Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s bid for the White House was dealt yet another blow on Monday, when a judge ruled he should not appear on the ballot in New York—because he falsely claimed to live in the state despite actually residing in California.
According to the Associated Press, in a 34-page decision, Judge Christina Ryba declared that the single room he rents out of friend’s house, with which he claims proof of residency, is not a “bona fide and legitimate residence, but merely a ‘sham’ address that he assumed for the purpose of maintaining his voter registration.” Noting “the size and appearance of the spare bedroom as shown in the photographs admitted into evidence,” Ryba wrote that is “highly improbable, if not preposterous” to buy Kennedy’s testimony that he “may return to that bedroom to reside with his wife, family members, multiple pets, and all of his personal belongings.”
The judge also said her ruling was based on the fact that:
- By Kennedy’s own admission, none of the furniture or decor in the rented room belong to him
- His wife, Cheryl Hines, and his “wide assortment of domestic and exotic pets” all live elsewhere
- Evidence shows Kennedy has a “long-standing pattern” of using family and friends’ addresses to maintain his voter registration in New York despite actually living in California
During the proceedings, Barbara Moss, from whom Kennedy rents the room in her Katonah, New York home, said he pays her $500 a month for the space—but that his first payment didn’t come until after a New York Post report, published in May, questioned whether he really lived there. Moss also admitted Kennedy has no written lease. Kennedy said he had only slept in the room once because of his campaign travel schedule.
Which, obviously, the judge did not buy. “Using a friend’s address for political and voting purposes, while barely stepping foot on the premises, does not equate to residency under the Election Law,” Ryba wrote. “To hold otherwise would establish a dangerous precedent and open the door to the fraud and political mischief that the Election Law residency rules were designed to prevent.”
Kennedy called the ruling partisan and vowed to file an appeal. “The Democrats are showing contempt for democracy,” he said in a statement. “They aren’t confident they can win at the ballot box, so they are trying to stop voters from having a choice. We will appeal and we will win.”
