Staff Reports
On Thursday, the National Archives will release over 11,000 uncensored files related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
The documents' release is in compliance with an executive order by President Joe Biden. He authorized the full disclosure of the classified information. The order required the public to view the documents by December 15.
The executive order was made in response to a 1992 law that requires the public to be notified about the details of the assassination of Kennedy unless doing so would threaten the national security or intelligence.
The deadline for the release of the documents was in October 2017. In that year, Trump released about 2,800 of the 3,000 classified files related to the assassination. However, the act was put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic. According to the order, various agencies and executive departments have been preparing to release the documents about national security threats.
In response, Biden issued a memorandum in 2021 to review the redactions. The agencies noted that some of the documents had to remain secret to prevent the public from learning more about them. To ensure that the information is kept confidential, the president ordered the agencies to review the documents until May 1, 2023. The order also stated that the non-disclosure requests made after June 30, 2023, will be limited to the absolute minimum.
Kennedy was fatally shot while riding in an open car in Dallas, Texas. According to CBS News, the vehicle was forced to rush him to the hospital after medical responders pronounced him dead. His death was announced by Walter Cronkite, a former CBS News anchor.
Following the assassination, Chief Justice Earl Warren of the Supreme Court ruled that Lee Harvey Oswald was the gunman. For over 60 years, this controversial theory has been discussed among historians. Oswald was fatally shot in the police department's basement two days after Kennedy's death.
In October, a non-profit group filed a lawsuit against Biden's administration for failing to comply with the deadline for the release of the documents.
