The federal authority concludes its scrutiny concerning RFK Jr., claiming the accusation concerning the deceased whale corpse is baseless.
Recently, during a rally in Arizona, Kennedy announced that he had received correspondence from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA's) National Marine Fisheries Services, which is part of NOAA, indicating that they were examining a situation from two decades ago where he allegedly retrieved a deceased whale specimen and transported it back home.
According to a representative from NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement, the accusation was discovered to be baseless and the investigation was subsequently terminated.
The spokesperson refrained from disclosing any additional details about the probe.
Meanwhile, Kennedy's representative, Stefanie Spear, expressed her hope that this development would enable NOAA to concentrate on examining the 109 Atlantic whale fatalities that have taken place close to offshore wind projects since 2022.
On NOAA's "frequently asked questions" page, it is stated that there isn't any proven connection between substantial whale fatalities and ongoing offshore wind activities.
The matter regarding Kennedy and the decaying whale's remains reemerged shortly after he put an end to his independent presidential bid and lent his support to former President Donald Trump.
In 2012, an interview with Kathleen “Kick” Kennedy, Kennedy's daughter, emerged on social media via Town & Country Magazine. In the interview, she recounted how her father utilized a chainsaw to sever the whale's head from its carcass on the beach near their Cape Cod family property and then transported the whale's head back to New York on the rooftop of the family's minivan.
In reaction to this, the Center for Biological Diversity Action Fund, an environmental conservation organization that backed Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign, wrote to NOAA requesting an investigation into whether Kennedy infringed upon federal regulations governing wildlife protection and posing a threat to scientific research.
Aaron Pellish of CNN aided in compiling this report.
Despite the controversy surrounding Kennedy's past actions with the whale, this recent investigation by NOAA has concluded that the initial accusations were unfounded. In light of this, Kennedy's representative has urged NOAA to focus their attention on the ongoing issue of whale fatalities near offshore wind projects.
