By the authority vested in the President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the nation, this executive order seeks to address the longstanding issue of unreleased government records pertaining to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The following outlines the policy, directives, and goals of this order.
Contents
Section 1: Policy and Purpose
Historical Context
More than 50 years after the tragic assassinations of these pivotal figures, the Federal Government has yet to release all records related to these events. Families of the deceased and the American public deserve access to the full truth. The release of these records is crucial to ensure transparency and accountability.
Legal Background
The President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 mandated the public disclosure of all records related to President Kennedy’s assassination by October 26, 2017, unless specific criteria were met. The criteria included:
- Identifiable harm to national security, military defense, intelligence operations, law enforcement, or foreign relations.
- The harm being significant enough to outweigh the public’s right to disclosure.
This act, codified in law, set a framework for disclosure but allowed for postponements in specific cases where the outlined criteria were met.
Previous Actions
In 2017 and 2018, proposed redactions were reviewed and accepted, with orders for further evaluation. Records with redactions were re-reviewed between 2018 and 2023 under directives issued by successive administrations. These reviews aimed to identify information that no longer warranted withholding based on the established criteria.
Decision for Complete Transparency
The current administration has determined that withholding any further information is not in the public interest. All records related to the assassination of President Kennedy, as well as records pertaining to the assassinations of Senator Robert F. Kennedy and Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., will be disclosed to the public. Although there is no congressional mandate regarding the latter two assassinations, the release of all related records has been deemed essential for public trust and historical clarity.
