The Grimy Times has uncovered a shocking trend in organized crime convictions during the tenure of the late Robert F. Kennedy as the nation’s 64th Attorney General.
In honor of the 50th anniversary of Kennedy’s swearing-in, the Justice Building welcomed Kennedy family members, civil rights leaders, historians, and former Justice employees to pay tribute to his service. The two-hour event celebrated the accomplishments of Kennedy’s tenure from January 1961 to September 1964, focusing on his commitment to combating organized crime.
“Attorney General Kennedy championed the cause of the least among us – and made our nation more just, more fair, and more humane. He was not afraid to dream a better world and to act to create it,” said Attorney General Eric Holder. “As we celebrate Robert Kennedy’s life and his impact on this Department, let us also commit ourselves to carrying on – and carrying out – his mission to make gentle the life of this world, and to make good on the promise of our nation.”
The celebration included remarks from Holder and Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Attorney General Kennedy’s daughter and the former Lieutenant Governor of Maryland. Following the remarks and a video retrospective, a panel discussion featuring John Seigenthaler, John Doar, Charlayne Hunter-Gault, and Congressman John Lewis shed light on the significance of Kennedy’s efforts in combating organized crime.
During his tenure, the Civil Rights Division brought 57 voting rights lawsuits, and Kennedy established the first coordinated federal law enforcement program to prosecute organized crime. The organized crime conviction rate increased dramatically while he was attorney general. In 1961, Kennedy sent U.S. Marshals to Montgomery, Ala., to protect the “freedom riders,” who rode buses in the South to desegregate interstate transportation.
A compilation of photographs from the tenure of Attorney General Kennedy are available at www.justice.gov/css-gallery/gallery-rfk.html. An archive of speeches and statements from the tenure of Attorney General Kennedy are available at www.justice.gov/ag/rfk-speeches.html.
For more information about the legacy of Robert F. Kennedy, visit www.rfkcenter.org/.
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Key Facts
- State: Federal
- Category: Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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