Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly has had many jobs: an astronaut, a Navy captain – and, apparently, a Chinese pill pusher.
Kelly’s past days hawking vitamins in China resurfaced this week amid speculation that presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris may pick him as her running-mate.
The now-Democratic senator in 2015 barreled onto a stage in the country riding a US and Chinese-flagged motorcycle with Kenny Loggins’ “Danger Zone” blasting in the background to promote Shaklee vitamins, Washington Post contributing columnist Jim Geraghty wrote linking to the unearthed footage of the strange spectacle.
“I took Shaklee vitamins and the Shaklee rehydration drink while in orbit aboard the space shuttle,” the former astronaut boasted to the crowd.
“They worked very well for me in a very demanding environment. Now, it is up to you,” he urged. “Each and every one of you can create your own successful Shaklee business, and it is the rewards from that business that will help you achieve your own dreams.”
The California-based multilevel marketing company lined Kelly’s pockets for a series of speeches in China and the US between 2011 and 2016, which the Huffington Post first reported during the Arizona Democrat’s campaign for the US Senate in 2020.
His wife, former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), was serving in the US House of Representatives in 2011 — and financial disclosures show Kelly netted $50,000 for Shaklee speeches in that year alone.
“Are we paying our astronauts enough?” Geraghty balked in his column when describing Kelly’s decision to have taken on the speaking engagements touting “the Shaklee difference.”
A Kelly campaign spokesman told the Huffington Post in 2019: “NASA has had Shaklee products on every space flight since the early 1990s as part of the fluid loading protocol to counteract blood volume loss that happens in space, and Mark found both the rehydration drink and vitamins to be effective.”
“Mark has given speeches to a number of organizations since retiring from NASA and has spoken about his experience in space,” added the spokesman, Jacob Peters.
During the campaign, Kelly pledged to lower prescription drug costs in office, fight against “politicians who take money from drug companies” that “protect their [own] profits” and those politicians’ jobs.
At least 99% of participants in multi-level marketing companies lose rather than gain money, a 2011 Consumer Awareness Institute study found.
The Federal Trade Commission has also cautioned consumers against joining such companies’ get-rich-quick schemes, since “most people who join legitimate MLMs make little or no money.”
“Some of them lose money,” a webpage at the agency reads. “In some cases, people believe they’ve joined a legitimate MLM, but it turns out to be an illegal pyramid scheme that steals everything they invest and leaves them deeply in debt.”
It’s unclear whether Kelly is still taking the strong Shaklee supplements to stay on top of his political game in Washington, where he is now on a shortlist of contenders for Harris’ vice presidential pick.
An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research released on Thursday found Kelly had the highest name recognition among US adults.
At least 45% of Democrats also view him favorably, the most of any potential Democratic running-mate.
Kelly is vying with Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro for the no. 2 spot on the 2024 Democratic ticket.
Reps for Kelly’s congressional office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.