Days before the anniversary of John F. Kennedy's assassination on November 23, 1963, Americans are still yet to know the full extent of what happened that day at Dealey Plaza in Dallas. In fact, the Biden administration is taking steps to ensure the truth is never known.
On Friday, October 18, President Joe Biden's Justice Department took further steps to block the release of classified records related to the assassination. The government is summary judgment motion To claim control of the Congressional records regarding the murder of JFK. This is the latest effort by the Biden administration, which is moving to block the release of remaining assassination documents held by the National Archives and Records Administration starting in 2021.
Every time a government attempts to hide or restrict critical information about an assassination, it provokes a massive and visceral public reaction.
The Justice Department's move contradicts the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992, which explicitly prohibits the president from exercising authority over records of departments other than Congress and the executive branch. of JFK recording method It also required full disclosure of all assassination records by October 26, 2017.
On October 19, 2022, the nonprofit organization Mary Ferrell FoundationThe privately run archives, which specializes in records related to the Kennedy assassination and other major events of the 1960s and 1970s, filed a lawsuit against Biden and the National Archives. The lawsuit seeks the release of all assassination records, meeting a 2017 legal deadline. The lawsuit also seeks a court order requiring the National Archives to maintain a complete public directory of assassination record identification forms and fulfill other responsibilities required by law.
The idea for the lawsuit emerged after two consecutive presidential administrations missed deadlines to release all assassination records. But it was President Biden's actions in 2021 and beyond that triggered the lawsuit. Mr. Biden's decision effectively abolished standards set in the JFK Records Act, allowing executive agencies such as the CIA, FBI, and Secret Service to withhold records. These agencies have long resisted releasing assassination documents, even admitting to having destroyed some of their records.
The Department of Justice's motion for summary judgment would undermine the purpose of the JFK Records Act. This law was intended to strip the executive branch of authority over assassination records and establish a responsible and enforceable process for examining and releasing these documents. From 1994 to 1998, the Assassination Records Review Commission, an independent statutorily established body, issued legally binding orders to review, postpone, or release millions of documents. These decisions ensured that postponements strictly adhered to the limited criteria outlined in section 6 of the Act.
The Justice Department's attempts to assert presidential control over the Congressional record are particularly puzzling. Several provisions of the JFK Records Act clearly state that presidential authority applies. only In the records of the executive branch. Section 9(d)(1) clearly limits the president's power, emphasizing that it does not extend to Congressional assassination records.
Section 7(l) of the JFK Records Act expressly states that the House and Senate Oversight Committees retain continuing control and oversight over the management of the assassination records. rear ARRB has finished its work.
When Congress passed the JFK Records Act 32 years ago, lawmakers expressed deep concern that an executive branch with a history of obstructing assassination investigations would continue to block the release of records. The Senate unanimously ratified the law, filed a report highlighting its intent, and provided an interpretive guide for courts to refer to in cases involving the law. The Senate's concerns about the president's control over the Congressional record are unmistakable.
Since Kennedy's assassination 61 years ago, federal agencies have aggressively collected and blocked documents and evidence related to his murder. Every time a government attempts to hide or restrict important information about an assassination, it provokes a massive and visceral public reaction. This happened when the infamous Zapruder film was first broadcast in 1975, 12 years after the assassination. It also came after Oliver Stone's Academy Award-winning 1991 film drew public attention to the government's secret trove of JFK assassination records.
“JFK assassination choke hold' chronicles more than 60 years of government obstruction surrounding the Kennedy assassination. It details how recent executive orders effectively sealed thousands of records from public view, in direct violation of the unanimous will of Congress and the expressed wishes of the American people.
