</s>62-HQ-587 SECTION 46 SERVAS 1251-1278 KSC-110-397-464 OF RAL BUREAU PARTMENT OF JUSTICE FBI - CENTRAL RECORDS CENTER /ESTIGATION HQ - HEADQUARTERS Class / Case # Sub Vol. Serial # Class /Case # 46 1251 1278 DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DESTROY DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT FOIPA # /Lollab858 Transfer - Call 3421 Use Care in Handling this File FIBHQ INVESTIGATIVE AND ADMINISTRATIVE FILES MATERIAL MUST NOT BE REMOVED FROM OR ADDED TO THIS FILE RRP0033APH4 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI and Department of Justice (DOJ) interactions regarding the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) on June 5, 1968, including file access disputes, interviews with individuals linked to Sirhan Bishara Sirhan, and legal challenges over record disclosure. Key elements include:  
- FBI directives in December 1970 to review the book *R.F.K. Must Die!* by Robert F. Kaiser for new investigative value and assess its content alongside interviews with Communist Party members connected to Walter Crowe and Grove. The Los Angeles field office was instructed to evaluate potential connections between these individuals and RFK’s assassination.  
- A DOJ memorandum from December 2, 1970, referencing Deputy Attorney General Richard G. Kleindienst’s request for FBI interviews with Communist Party members following testimony by confidential informant 20-1-I before the Subversive Activities Control Board. The FBI was tasked to determine whether Kaiser’s book contained previously unknown information.  
- A court filing from January 7, 1971, outlining Bernard Fensterwald’s lawsuit against the DOJ for access to FBI files (Office File 56-156, Bureau File No. 62-587) related to RFK’s assassination. The DOJ denied disclosure under FOIA exemptions, citing 5 U.S.C. § 542(b)(7), while Fensterwald argued for disclosure under Public Law 89-487 (5 U.S.C. § 552).  
- FBI files were shared with Sirhan Bishara Sirhan and his counsel during his murder trial, as well as with Robert F. Kaiser, who authored *R.F.K. Must Die!* The book’s publication is noted as part of the dispute over record access.  

Key People  
- **Sirhan Bishara Sirhan**: Accused assassin of RFK; central figure in FBI and DOJ investigations. His defense team received FBI files during his trial.  
- **Robert F. Kaiser**: Journalist and author of *R.F.K. Must Die!*; accessed FBI files for his book, which was cited in legal disputes over record disclosure.  
- **Bernard Fensterwald, Jr.**: Plaintiff in the lawsuit seeking access to FBI records related to RFK’s assassination.  
- **Richard G. Kleindienst**: Deputy Attorney General requesting FBI interviews with Communist Party members linked to Walter Crowe.  
- **L. Patrick Gray, III**: Assistant Attorney General overseeing DOJ’s response to Fensterwald’s FOIA request.  
- **Dr. Bernard L. Diamond**: Psychologist who evaluated Sirhan and was referenced by Kaiser in his book’s theory of "programming."  

Key Locations  
- **Los Angeles, California**: Site of RFK’s assassination at the Ambassador Hotel; location of FBI field office activities and interviews with individuals linked to Sirhan.  
- **Washington, D.C.**: Headquarters of the Department of Justice and location of court proceedings related to FOIA disputes.  
- **Pasadena City College**: Mentioned in context of Sirhan’s associations with Arab students.  

Key Events  
- **December 4, 1970**: FBI memo directing Los Angeles field office to review *R.F.K. Must Die!* and assess interviews with Communist Party members linked to Walter Crowe and Grove.  
- **December 7, 1970**: DOJ denied access to FBI files on RFK’s assassination under FOIA exemptions.  
- **January 7, 1971**: Court filing by Bernard Fensterwald demanding disclosure of FBI records related to RFK’s assassination.  
- **Publication of *R.F.K. Must Die!* (1970)**: Book referenced in legal disputes over record access and cited as containing theories about Sirhan’s alleged programming.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted primary investigation into RFK’s assassination, managed file disclosures, and interviewed individuals linked to Sirhan.  
- **Department of Justice (DOJ)**: Administered FOIA requests and legal disputes over record access.  
- **Subversive Activities Control Board (SABC)**: Mentioned as a regulatory body relevant to Communist Party members interviewed by the FBI.  
- **Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD)**: Collaborated with the FBI in investigations related to RFK’s assassination.

RFK Declassified Files

62-hq-587_sec_046_ser_1251-1278-part_1_of_5.pdf

Document Summary

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