2 days ago
CIA Unveils 54 New Files On RFK Assassination
The Central Intelligence Agency has released a new batch of documents related to the 1968 assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy, claiming the move fulfills a directive from President Donald Trump for 'maximum transparency.'
According to a June 12 press release from CIA Director John Ratcliffe, the agency declassified 54 documents—totaling more than 1,450 pages—that it says had not been made public before. The documents, now available on CIA's and the National Archives websites, reportedly include material describing Kennedy's contacts with the agency following his trip to the Soviet Union, as well as internal correspondence around the time of his assassination in Los Angeles.
Ratcliffe framed the release as a major step in carrying out Trump's Executive Order 14176, which directed the intelligence community to release all remaining classified records tied to the deaths of both President John F. Kennedy and his brother, Senator Robert F. Kennedy.
Ratcliffe said the CIA's actions 'shine light on information that serves the public interest.'
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who coordinated the inter-agency effort, called the declassification 'an important step' toward public accountability. She credited analysts at CIA, ODNI, and the National Archives for what she described as painstaking work to locate and digitize files that 'have never been released publicly before.'
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the late senator's son and current Secretary of Health and Human Services, applauded the release, calling it 'a necessary step toward restoring trust in American government.' He also praised Trump, Gabbard, and Ratcliffe for what he described as 'dogged efforts' to uncover the full story of his father's death.
The documents represent a major tranche of RFK-related records released under the Trump-era transparency initiative. According to the press release, the total number of CIA documents on the subject is more than 200 and nearly 5,000 pages. The agency said additional releases may follow.
The CIA presser did not elaborate on the specific contents of the newly released files or whether they contained any new revelations regarding Senator Robert F. Kennedy's assassination, supposedly by Sirhan Sirhan in 1968. This case has long generated speculation, including theories of a second shooter or intelligence involvement. Sirhan, a Palestinian immigrant, has consistently claimed he has no memory of the event.
The new documents are now available online at and
