CIA releases nearly 1,500 more pages of documents on RFK assassination

The CIA on Thursday released 1,450 more pages of documents on the 1968 assassination of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, D-N.Y.

This third round of released, declassified papers includes 54 additional documents, the intelligence agency said.

"The records reveal for the first time that Senator Kennedy shared his experiences traveling to the former Soviet Union with CIA," the agency announced.

President Trump signed an executive order in January, directing the remaining classified documents concerning Kennedy’s assassination, as well as that of his brother, former President John F. Kennedy, and civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., to be made public.

Sirhan Sirhan, a Palestinian-Jordanian, was convicted of shooting and killing RFK while he was on the presidential campaign trail in California. While Sirhan previously admitted to killing Kennedy and indicated that it was because of his support for Israel, he later claimed that he didn't remember shooting him.

Kennedy's son, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., believes that Sirhan is innocent and should be released from prison, where he is serving a life sentence.

“Lifting the veil on the RFK papers is a necessary step toward restoring trust in American government,” HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., said in a statement on Thursday. “I commend President Trump for his courage and his commitment to transparency. I’m grateful also to Tulsi Gabbard and John Ratcliffe for their dogged efforts to root out and declassify these documents.”

“Today’s release delivers on President Trump’s commitment to maximum transparency, enabling the CIA to shine light on information that serves the public interest,” CIA Director John Ratcliffe said. “I am proud to share our work on this incredibly important topic with the American people.”

"Today’s release is another important step in fulfilling President Trump’s commitment to maximum transparency," Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said. "Thank you to those at the CIA, ODNI, and NARA who worked hard to locate, review, and digitize these documents, many of which have never been released publicly before. We will continue coordinating with our partners across the Intelligence Community to fulfill President Trump’s promise of maximum transparency."