FBI Uncovers 2,400 Previously Secret Documents Relating to JFK Assassination
A review prompted by a presidential executive order reveals new records tied to the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has discovered approximately 2,400 records associated with the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, which occurred on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas.
This finding came to light following a report by Axios on January 23, 2023.
The newly identified records are part of a larger collection consisting of 14,000 pages of documents uncovered during a review aimed at complying with an executive order issued by President Donald Trump, which mandated the release of all JFK assassination-related records.
These specific documents were not disclosed through a designated task force that was charged with reviewing and releasing such materials at the time.
The existence of these additional records was communicated to the White House last Friday, suggesting that a further examination may yield more insights into one of the most analyzed incidents in American history.
The ongoing partial secrecy surrounding the JFK documents has ignited extensive public speculation and numerous conspiracy theories over the preceding six decades.
According to Jefferson Morley, an expert on the JFK assassination and vice president of the Mary Ferrell Foundation, this discovery signifies a serious commitment by the FBI to adhere to the president's directives.
Morley described the release as a potential turning point in the long-standing insistence on secrecy surrounding the details of the assassination.
The 1992 JFK Records Act mandated that assassination records be reviewed and released to the JFK Assassination Records Review Board and subsequently to the National Archives.
The board was expected to ensure full disclosure by 2017; however, reports indicate that the recently found documents had not undergone such vetting by either entity.
In 2017, Trump delayed the public release of numerous records following recommendations from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
In recent developments, President Joe Biden allowed limited disclosures of related documents, which have not quelled public discontent regarding the perceived lack of transparency from the government.
Experts caution that while these additional records may not conclusively clarify whether Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone or as part of a conspiracy in the assassination of JFK, their release could help to mitigate longstanding accusations of cover-ups by governmental entities.
Despite the directive for comprehensive disclosure, sources have indicated that intelligence agencies continue to advocate for redactions of various materials pertaining to the assassination.
A White House official quoted by Axios expressed concern that the ongoing resistance to full transparency could provoke significant backlash from President Biden.
In parallel, Trump's instruction for the release of documents extends to materials related to the assassinations of his brother, Robert F. Kennedy, on June 5, 1968, and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., who was assassinated on April 4, 1968. Documentation pertaining to RFK and MLK is expected to be made public by March 9, 2023.
This finding came to light following a report by Axios on January 23, 2023.
The newly identified records are part of a larger collection consisting of 14,000 pages of documents uncovered during a review aimed at complying with an executive order issued by President Donald Trump, which mandated the release of all JFK assassination-related records.
These specific documents were not disclosed through a designated task force that was charged with reviewing and releasing such materials at the time.
The existence of these additional records was communicated to the White House last Friday, suggesting that a further examination may yield more insights into one of the most analyzed incidents in American history.
The ongoing partial secrecy surrounding the JFK documents has ignited extensive public speculation and numerous conspiracy theories over the preceding six decades.
According to Jefferson Morley, an expert on the JFK assassination and vice president of the Mary Ferrell Foundation, this discovery signifies a serious commitment by the FBI to adhere to the president's directives.
Morley described the release as a potential turning point in the long-standing insistence on secrecy surrounding the details of the assassination.
The 1992 JFK Records Act mandated that assassination records be reviewed and released to the JFK Assassination Records Review Board and subsequently to the National Archives.
The board was expected to ensure full disclosure by 2017; however, reports indicate that the recently found documents had not undergone such vetting by either entity.
In 2017, Trump delayed the public release of numerous records following recommendations from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
In recent developments, President Joe Biden allowed limited disclosures of related documents, which have not quelled public discontent regarding the perceived lack of transparency from the government.
Experts caution that while these additional records may not conclusively clarify whether Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone or as part of a conspiracy in the assassination of JFK, their release could help to mitigate longstanding accusations of cover-ups by governmental entities.
Despite the directive for comprehensive disclosure, sources have indicated that intelligence agencies continue to advocate for redactions of various materials pertaining to the assassination.
A White House official quoted by Axios expressed concern that the ongoing resistance to full transparency could provoke significant backlash from President Biden.
In parallel, Trump's instruction for the release of documents extends to materials related to the assassinations of his brother, Robert F. Kennedy, on June 5, 1968, and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., who was assassinated on April 4, 1968. Documentation pertaining to RFK and MLK is expected to be made public by March 9, 2023.
