The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) released a substantial collection of JFK assassination records in alignment with a President Joe Biden memorandum.
The records, pursuant to the JFK Act of 1992, have been made available for public download on the NARA website.
Since April 15, 2023, a considerable number of 2,672 documents have been added to the existing collection as per the presidential directive. The agencies involved in this process meticulously reviewed redactions in the records, consequently revealing an array of previously undisclosed information.
“At the National Archives, we believe in the importance of government transparency and the accessibility of information,” said U.S. archivist Colleen Shogan in a statement.
“I have every confidence that the NDC’s implementation of these plans offers a clear path forward for public transparency and the timely release of additional information as circumstances warrant,” Shogan added.
The newly released information meets the president’s June 30 deadline and includes thousands of previously redacted documents.
To maintain consistent transparency and regular dissemination of information, involved agencies drafted and delivered transparency plans to NARA’s National Declassification Center (NDC).
The NDC implemented these plans, keeping the prime objective of promoting government transparency and facilitating the timely disclosure of additional information at the forefront.
The JFK Act of 1992, enacted after President John F. Kennedy’s assassination on November 22, 1963, mandated consolidation of all assassination-related material within the National Archives and Records Administration.
The collection is substantial, totaling over five million pages of records that include photographs, motion pictures, sound recordings and artifacts, collectively occupying approximately 2,000 cubic feet.
The majority of these records have been rendered accessible for research purposes, contributing to a broad knowledge base surrounding the Kennedy assassination.
This new release of records may provide further insight into the circumstances surrounding JFK’s assassination, a topic that continues to be of significant interest to historians, researchers and the general public alike.
This move reaffirms the commitment of the current administration and NARA towards openness and transparency, allowing for a better understanding of one of the most influential events in American history.