2 Kennedy children endorse opponent of progressive Los Angeles DA, cite parole hearing for RFK's killer
Max and Rory Kennedy citied George Gascón's barring of prosecutors from attending parole hearings to argue against the early release of criminals
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Two of Robert F. Kennedy's adult children threw their support behind a former federal prosecutor running against current Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón, citing his progressive policies, noting that it was the first time they had supported a candidate against a Democrat.
Max and Rory Kennedy announced their support of Independent Nathan Hochman in downtown Los Angeles in front of the Hall of Justice, where they accused Gascón, who is up for re-election, of failing to support victims of crime and their families.
"A lot has been written about Gascón and his questionable policies, Rory Kennedy said. "My family and I have lived through them."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Max and Rory Kennedy in Los Angeles on Tuesday to announce their support for Independent Nathan Hochman for Los Angeles County District Attorney. (Front Page Index)
The Kennedys and Hochman specifically cited a DA office policy of barring prosecutors from attending parole hearings to argue against the early release of criminals, including Sirhan Sirhan, 79, who assassinated Sen. Robert F. Kennedy in 1968, at the former Ambassador Hotel moments after he delivered a victory speech in the pivotal California primary.
Sirhan was convicted of first-degree murder for the slaying.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"The reason we're here is because Gascón's policies are failing Los Angeles," Max Kennedy said alongside mothers who have lost children to crime.
Gascón has been heavily criticized after riding a 2020 progressive wave of promises to reform the way Los Angeles County prosecutes criminal suspects. Upon taking office, he issued a number of directives, including the prohibition of charging juveniles as adults, even for violent crimes, supporting zero cash bail and other progressive measures.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón is up for re-election. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Max Kennedy said loved ones of victims of crimes have been deserted by the DA's office and left to face the court system alone because of such policies, prompting him and his sister to throw their support toward Hochman.
"This is the first that we've ever supported a candidate against a Democrat," he said.
Sirhan was found eligible for parole in 2022, but California Gov. Gavin Newsom reversed the decision. He was denied parole again in 2023. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office didn't send a prosecutor to the parole hearings in 2022 and 2023, as part of a new policy instituted by Gascón.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Sen. Robert F. Kennedy speaks to the delegates of the United Auto Workers at a convention hall in Atlantic City, N.J., May 9, 1968. (AP Photo, File)
Hochman noted that the district attorney is involved in most aspects of criminal investigations and the prosecution of suspects.
"Yet somehow, someway, DA Gascón views his responsibility as ending when that murderer seeks to get out of prison early," he said.
Sirhan Sirhan, left, was recommended for parole by a California board in 2022 for the 1968 assassination of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy. (California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation via AP; Photo by KEYSTONE-FRANCE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox News Digital has reached out to Gascón's campaign. In 2021, his office told Fox that prosecutors weren't sent to Sirhan's parole hearing as part of a promise to refrain from influencing the proceedings.
"The role of a prosecutor and their access to information ends at sentencing," Gascón's office said at the time. "The parole board, however, has all the pertinent facts and evaluations at their disposal, including how someone has conducted themselves over the last few decades in prison. The parole board’s sole purpose is to objectively determine whether someone is suitable for release."