JFK Records Release: Congressional Oversight Requested

[Robert E. Cox]

The U.S. Congress has received a new request to pay attention, once again, to a law passed more than a quarter-century ago, requiring release of all government documents relating to the assassination of JFK, and authorizing continued oversight on whether the law was/is being followed.

The request comes from attorney Lawrence Schnapf, long an advocate for opening of the records. He notes in his letter and background to U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney that:

"Despite the fact that thousands of assassination records continue to be withheld for alleged national security reasons and the agencies requesting postponement have failed to identify the specific harm posed by each postponed record or how these harms outweigh the public interest in disclosure, the Committee has not conducted any hearings or conducted any investigation to determine if the continued withholding of records complies with the JFK Act..."

He asks Maloney to begin action without delay, given that the next deadline for release of ALL records (with exceptions only for those few cases allowed under terms of the Act) is next October, and the requirement that any agency still wishing to request continued secrecy must do so no later than April 26, 2021.

His full presentation to Maloney is included in this document: 

Request to Maloney - Schnapf.docx

For those interested, it is an excellent background and current status of the long struggle to hold the U.S. Administration to its responsibilities under the law, and to remind Congress of its responsibilities to make sure the law is followed.

Other posts regarding the request:

 JFK Facts » Will Rep. Maloney Hold Oversight Hearings on JFK Files?

Letter to House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform – The Future of Freedom Foundation (fff.org)