Wanted for funding the criminalization of Abortion: John & Nancy Kennedy
This is the fourth in a series of WANTED posters, looking at individuals, families and organizations in West Michigan that have contributed significantly to the criminalization of abortion and the undermining of reproductive justice.
John Kennedy is the CEO of Autocam, here in West Michigan. We have identified Kennedy as a member of the Grand Rapids Power Structure, in part because of his wealth, but also because of his politics and his involvement with groups like the West MI Policy Forum, the Acton Institute, the Right Place Inc. and the GR Chamber of Commerce.
John Kennedy, and his wife Nancy, have been major contributors to the Republican Party, specifically to candidates from West Michigan who have been elected to state office and have pushed neoliberal economic policy and a far right social agenda, like restricting and working to eliminate reproductive justice for individuals wanting to have an abortion.
The graphic on the right here shows where he spent his money to support politicians and influence public policy in Michigan between 2013 – 2015. In 2016, John Kennedy contributed $589,700 to state races, in the 2017 – 2018 election cycle, as well as the current election cycle.
The Autocam CEO has been a vocal opponent of reproductive rights and was outspoken against the Affordable Care Act. Kennedy was quoted in an MLive article as saying:
“This law requires me to violate my beliefs by paying for controversial products that cause abortions, and it does nothing to improve access or eliminate cost for essential medications like insulin and heart medication.”
In 2012, Kennedy was invited by the far right Think Tank, the Acton Institute, to speak on his “religious” objections to providing birth control and other reproductive justice resources that were part of the Affordable Care Act.
We encourage you to share this poster and consider directing some of your rage at the recent US Supreme Court ruling to overturn Roe v Wade towards John & Nancy Kennedy.
Sources used:
Grand Rapids Institute for Information Democracy 
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