Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been denied a fifth time for Secret Service protection by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
Mr. Kennedy has been trying to get Secret Service guards for a year. Mr. Mayorkas’ latest denial letter from March 28 said that “based on facts and the recommendation of the advisory committee, I have determined that Secret Service protection for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is not warranted at this time.”
Mr. Kennedy’s attorney, Aaron Siri, shot back at the letter a day later, saying the repeated denials are “capricious, an abuse of discretion and clearly politically motivated.”
Mr. Siri pointed out that Secret Service protection was first expanded to presidential candidates because of the assassination of Mr. Kennedy’s father in 1968 while he was running for president. Since then, 32 presidential candidates have received protection, the lawyer wrote.
Mr. Siri said that candidates in the past have received protection for far fewer risks than Mr. Kennedy faces. He pointed to an instance where someone attended one of Mr. Kennedy’s campaign events with two loaded handguns and demanded to see the candidate.
The Secret Service website says candidates can get protection after publicly announcing their candidacy, facing “general or specific threats” and polling at 20% or above in the RealClearPolitics national average for at least a month for independent and third-party candidates.
Also weighing in on Secret Service protection is a congressional advisory committee consisting of House Speaker Mike Johnson, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Sergeant at Arms Karen Gibson.
In his letter to Mr. Mayorkas, Mr. Siri wrote, “Not only have you ignored the obvious threats to the life of the candidate, you have also ignored the assessment of your own Secret Service.”
He suggested that maybe the protection hasn’t been given because Mr. Kennedy’s candidacy “poses a risk” to Mr. Mayorkas’ job and that of his boss, President Biden.
“Your disregard for the safety of Mr. Kennedy and others in his environment is contemptible,” the lawyer wrote. “Failure to provide him Secret Service protection forthwith lays naked your political motivations and lowers the esteem of our great nation.”
He threatened to hold the secretary personally accountable if anything happens to Mr. Kennedy.
“To be sure, there are things worse than death. Living without integrity is one of them,” Mr. Siri said.
Mr. Kennedy wrote in an X post Wednesday that the denials “would almost be funny, except that the butt of the joke is the impartiality and integrity of our political institutions.”
The Washington Times reached out to DHS for comment.
• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.
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