ALBANY, NY — The woman who owns the real estate in the New York suburbs, independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claims residence said in court Tuesday that he rents a room for $500 a month, though payments only began after a news article undermined his claim.
The testimony comes as Kennedy battles a lawsuit alleging that his New York nomination petition listed a home in the affluent northern suburbs of New York City, when he has lived in Los Angeles since 2014. The lawsuit seeks to invalidate his petition, barring him from appearing on New York’s November ballot.
Barbara Moss has owned the Katonah property since 1991 and lives there with her husband, Timothy Haydock, a longtime friend of Kennedy, court documents show.
Under questioning from Kennedy’s attorney, William F. Savino, Moss told the court in the state capital of Albany that Kennedy was her tenant, paying $500 a month for a room. There was no written lease, she said.
“As long as Bobby needs the room, it will continue,” she said. “That was our agreement.”
Moss identified photographs she had recently taken of the room that showed Kennedy’s clothes in the closet and dresser, and she testified that he regularly received mail at the house.
An attorney for the petitioners, John Quinn, noted that the first payment to Moss was made on May 20, the day after a New York Post article cast doubt on Kennedy’s claim that he lived at the address. And Moss confirmed that the first payment was for $6,000, an amount equal to a year’s worth of back rent.
The lawsuit alleges that Kennedy visited the home about 40 miles (65 kilometers) north of Midtown Manhattan “at most.”
Kennedy’s lawyers have maintained that the 70-year-old, who led an environmental organization in New York for decades and whose father was a New York senator, has lived in the state since he was 10 and only moved to California “temporarily” to support the career of his wife, Cheryl Hines, an actress on “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”
Kennedy has said in court papers that he moved to the Katonah address after being asked to leave a nearby home where he was staying last year. That story was contested in court on Monday by the owners of that home, who said Kennedy had never been a tenant. One of Kennedy’s cousins, Stephen Smith Jr., also testified remotely, saying he had once dined at a California home the candidate shares with Hines.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of several New York voters by Clear Choice PAC, a super PAC led by supporters of Democratic President Joe Biden. A judge will decide the outcome without a jury.
While independent presidential candidates like Kennedy are struggling beyond belief, he has the potential to do better than any candidate in decades, aided by his famous name and a loyal base. Both Democratic and Republican strategists fear he could negatively impact their candidate’s chances.
Kennedy’s campaign has said he has enough signatures to qualify in 42 states so far. His campaign has faced challenges and lawsuits in several states, including North Carolina And New Jersey.