Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., a scion of the Kennedy political clan, is expected to name Nicole Shanahan as his vice presidential nominee — rounding out the ticket for his independent 2024 presidential bid. Shanahan — the ex-wife of Google co-founder Sergey Brinn — has been a prolific donor to Kennedy’s campaign, raising pay-to-play ethics questions about her nomination. Campaign finance data indicates Shanahan has contributed in excess of $4 million to Kennedy.
Shanahan was one of the key financial backers behind a Super Bowl ad promoting Kennedy’s independent presidential bid. The National Pulse previously reported that the pro-Kennedy American Values 2024 SuperPAC paid $7 million for the 30-second ad spot. After the ad aired, Kennedy and the SuperPAC faced heavy criticism from other members of the family, who denounced the candidate for misappropriating images of his uncle — the late President John F. Kennedy — and other family members.
Despite promoting the ad spot on X (formerly Twitter), Kennedy later walked back his endorsement of the ad, stating: “I’m so sorry if the Super Bowl advertisement caused anyone in my family pain.” He added: “The ad was created and aired by the American Values Super PAC without any involvement or approval from my campaign.”
The choice of Shanahan — a tech investor and film producer — has puzzled some political observers. A Singapore-educated patent lawyer by trade, Shanahan is seen as a political novice who lacks serious government experience. “The campaign is also looking for a candidate who can help finance the ballot access initiative,” a source told Mediate in a recent interview. They continued: “She might be infusing millions of dollars into the campaign to help fund the ballot initiative, which makes her attractive financially; however, she lacks the qualifications to actually do the job.”
