00:00A non-profit group with ties to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy
00:04Jr. solicited payments from corporate sponsors in exchange for access to top agency officials.
00:11According to documents viewed by Bloomberg News ahead of the Maha Summit on September
00:1529, sponsorship tiers were circulated to companies with options up to $300,000.
00:22High-level packages promised speaking slots and a private 30-person dinner with Kennedy
00:28and CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz. Sponsors listed on the events site include major firms like OpenAI,
00:36Anthropic, Walmart, and some healthcare companies regulated by divisions of HHS.
00:43It's unclear how much each company paid. An HHS spokesperson said that department officials
00:49listed as speakers were not involved in planning or sponsorship activities and were unaware of
00:55these arrangements. Kennedy has long criticized federal health agencies for corporate influence.
01:01The hosting organization Maha Center is run by key allies in Kennedy's external political network.
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