RFK assassination files being released by Trump administration

Trove of JFK assassination files released

Here's what's successful the thousands of files released connected JFK's assassination 03:24

Washington — The Trump medication said Friday that it has started releasing the archetypal tranche of records connected Democratic Sen. Robert F. Kennedy's 1968 assassination, which volition incorporate astir 10,000 pages of antecedently classified records.

The disclosure — ordered by President Trump wrong days of taking bureau and backed by the senator's son, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — could reignite speculation astir the decades-old killing, arsenic the younger Kennedy insists his father's convicted assassin, Sirhan Sirhan, mightiness beryllium innocent.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said the release, which began Friday, comes aft an effort done successful conjunction with the National Archives and different bureau officials to scan and upload much than 10,000 pages, which volition beryllium disposable for the American radical to presumption online "to fulfill President Trump's maximum transparency promise."

The records volition beryllium published with constricted redactions for privateness reasons, specified arsenic to shield Social Security numbers, she said.

"Nearly 60 years aft the tragic assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy, the American radical will, for the archetypal time, person the accidental to reappraisal the national government's probe acknowledgment to the enactment of President Trump," Gabbard said successful a statement. "My squad is honored that the President entrusted america to pb the declassification efforts and to radiance a long-overdue airy connected the truth. I widen my deepest acknowledgment for Bobby Kennedy and his families' support."

Gabbard said that an further 50,000 pages of files related to Robert F. Kennedy's killing were discovered during searches of CIA and FBI warehouses for documents that had not been turned implicit to the Archives. Agencies are moving to marque those documents disposable and volition proceed searching authorities facilities for more, according to the manager of nationalist intelligence.

What could the RFK files reveal?

It's unclear what caller accusation connected the 1968 slaying could look from the disclosures, respective experts told CBS News earlier the documents were released. Robert F. Kennedy's sidesplitting was chiefly investigated and prosecuted by section officials successful Los Angeles, and files from that probe — on with records from a parallel FBI probe — person been publicly available successful California's authorities archives for decades with fewer omissions. It's not wide if different national agencies clasp records tied to the assassination.

The medication has besides vowed to merchandise files connected Rev. Martin Luther King's 1968 assassination, and it published troves of declassified files connected President John F. Kennedy's 1963 sidesplitting successful March. But dissimilar with those 2 figures, it's chartless if the national authorities retains immoderate still-sealed documents connected Robert F. Kennedy's death.

The documents released truthful acold look to see Justice Department and FBI memos, arsenic good arsenic photos of grounds collected during the probe into Robert F. Kennedy's assassination and clippings from quality reports. Some scanned records are hard to read, arsenic are handwritten notes included successful the tranche.

Why did Trump merchandise RFK files — and is RFK Jr. involved?

Mr. Trump ordered his medication to unseal records connected King, John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy successful precocious January. In an April 10 furniture meeting, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said the King and Robert F. Kennedy files would beryllium acceptable wrong days, including what she described arsenic decades-old documents that "have ne'er been scanned oregon seen before."

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he's "very grateful" for the release.

The wellness caput — who was 14 years aged erstwhile his begetter was assassinated — has shown an involvement successful the lawsuit for years, doubting the conclusion that Sirhan was liable for his father's killing. Breaking with galore of his siblings, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. backed Sirhan's 2021 petition for parole aft gathering with Sirhan successful prison.

Who killed RFK?

Sirhan was arrested soon aft the 1968 assassination, which took spot astatine the Ambassador Hotel portion Robert F. Kennedy was moving for president, and convicted of murder. He has admitted to sidesplitting the senator and linked it to Robert F. Kennedy's backing of Israel, though astatine different points, helium has denied work oregon said helium couldn't retrieve the incident.

Sirhan's requests for parole person been repeatedly rejected. California's parole committee backed his 2021 bid for aboriginal release, but California Gov. Gavin Newsom overrode their decision.

Still, the lawsuit has drawn waves of nationalist attention, arsenic immoderate critics — including Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — assertion Sirhan didn't occurrence the fatal shots oregon different parties were progressive successful the killing. Skeptics typically mention issues with eyewitness grounds oregon the alleged beingness of other bullets astatine the transgression country — though different researchers person backed the presumption that Sirhan acted alone.