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Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the independent candidate for U.S. president who has cast doubt on the safety and efficacy of vaccines, is holding a fundraiser in Lake Oswego on Jan. 6.
The event is being hosted by J.B. and Lisa Handley, Stanford University graduates who have a son with autism. In books and articles, J.B. Handley has blamed his son’s condition on vaccines. WW profiled the family in 2005.
Kennedy and the Handleys are seeking donations of $500 to $3,300. Guests donating $2,400 or more are invited to a private reception with Kennedy at 6 pm. For others, the event runs from 7 to 8:30 pm.
Kennedy may find a friendly audience in Oregon. The state has one of the highest rates of vaccine exemption in the country. One of the foremost COVID-19 vaccine skeptics in the nation, former Evergreen State College professor Bret Weinstein, lived in Portland until he sold his house in late 2022, according to property records. Weinstein released a podcast with Kennedy in July.
J.B. Handley, Kennedy’s host next Saturday, wrote a book in 2018 called How to End the Autism Epidemic in which he links the disorder to vaccines. Kennedy reviewed the book, calling Handley “the world’s most thoughtful, sophisticated, knowledgeable, and indefatigable activist for children’s health and safety.”
Another reviewer was Oregon Senate Minority Leader Tim Knopp (R-Bend). “I encourage everyone to read How to End the Autism Epidemic, which has the potential to spark a thoughtful and thorough review of how we can stop vaccine injuries among our nation’s children,” Knopp wrote. “His life’s work is making sure everyone gets the information they need and vaccine-injured children and their families get the justice they deserve.”
Handley co-founded Swander Pace Capital, a private equity firm, where he was managing director for two decades, according to an online biography. He founded a new firm, Bochi Investments LLC, in 2019. Handley didn’t immediately return an email or phone call seeking comment.
Lately, Kennedy has stepped back from his vaccine skepticism.
“I have never been anti-vaxx,” Kennedy told a committee of the U.S. Congress in July, according to the Associated Press. “I have never told the public to avoid vaccination.”
“But that’s not true,” the AP wrote on July 31. “Again and again, Kennedy has made his opposition to vaccines clear. In July, Kennedy said in a podcast interview that `There’s no vaccine that is safe and effective’ and told Fox News that he still believes in the long-ago debunked idea that vaccines can cause autism. In a 2021 podcast he urged people to `resist’ CDC guidelines on when kids should get vaccines.”
Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres will be served at the Handley’s fundraiser, according to the invitation. Cocktail or business attire is recommended.
Correction: The original version of this story said that Bret Weinstein lived in Portland. Property records show that he sold his house there in September 2022. He now lives in Friday Harbor, Wash., according to his website. WW regrets the error.