The only individual Eliza Cooney confided in regarding her experience was her mother.

That changed when Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced his presidential campaign.

Feeling a sense of duty, Cooney chose to share her account this summer. She detailed an incident where Kennedy, significantly older than her, inappropriately touched her while she served as a live-in nanny for his family at age 23.

“I recognize there are many dedicated individuals without hidden pasts,” Cooney mentioned in a special interview with YSL News. “I wish we were selecting leaders with a more straightforward history.”

Kennedy dropped out of the presidential race after failing to gain momentum and subsequently endorsed Donald Trump, who won the election on November 5. Trump subsequently nominated Kennedy for the position of secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.

This nomination has reignited attention on Cooney’s allegations of sexual misconduct. Notably, three other men nominated by Trump for high-profile roles—Elon Musk, Matt Gaetz, and Pete Hegseth—also face sexual misconduct accusations, raising concerns about their suitability for public office.

YSL News contacted both Trump’s transition team and a legal representative for Kennedy’s nonprofit for their responses regarding this situation.

“It’s astonishing how common this issue seems to be,” Cooney expressed. “I can’t help but wonder—have we really made any substantial progress? It feels like we’re taking steps backward.”

‘It occurred so fast’

Cooney transitioned to working for Kennedy at his environmental law clinic right after finishing college in 1999. During weekdays, she worked in the clinic and spent weekends babysitting for the family.

As part of her role, she relocated to the Kennedy residence in Mount Kisco, New York.

Kennedy had three children living with him and two from a prior marriage who visited on weekends. While aware of the Kennedy family’s affluent and attractive reputation, she was still caught off guard.

“It took me by surprise how quickly it escalated,” she recounted.

During a meeting in the family’s kitchen, she felt Kennedy’s hand brushing against her leg beneath the table.

On another occasion, she described a shirtless Kennedy, then 46 years old, standing in her bedroom doorway asking if she could apply lotion on him. She reluctantly complied to quickly move past the uncomfortable situation.

Eventually, she stated he approached her from behind in a pantry and began to inappropriately touch her while obstructing her exit from the small space.

Going public

Initially, Cooney did not plan to go public with her story. She confided in her mother during the height of the #MeToo movement, which started in 2017 and encouraged many survivors of sexual harassment and assault to share their experiences via social media.

However, the thought of disclosing her story did not cross her mind for some time. When Kennedy declared his presidential run in April 2023, she finally revealed details to a few close friends a couple of months later.

One of her friends advised her to document the incidents as a precautionary measure, in case she ever needed to support her claims in the future.

“I often brushed it off, thinking it was just part of the routine,” she explained. “Like, this was simply the cost of doing business.”

As she processed the events, Cooney recognized that what happened was completely inappropriate. The tipping point came when she saw a campaign ad reminiscent of a famous commercial featuring her uncle, John F. Kennedy Jr.

The nostalgic ad showcased people singing “Kennedy” repeatedly and included the phrase, “Kennedy for me,” alongside sepia-toned images of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and a button designed to echo his uncle’s campaign style.

“I was just watching the Super Bowl when I saw the ad and thought, ‘This can’t be real,’” Cooney remarked.

She then chose to discuss her experiences with Vanity Fair.

During a podcast this summer, Kennedy remarked, “I had a very wild adolescence. In my announcement speech, I mentioned that I have so many skeletons in my closet that if they could all vote, I could aim for kingship over the universe.”

Post-publication of the Vanity Fair piece, Cooney received a text from Kennedy, which has since been reviewed by YSL News.

The message read: “I cannot recall this incident, but I sincerely apologize for anything I may have done that made you uncomfortable or hurt your feelings. I never intended any harm. If I caused you distress, it was unintentional, and I’m truly sorry.”

Cooney does not view this as a genuine apology.

“I question whether it qualifies as an apology when you state ‘I don’t remember,’” she said. “Considering his public demeanor, it felt somewhat insincere—almost like an afterthought.”

Cooney emphasizes this is about women

Cooney feels compelled to share her account to empower others to make informed decisions regarding Kennedy and to encourage women to voice their own experiences with men.

Kennedy’s nomination is likely to proceed through the confirmation process without major hurdles, as he enjoys considerable backing from Republicans. Even Colorado’s Democratic Governor Jared Polis has expressed support for Kennedy’s nomination.

“My intention is not to disrupt his nomination or the confirmation process,” Cooney clarified. “I’m simply sharing this for the public record.”

She criticized the societal expectation placed on women to remain silent about their experiences with sexual assault and harassment, lamenting how women are often required to be

There has been a notable challenge in speaking out, particularly how nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) often compel women to remain quiet in such circumstances.

“Why is it that there are NDAs when it involves women, their bodies, and sexual matters?” questioned Cooney. “Just think about how much we would know if those women hadn’t signed NDAs.”

Cooney stated that the #MeToo movement has brought significant attention to the issue of sexual abuse against women and, in many instances, has led to the accountability of offenders. Nonetheless, she likened society’s larger struggle with the mistreatment of women to climbing a steep mountain.

“We haven’t reached the summit yet, and I can understand why people might feel exhausted or skeptical about progress,” she remarked. “Just look at the current events. Is it even worth the effort? Will anything change? Is there any hope? I believe there is.”