 The national attention paid to Robert F. Kennedy during the Select Committee 's hearings helped launch his career as a government official and politician . It also earned him a reputation for ruthlessness and hard work . His experiences with the Select Committee significantly affected Robert Kennedy , and strongly influenced his decision to make fighting organized crime a high priority during his tenure as United States Attorney General . After leaving the Select Committee , Robert F. Kennedy spent the better part of a year writing about his experiences and what he had learned about unions and organized crime . Kennedy 's book , The Enemy Within , was published in February 1960 . 
