Senate Hearing Clash Over David Geyer's Role at HHS

A Senate hearing on Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s leadership of the Department of Health and Human Services turned into a heated exchange about David Geyer, a controversial figure now working at HHS. The dispute centered on Geyer's credentials, his disciplinary history with the Maryland Board of Physicians, and why he was brought into the department.

The Senator's Challenge

A senator (identified from the nameplate as Sen. Hickenlooper) pressed Kennedy on David Geyer's employment at HHS. The core accusation: Geyer gave parents the impression he was a doctor, prescribed hormone blockers to children as young as eight for autism treatment, and faked his father's signature on medical documents according to the State Board of Medicine. Geyer's father is a licensed physician, but David Geyer is not.

The senator noted she had written Kennedy a letter about the matter a month earlier and received no response. Kennedy acknowledged the lapse and apologized.

Kennedy's Defense

Kennedy pushed back, claiming that the Maryland Board of Physicians' ruling against Geyer was overturned by a court. He stated the court found that the Board was guilty of "actual malice" in fabricating charges against Geyer and that Geyer was awarded $5 million in the case.

The senator disputed this characterization, calling it "just a lie" and requesting unanimous consent to submit the licensing board's findings for the record.

Why Geyer Was Hired

Kennedy then explained why HHS brought in David Geyer. In 2002, Congress ordered the CDC to open its Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) to independent review. The Geyers were the only researchers ever granted access. Kennedy argued that Geyer was hired through an independent contractor, not as an HHS employee, specifically to review VSD documents and determine whether information had disappeared from the database.

Kennedy's position: Geyer is the only living person who has seen the inside of the VSD as an independent reviewer, making him uniquely qualified to spot discrepancies between the current data and what existed from 2002 to 2016.

The committee chair allowed Kennedy to finish his response before moving to the next round of questions.

Key Takeaways

• David Geyer is employed at HHS but Kennedy says he is not managing autism research
• A senator accused Geyer of posing as a doctor and prescribing hormone blockers to children for autism without a medical license
• Kennedy claims the Maryland Board of Physicians' disciplinary ruling was overturned by a court
• Kennedy says Geyer was hired specifically because he is the only independent reviewer who has seen inside the CDC's Vaccine Safety Datalink

Resources

• LiveNOW from FOX -- Source of the Senate hearing clip