Wyden Accuses RFK Jr. of Hatch Act Violation in Iowa Libertarian Calls

By John Damon

DES MOINES — A top Senate Democrat is accusing Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of breaking federal law by pressuring Libertarian candidates to drop out of two competitive Iowa congressional races, a move that could reshape the battle for control of Congress.

Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, filed a formal complaint Monday with the U.S. Office of the Special Counsel, alleging Kennedy violated the Hatch Act — a 1939 law that restricts political activities by federal employees. The complaint centers on phone calls Kennedy made in June to Libertarian candidates in Iowa's 2nd and 3rd congressional districts, both of wh