Despite a Congressional directive more than three decades ago for all files related to President John F. Kennedy's assassination to be made public, President Joe Biden continues to uphold the veil of secrecy. Critics allege this move perpetuates a cover-up, concealing critical insights into the violent demise of America's 35th president and the potential involvement of Vice President Lyndon Baines Johnson, along with CIA and FBI officials.
This recent executive action by Biden puts a halt to the National Archives' ongoing effort to identify and publicly release all JFK-related files. Detractors suggest that the undisclosed or heavily redacted documents are hiding a wealth of damning information from both America and the global community.
Noted JFK investigator and attorney Larry Schnapf refers to this as a "travesty" and a victory for the intelligence agencies who allegedly played a role in the president's tragic demise. "The national security establishment has won," Schnapf laments, insisting that the struggle for transparency will persist despite this setback.
According to insiders, the decision to disclose the remaining JFK files now lies with the FBI and CIA's "transparency plans" filed with the National Archives. For many, including Schnapf and a majority of Americans who demand disclosure, the withholding of these 60-year-old records poses a challenge to democracy.
The controversy also draws the attention of prominent figures like Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., JFK's nephew, who labels the suppression of these files as an "outrage against American democracy." Meanwhile, recent polling data reveals that 71% of Americans are advocating for full disclosure, while half believe that Lee Harvey Oswald did not act alone in the Dallas motorcade assassination on November 22, 1963.
Jacob Hornberger, author of 'Regime Change: The JFK Assassination,' is among many who assert that the unreleased documents will reveal a murderous conspiracy, potentially implicating key figures such as LBJ, FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, Army Gen. Lyman Lemnitzer, and former CIA director Allen Dulles.
Despite a legal obligation for the Trump administration to release all JFK files by October 26, 2017, the disclosure was postponed for three and a half years due to CIA and FBI requests. Biden, too, has hesitated, arguing that the release could pose a serious threat to national security.
However, Schnapf and others are challenging this move and have filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration, seeking adherence to Congress' 1992 law. According to Schnapf, the classified records could contain crucial information about informants and sources, and the ongoing delay serves to ensure "their memories will be lost forever to history."