Fact Check: The CIA released nearly 1,500 pages of previously classified documents relating to New York Senator Robert F. Kennedy and his 1968 assassination on December 15, 2023.

Fact Check: "The CIA released nearly 1,500 pages of previously classified documents relating to New York Senator Robert F. Kennedy and his 1968 assassination on December 15, 2023."

What We Know

On December 15, 2023, there were claims that the CIA released nearly 1,500 pages of documents related to the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy. However, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) has been processing previously withheld records related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, not specifically Robert F. Kennedy, as part of a broader effort to comply with the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992. This act mandated the release of all records related to the assassination of President Kennedy by October 26, 2017, unless specific conditions for withholding were met (NARA).

In 2023, NARA released a total of 2,672 documents containing newly released information, but these were primarily focused on President Kennedy's assassination and did not specifically mention a new release of documents regarding Robert F. Kennedy (NARA). The CIA has released documents concerning Robert F. Kennedy's assassination, but these were not part of a new release on December 15, 2023, and the total number of pages released was not confirmed to be 1,500 (PBS, CBS).

Analysis

The claim that the CIA released 1,500 pages of documents on December 15, 2023, appears to be misleading. While it is true that the CIA has released documents related to Robert F. Kennedy's assassination, these releases were part of ongoing declassification efforts rather than a specific new release on the claimed date. The documents released by the CIA included information about RFK's interactions with the agency but did not amount to the stated number of pages or a unique release event (CBS, Fox News).

Furthermore, the reliability of the sources reporting the release is mixed. While major outlets like CBS and PBS reported on the CIA's release of documents, the specific claim regarding the date and number of pages lacks corroboration from primary sources like NARA or official CIA announcements. The context provided by the National Archives indicates that any new releases were part of a larger, ongoing process rather than a singular event (NARA, NARA).

Conclusion

Verdict: False
The claim that the CIA released nearly 1,500 pages of documents related to Robert F. Kennedy's assassination on December 15, 2023, is false. The documents released were part of a broader declassification effort and did not specifically pertain to a new release on that date. The total number of pages and the context of the release do not support the claim as stated.

Sources

1. JFK Assassination Records - 2023 Additional Documents
2. JFK Assassination Records - 2023 Additional Documents
3. Declassification of Records Concerning the Assassinations
4. Classified Documents: What's in the New Kennedy Files
5. Newly declassified files show RFK met with CIA after trip to
6. CIA releases 54 declassified documents related to RFK
7. Robert F. Kennedy met with the CIA after a trip to the Soviet
8. CIA releases declassified documents on Robert F Kennedy