The Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets convened a hearing to discuss the newly declassified files concerning President John F. Kennedy's assassination. The focus was on assessing the federal government's transparency regarding these documents and its historical handling of information related to the event.
Chairwoman Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) emphasized in her opening statement that Americans' understanding of Kennedy's assassination has been largely controlled by federal agencies. Dan Hardway, former staff of the Select Committee on Assassinations, highlighted past instances where the CIA withheld information from various investigative bodies, including the Warren Commission and others.
President Trump's administration declassified 80,000 pages of records related to Kennedy’s assassination, aiming for maximum transparency. The House Oversight Committee’s Task Force intends to build on this effort to restore public trust through increased transparency.
Judge John Tunheim, former head of the Assassination Records Review Board, reiterated Congress's 1992 mandate for immediate disclosure of assassination-related records unless there was a rare need for protection. Douglas Horne, also formerly with the Review Board, noted that while some questions have been resolved, many remain unanswered.
Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) questioned why crucial information about Kennedy's assassination was kept from the public and linked this secrecy to widespread skepticism about the government. Rep. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.) asked about obstacles faced during attempts to release more information.
Dan Hardway described how initial access to unredacted files at the CIA was gradually restricted after George Joannides became involved. Chairwoman Luna questioned Judge Tunheim about why he informed President Biden that the CIA had misled his board regarding Joannides' file.
Judge Tunheim responded that they were misled into believing Joannides’ file was insignificant when it likely contained more substantial information still awaiting release.
