A “committee” frequently referenced in the media as opposing Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination as Secretary of Health and Human Services has been revealed to be a Bill Gates-backed “Astroturf” organization that accepts fake signatories. The “Committee to Protect Health Care,” mentioned by outlets like NBC News, published an open letter condemning Trump’s “reckless decision” to appoint Kennedy, claiming that doctors were “appalled.” Thousands are reportedly listed as signatories.
But as Breitbart News reported, the petition lacks any verification process for signatories. (Breitbart News was able to sign the petition as “Dr. Donald Duck, OG,” from Disney World, FL, claiming to specialize in podiatry.) The anti-Kennedy petition accepts any signature from anyone. Others have conducted similar experiments, including fitness influencer Jillian Michaels and provocateur Alex Jones.
The Committee to Protect Health Care is a 501(c)(4) organization, meaning it is not required to disclose its donors. However, its related 501(c)(3) charity, The Committee to Protect Health Care Fund, does disclose donors. It is partially funded by the left-leaning Sixteen Thirty Fund (1630 Fund) and Hopewell Fund, Breitbart reported. The Hopewell Fund, in turn, has enlisted Arabella Advisors—a prominent national philanthropy services firm—to manage its project hosting and fiscal sponsorship services.
Similarly, the Sixteen Thirty Fund is also managed by Arabella Advisors, a left-leaning group that favors Democrats. According to the Capital Research Center, Arabella Advisors’ donors include “Bill Gates, George Soros, and Mark Zuckerberg.” These individuals have contributed significant amounts to the network of nonprofits managed by Arabella Advisors, using it to fund policy advocacy projects that align with their preferred sociopolitical causes.
“The term “Astroturf” refers to fake grass — as in, a fake grass roots organization, created to mimic public support. No doubt there are doctors who oppose Kennedy — and some who support him — but this widely-cited list is not reliable,” Breitbart concluded.
Prior to joining Trump’s administration, Kennedy ran for president with a proposal to combat addiction by establishing “wellness farms.” These facilities would be funded through tax revenues generated from the federal legalization of marijuana. Fox News reported on Sunday that during a previous virtual event labeled as a “Latino Town Hall,” Kennedy stated, “I’m going to create these wellness farms where they can go and get off of illegal drugs, off of opiates, but also legal drugs.”
Wellness farms are not entirely new, as they are based on the “therapeutic community” model. This approach emphasizes peer-to-peer support and behavioral strategies for overcoming addiction, rather than relying on medication-based treatments like methadone or buprenorphine therapy, which aim to eliminate intense opioid cravings that often lead to relapses.
