Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is facing more pressure to explain the nature of his relationship with pedophile Jeffrey Epstein after a photo of them together at a swanky New York party surfaced.
On Tuesday, he admitted to flying twice on the billionaire's private jet, nicknamed the “Lolita express.”
Photos from 1994 surfaced on Friday showing RFK Jr. and his second wife Mary Richardson had it out with Epstein at the Pierre Hotel in Manhattan.
They attended a fundraiser for the New York Academy of Art benefit.
His campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Tuesday night that he had flown on pedophile Jeffrey Epstein's private jet twice and that his ex-wife was friends with his infamous madam Ghislaine Maxwell
Kennedy, a prominent anti-vaxxer, first announced a run for the White House in April and said at the time he planned to challenge President Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination. In September he announced plans to run as an independent.
Speaking to Jesse Watters on Fox News on Tuesday, he admitted to brief ties to Epstein, a pedophile with extraordinary power and influence who has linked him to politicians in both parties, including former presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump.
That day in Washington, Watters discussed testimony from FBI Director Christopher Wray, who answered questions about Epstein and asked Kennedy if he had ever been on Epstein's plane.
“I was on Jeffrey Epstein's plane twice,” he responded, adding that his ex-wife — the late Mary Richardson Kennedy, who died by suicide in 2012 — “had some sort of relationship with Ghislaine Maxwell,” the infamous madam of Espstein.
“I was working on it in 1993, and I was working on it in… and I went to Florida with my wife and two kids to visit my mother for Easter (inaudible),” he said.
Kennedy also claimed, with little explanation, that he had at one point gone fossil hunting with the infamous pedophile in South Dakota.
“And my wife was dating Ghislaine Maxwell and they offered us a ride to Palm Beach. I went then, and on another occasion I flew again with my family, with, I think, four of my children.'
He claims he has been “very open” about this from the beginning of his campaign and said this was long before Epstein became known for his multitude of sex crimes.
“It was before anyone knew about Jeffrey Epstein's nefarious problems. And I agree with you that all this information should be released.”
He continued to try to talk tough about the data on Epstein's connections to power.
“We need to get real answers about what happened to Jeffrey Epstein and all the high-level political people he was involved with. This must all be accessible to the public.'
When asked about the relationship between his ex-wife – who hanged herself in her New York home more than a decade ago – a spokesperson clarified to Newsweek.
“Mary, Kennedy's wife and two of their children were on the flight,” the representative said. “Mary knew Epstein's girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, who heard they were going to Palm Beach for Easter and offered their family a ride.”
In October, Kennedy announced with his current actress wife Cheryl Hines that he wanted independence from the two political parties.
“I was on Jeffrey Epstein's plane twice,” he said, adding that his ex-wife – the late Mary Richardson Kennedy (pictured left), who died by suicide in 2012 – “had some sort of relationship with Ghislaine Maxwell”
Kennedy claims he has been “very open” about it from the beginning of his campaign, saying this was long before Epstein became known for his multitude of sex crimes.
Kennedy seen with ex-wife Mary in a photo with his now current wife, actress Cheryl Hines (pictured right)
“I am here to declare myself an independent candidate,” he said in front of several hundred supporters, whose cheers broke up his announcement. 'Candidate for President of the United States of America.'
In a speech, Kennedy delivered a few steps from Independence Hall in Philadelphia says he did not come to the decision 'lightly'.
He said: 'It is very painful for me to let go of the company of my uncles, my father, my grandfather and both my great-grandfathers.'
Four members of his family – siblings Rory, Kerry, Joseph P. Kennedy II and Kathleen Kennedy Townsend – issued a joint statement saying they opposed his independent bid, calling the move “dangerous” and “deeply saddening” .
Maxwell, who is now serving a prison sentence for her role in Epstein's sex abuse ring, is shown in a lawsuit
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced an independent presidential bid just steps from Independence Hall in Philadelphia
Actress Cheryl Hines proposes to her husband Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for, who announced an independent presidential bid from Philadelphia
“Our brother Bobby's decision to run as a third-party candidate against Joe Biden is dangerous for our country,” the statement said. “Bobby may have the same name as our father, but he does not share the same values, vision or judgment. Today's announcement is very saddening for us. We denounce his candidacy and believe that this is dangerous for our country.'
Kennedy is the son of the late Senator Robert F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1968, and the nephew of the late President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963.
One supporter brought a hand-drawn sign that read, “I want Camelot!” a reference to the nickname for President John F. Kennedy's administration.