The records had never been digitized or made public, despite decades of speculation and calls for greater transparency.
More than 10,000 pages of previously classified government records related to the 1968 assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy were released by the Trump administration on Friday, April 18.
The documents, now available online through the National Archives website, were digitized and declassified under a directive from President Donald Trump, who pledged to increase transparency within the intelligence community. The move marks the first public release of federal files specifically concerning RFK’s assassination, which had remained largely inaccessible for decades.
Unlike records connected to President John F. Kennedy’s 1963 assassination, which were mandated to be released under the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992, materials related to RFK’s killing had never been processed or digitized for public access.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard led the release effort through her office’s Director’s Initiatives Group. The group worked in partnership with the National Archives and other federal agencies to scan and upload the records for public viewing.
“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,” Gabbard said in a statement. “My team is honored that the President entrusted us to lead the declassification efforts and to shine a long-overdue light on the truth. I extend my deepest thanks for Bobby Kennedy and his families’ support.”
The newly released records were previously stored in various federal facilities and had not been made publicly available, Gabbard said in the statement. According to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the files were reviewed and published with limited redactions for privacy protections, such as Social Security and Tax Identification numbers.
The day before the records were released, Gabbard told The Daily Wire that while the files may not contain a definitive “smoking gun,” they include previously unknown information that could raise new questions about Kennedy’s assassination. She said some of the documents reference discussions in other countries and messages circulating at the time that may challenge the official narrative.
By Chase Smith
