From Roadkill to Voter Fraud: RFK's Fight to Defend His NY Residency

In this campaign cycle, where candidates in courtrooms are almost as common as rallies, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s latest legal battle in Albany is yet another to count, blending residence drama with defense of his fondness for wildlife—and roadkill.

While the dumped bear saga gripped the online community last week, the bigger story is the outcome of this case, to be decided this afternoon or soon after. The ruling could have serious consequences for what comes next. Closing arguments just wrapped. Had I been more prepared, I would have hopped on a flight to Albany to track it in person. Sitting here scrolling X for the latest updates, my regret is heavy.

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Earlier this week, Kennedy took the stand in Albany's State Supreme Court to defend his right to be on the New York ballot. The lawsuit, brought by Clear Choice PAC—a group supported by Biden allies and, interestingly enough, involving the same attorney who funded E. Jean Carroll's lawsuit against Trump—claims Kennedy used a fictitious address in Katonah, New York, in his filing. The address provided belongs to Kennedy’s longtime friend, Barbara Moss. The argument is that signatures on nominating petitions are now invalid because of a “false” address. If Kennedy is removed from the New York ballot it could set off a chain reaction—potentially disqualifying him in other states, threatening to dismantle his campaign altogether.

The DNC has clearly aimed to push RFK Jr. out of the race from the start, moving from traditional mudslinging to legal warfare—much like the strategy used against Trump, keeping him tied up in court battles during crucial campaign months.

Under oath, Kennedy asserted that Katonah is indeed his residence, even though the house belongs to Moss. He argued that the people who signed his petitions were genuine supporters of his, regardless of the address listed. Yet his testimony faced challenges, particularly regarding his voter registration history. Kennedy admitted to voting in 2016 while registered at an address no longer owned by his sister, Kerry Kennedy, which led to suggestions of voter fraud—a charge Kennedy didn’t fully deny but evaded.

In one heated exchange, Corbett produced a July 2 affirmation from Kennedy saying his driver’s license was registered to the Katonah address. Corbett pointed out government documents that show the registration did not list that address until the next day.

“You are familiar with the term ‘perjury’?” Corbett asked.

“Of course I am,” Kennedy replied.

“I will certainly correct this. I was wrong by 24 hours,” Kennedy said.

“I have lived in New York for 50 years,” he insisted.

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New York Roots

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The Room in Question: Kennedy admitted the furniture pictured isn’t familiar but said the framed photos (one of him & Mick Jagger) on the nightstand are his.

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Corbett grilled Kennedy on his animal interests while living in California, presenting a 50-second TikTok video of him feeding birds from his L.A. balcony. Corbett also confronted him on his California Falconry License dating back to 2015, while his New York fishing and marine license only dated to July 9. Kennedy, an avid falconer, claimed it wasn’t his signature on the falconry license and admitted he “occasionally” lets others sign documents for him. He testified that he never intended to practice falconry in California and that he keeps his falcons in Goshen, NY.

On the topic, Kennedy indulged the court with his expertise on the topic of corvids, stating that he has previously trained his ravens in L.A. to perform tricks, including putting poker chips in people's pockets. “They can talk like a parrot,” he told the court, adding that it takes about a year to teach a raven to talk. He first learned about training hawks at 14 when he attended a Millbrook, NY, boarding school with a zoo, following the assassination of his father, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy.

Regarding the rented room, he admitted to only staying there once. “The dogs came, the hawks stayed,” he explained, marking perhaps the first courtroom reference to hawks in a residency dispute. He also noted that due to his security detail, he often stays in hotels because the officers would not be comfortable at his Westchester house. “I have spent very little time in either California or anywhere, any one place,” he said. “I’m usually in a hotel every night. I have a security detail that needs to stay with me, and the security detail is not going to be comfortable at 84 Croton Lake Road. They don’t like it.”

Barbara Moss testified that Kennedy only began paying rent—$500 a month—in late May, right when media scrutiny intensified.

Kennedy also faced questions about his primary residence in California, where he lives with Cheryl. This dual residency raises a potential 12th Amendment issue, risking California's 54 electoral votes if Kennedy’s running mate, Nicole Shanahan, also resides there.

On his way out of the courthouse, reporters were still focused on the hit and collect roadkill scandal exposed last week. With a laugh he told them, "I've been picking up roadkill my whole life. I have a freezer full of it—a thousand cubic foot freezer full of roadkill."

His press secretary followed up with comment stating this as fact.

Win or lose, one thing no one can ever accuse Bobby Kennedy of is boring us.