On Friday, approximately 10,000 pages of documents related to the 1968 assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy were made public, continuing the initiative for transparency promoted by former US President Donald Trump. Kennedy was assassinated on June 5, 1968, shortly after delivering a victory speech at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, following his win in California’s Democratic presidential primary. His assassin, Sirhan Sirhan, has been incarcerated for first-degree murder.
The released files include handwritten notes from Sirhan, including a chilling message stating, “RFK must be disposed of like his brother was,” which was found on an empty envelope linked to the Los Angeles Internal Revenue Service. The National Archives and Records Administration has uploaded 229 files to its public website. While many documents related to the assassination have previously been disclosed, some had remained undisclosed in government storage for decades.
Former national intelligence director Tulsi Gabbard highlighted that this release provides the American public with the first chance to scrutinise the federal investigation surrounding the assassination, asserting that it shines “a long-overdue light on the truth.” This disclosure follows the recent release of unredacted documents concerning the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy, which offered insights into Cold War-era covert operations, though they did not support prevalent conspiracy theories regarding JFK’s murder.
Trump, advocating for transparency, has been critical of government intelligence agencies while also pushing for the release of documents about high-profile assassinations. In January, he signed an executive order mandating the declassification of files pertaining to both Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., who were assassinated within two months of each other.
In relation to Sirhan’s case, lawyers have argued for his release, suggesting he poses no threat to society. In 2021, a parole board deemed him suitable for release, but Governor Gavin Newsom intervened, preventing his freedom in 2022. Most recently, another panel declined his parole, indicating that he still lacks insight into the motives for his actions.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., son of the slain senator and now a health secretary, praised Trump and Gabbard for their efforts to unveil these historical records, emphasising that revealing the RFK files is crucial for rebuilding trust in the American government.