The Trump administration released approximately 10,000 pages of previously classified documents relating to the 1968 assassination of Senator Robert F Kennedy, opening the door for renewed public scrutiny of the decades-old case. The files, published on the US National Archives website on Friday, mark a significant step in President Donald Trump’s push for transparency around some of America’s most controversial political killings.
The move follows an executive order signed by Trump in January calling for the declassification of records concerning the assassinations of RFK, President John F. Kennedy, and the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The National Archives confirmed that the documents would continue to be released on a rolling basis in partnership with various federal agencies.
The document collection, as per CBS News’ report, encompasses various materials related to the RFK assassination case. These include Sirhan’s personal handwritten notes, statements from witnesses, photographic evidence from both the crime scene and autopsy, FBI documentation tracking Sirhan’s movements prior to the incident, public letters sent to government officials regarding the assassination, and recorded conversations with Sirhan’s relatives.
Senator Kennedy, a Democratic presidential hopeful at the time, was fatally shot on June 5, 1968, at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles after winning California’s Democratic primary. Sirhan Sirhan was convicted of his murder and is currently serving a life sentence. However, RFK’s son, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has long raised doubts about Sirhan’s guilt and welcomed the document release.
“Lifting the veil on the RFK papers is a necessary step toward restoring trust in American government,” Kennedy Jr. said in a statement, thanking both Trump and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard for their efforts.
Gabbard, who led the interagency declassification process, said, “Nearly 60 years after the tragic assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy, the American people will, for the first time, have the opportunity to review the federal government’s investigation thanks to the leadership of President Trump.”
While many of the files had been transferred to the National Archives decades ago, they had remained inaccessible to the public until now. The newly released material includes FBI and Justice Department memos, photographs of evidence, news clippings, and handwritten notes. Some records had to be re-scanned in colour due to legibility issues in earlier black-and-white versions.
Although it’s unclear whether these files contain any explosive revelations, their release coincides with broader efforts by the Trump administration to declassify records tied to historic political events. Trump had previously authorised the release of documents related to President John F. Kennedy’s 1963 assassination and promised more disclosures on Dr. King’s killing.
