Anti-vaccine group with ties to RFK Jr. saw another windfall last year, records show
Del Bigtree's Informed Consent Action Network, which advocates against polio, measles, hepatitis and Covid vaccines, brought in $23 million last year, tax records show.
Del Bigtree, a leading voice in the anti-vaccine movement, brought in a record windfall last year for the nonprofit group he founded, according to the latest tax filings.
The Informed Consent Action Network, known as ICAN, reported $23 million in revenue for 2023, a 74% increase from the previous year. The group spent nearly $17 million on efforts including legal battles and anti-vaccine advocacy, an increase of about 25% from the year before.
The tax documents, obtained by NBC News from ICAN, show the increasing prominence and profitability of the anti-vaccine movement in the ongoing fight over vaccine policies and public health. The pandemic supercharged groups like ICAN, which reported about $3.5 million in revenue in 2019, expanding the audience interested in anti-vaccine content and growing the coffers of those who produce it. Numerous studies have found that vaccines are safe and save lives, and are not linked to autism, but that hasn’t stopped misinformation from spreading.
Revenue for Children’s Health Defense, the anti-vaccine organization founded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., had been on the rise as well until last year, when it dropped more than 30%, to $16 million. This loss coincided with Kennedy taking a leave from his positions as chairman and chief litigation counsel to launch an unsuccessful presidential bid.
But ICAN’s revenue continued to grow, and Bigtree’s profile has risen. The former television producer and anti-vaccine filmmaker, whose organization was known for attention-grabbing stunts and filing freedom of information requests, became communications director for Kennedy’s third-party presidential campaign and advised Kennedy as he prepared for his potential role as secretary of Health and Human Services.
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