In a significant revelation about one of America's most prominent political figures, newly released CIA documents show that Robert F. Kennedy Sr. served as a "voluntary informant" to the intelligence agency before his 1968 assassination. The disclosure comes as part of President Trump's initiative to declassify records related to major political assassinations.
According to Breitbart, CIA Director John Ratcliffe announced the release of an additional 1,450 pages of "historic material" on Thursday, bringing the total declassified documents on RFK's assassination to nearly 5,000 pages. This latest batch contains previously unknown details about Kennedy's relationship with the intelligence community.
The documents reveal that RFK volunteered information to the CIA following a 1955 trip to the Soviet Union, which he undertook alongside Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas. Kennedy received briefings both before and after visiting regions, including Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Kirghizia within the U.S.S.R.
RFK's cooperation with the CIA included detailed reports about his observations inside the Soviet Union during the height of the Cold War. His willingness to share information has been characterized by current officials as demonstrating patriotism.
During one briefing documented in the files, Kennedy reported specifics about a visit to a state machine factory in Novosibirsk. He noted that the facility employed 3,500 workers, with women comprising one-third of the workforce, and described a wage scale between 840 and 2,500 rubles.
Kennedy also shared personal impressions of Soviet officials, stating that while the factory director was "frosty" in demeanor, he found an engineer at the facility to be "friendly." These observations, while seemingly mundane, would have provided American intelligence with valuable on-the-ground insights from behind the Iron Curtain.
The declassification effort stems from an executive order signed by President Trump shortly after returning to office in January 2025. The directive mandated the release of files related to three major assassinations that shaped American history.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard worked alongside Trump and the CIA to facilitate the document release. In a statement, Gabbard characterized the action as "another important step in fulfilling President Trump's commitment to maximum transparency."
CIA Director Ratcliffe similarly framed the declassification as delivering on the president's "commitment to maximum transparency, enabling the CIA to shine light on information that serves the public interest." The initiative also includes ongoing efforts to release documents related to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The newly released documents also shed light on the CIA's investigation into Sirhan Sirhan, the Palestinian-Jordanian man convicted of RFK's murder who continues to serve a life sentence. Agency officials thoroughly examined potential international connections Sirhan might have had.
According to the declassified files, the CIA specifically looked into whether Sirhan was affiliated with terrorist organizations. However, investigators ultimately found no evidence linking him to any such groups, seemingly contradicting some conspiracy theories that have persisted for decades.
These revelations come as the assassin's role has been questioned by some, including current Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The younger Kennedy previously supported Sirhan's parole in 2022, which was denied by then-California Governor Gavin Newsom after objections from other Kennedy family members.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., now serving as HHS Secretary in the Trump administration, praised the declassification initiative following the document release. He characterized the action as essential for rebuilding public trust in government institutions.
"Lifting the veil on the RFK papers is a necessary step toward restoring trust in American government," Kennedy Jr. stated. He specifically acknowledged the efforts of President Trump, DNI Gabbard, and CIA Director Ratcliffe for their "dogged efforts to root out and declassify these documents."
RFK Jr. has previously expressed skepticism about the official accounts of both his father's assassination and that of his uncle, President John F. Kennedy. In a 2023 radio interview, he claimed there was "overwhelming evidence that the CIA was involved" in JFK's death, stating that such involvement was "beyond a reasonable doubt at this point."
The newly declassified documents provide historians and the public with unprecedented access to information surrounding one of America's most traumatic political events. They reveal a complex relationship between the Kennedy family and America's intelligence agencies during a pivotal period in Cold War history.
