ALBANY, N.Y. — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. insisted he plans to return to live in New York, as the independent presidential candidate was grilled for a second day Wednesday about his actual residency and whether he should be kept off the Empire State’s ballot in November.
A lawsuit filed on behalf of several voters seeks to invalidate the petition Kennedy submitted to get on the New York ballot, alleging he listed a residence in the New York City suburb of Katonah on the petition while he has lived in the Los Angeles area since 2014.
Kennedy testified again Wednesday that Katonah was his “home address.” He said his move to California a decade ago was only temporary so he could be with his wife, “Curb Your Enthusiasm” actor Cheryl Hines, and that he always planned to return to New York.
In a testy exchange in the Albany courtroom, attorney Keith Corbett repeatedly asked Kennedy whether moving to California with his family and pets demonstrated his intention to reside in that state.
Kennedy balked at providing a “yes” or “no” answer, saying the reality was more nuanced.
“Do you want a yes or no answer, or do you want the truth?” Kennedy said.
“My intent is to return to New York and that’s the only requirement for residency,” he said.
Under questioning from his own lawyer, Kennedy said he moved to California out of love for his wife.
“I said I would figure out a way to make a living in California until we could move back,” he said.
He said it was difficult for him to leave New York because he built his life there.
On Tuesday, Corbett produced a July 2 affirmation from Kennedy saying his driver’s license was registered to the Katonah address. But Corbett said government documents show his 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, saying his assistant handled the paperwork.
“I will certainly correct this. I was wrong by 24 hours,” Kennedy said.
“I have lived in New York for 50 years,” he added.
Corbett raised doubts about Kennedy’s residency claim on multiple fronts Tuesday. He handed Kennedy a federal statement of candidacy with a Los Angeles address and had the candidate acknowledge he had moved his mementos, books and pets from New York to California.
“The dogs came, the hawks stayed,” Kennedy said, referring to his raptors.
The lawsuit is being backed by Clear Choice PAC, a super PAC led by supporters of Democratic President Joe Biden. A judge is set to decide the outcome without a jury.
In a video posted in his Facebook page Tuesday, the 70-year-old Kennedy said he has lived in New York ever since his father moved there in 1964 to run his successful campaign for U.S. Senate. This was after his father’s brother, President John F. Kennedy, was assassinated. The candidate’s own father was shot to death in 1968 while running for president.
While independent presidential candidates like Kennedy face extremely long odds, he has the potential to do better than any such candidate in decades, helped by his famous name and a loyal base. Both Democrat and Republican strategists worry he could negatively affect their candidate’s chances.
Kennedy’s campaign has said he has enough signatures to qualify in 42 states so far. His ballot drive has faced challenges and lawsuits in several states, including North Carolina and New Jersey.
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Associated Press writer Dave Collins in Hartford, Connecticut, contributed.