has enough signatures to qualify for ballots in Nevada, Arizona, Georgia, and Michigan.

As part of his shortlist for a running mate, Robert Kennedy mentioned Aaron Rodgers, the New York Jets quarterback, and Jesse Ventura, a former Minnesota governor and professional wrestler. The views Rogers has expressed regarding vaccines and other issues have courted controversy in recent years.

Earlier this month, Shanahan explained to Newsweek that she had been vaccinated against COVID-19 and that calling Kennedy or anyone else an “anti-vaxxer” was “such an insult to the cause of funding scientific research.”

According to the latest campaign finance reports, Robert Kennedy received nearly $28 million in contributions, including almost $19 million from approximately 67,000 donors who contributed more than $200.

American Values 2024, a pro-Kennedy political action committee, raised more than $42 million and spent more than $24 million on his campaign.

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