Senator Klobuchar Letter to President Biden Requesting Full Release of JFK Records

[Lawrence Schnapf]

This is letter the Senator sent to the President as a follow-up to Judge Tunheim's letter.  Another step in building a coalition to get an oversight hearing.

[Charles Blackmon]

That is a positive development. 

[Lawrence Schnapf]

yes- we are like a QB looking for the open passing lanes.    

[Michaleen Kilroy]

2 hours ago, Lawrence Schnapf said:

This is letter the Senator sent to the President as a follow-up to Judge Tunheim's letter.  Another step in building a coalition to get an oversight hearing.

Love Sen. Klobuchar and this only increases my respect for her.

That said, she has a close relationship with POTUS and this still didn’t do the trick.

Another sign just how tough it will be to get these final files released.

Edited December 27, 2022 by Michaleen Kilroy

[Kirk Gallaway]

Yes it is. Amy Klobuchar is a centrist who might be too pro defense status quo for me.   But there's no doubt, she's very capable. This might not be popular here, but in the 2020 Democrat Presidential debates, she could wipe the floor with Tulsi Gabbard , Kamala Harris or Kirsten Gillebrand. Not that the person winning the debate is necessarily the best candidate. But she would probably be the best women in Congress to argue your case. So this is find!

[Paul Brancato]

She deserves a lot of credit.

[Matt Allison]

Amy Klobuchar is a badass. Tough and persistent person. Was very nearly our current Vice President.

[Lawrence Schnapf]

we have been trying to cobble together a bi-partisan coalition. The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs chaired by Senator Gary Peters also has oversight jurisdiction over the JFK Act so we have been working that committee on a parallel track with the House Oversight Committee. Have to keep alot of stuff close to the vest because of the sensitivity of conversations but rest assured we are pushing all buttons that we have access to try to make a Congressional oversight hearing a  reality. This will be a multi-month process.

In the meantime, if any of you have a representative or senator that sits on one of either these committees, please send me a private note at Larry@schnapflaw.com. If you dont know and want to check, simply google the name of the committee and you will be able to check the committee rosters. Does not matter if they are democrats or republicans. the key is to make connections with committee members...

[Matt Allison]

I own a home in Michigan as well as here in Illinois, and I pay plenty in Michigan property taxes. So I'm going to contact Peters as a constituent.

[Marjan Rynkiewicz]

Dear Amy K.

Regarding Your Request For The Release Of The Non-Released JFK Assassination Records.

This release will take place shortly – redacted of course.

I am glad that u did not ask for the release of records relating to the accidental homicide of JFK by SSA Hickey. These can't of course be released while SSA Hill is alive. Hey – (if u ask)(all off the record) – i can arrange for u to see & handle the AR15 used by Hickey (no photos allowed) -- & the five empty .223 casings.

Sincerely, Joe B.

Edited December 27, 2022 by Marjan Rynkiewicz

[Lawrence Schnapf]

Matt Allison- great! 

In the spring of 2021, I sent a letter to Peters and Portman which fell on deaf ears probably because i was not a constituent and I had not yet learned the value of having prominent signatories in such circumstances. Below is an excerpt which was obviously written before Biden's 2021 and 2022 memos. Feel free to use it as as model or ignore it.  I have placed brackets around some of the info that needs to be updated. I believe the new deadline for notifying NARA of further proposed redactions is May 23, 2023.

"In October 2017, former chairs of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senators Charles E. Grassley and Patrick J. Leahy, co-sponsored Senate Resolution 281 (SR 281)1 which urged President Trump to “allow for the full public release of all remaining records pertaining to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy” and “to reject any claims for the continued postponement of the full public release of those records.” SR 281 was subsequently referred to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (the “Committee”) on October 4, 2017.
 

Although the Resolution died in Committee, the public’s interest in the assassination of President Kennedy has not. Unfortunately, [both Presidents Trump and Biden have now twice] not only failed to honor the intent of SR 281 but have also failed to comply with the specific requirements of the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 (“JFK Act”) when they each twice certified further postponements of thousands of documents.  At no time has either President or the Archivist of the United States made the required document-by-document finding based on “clear and convincing evidence” that one or more of the enumerated grounds for postponement existed as well as why those grounds outweighed the public’s right to the records.  

Congress provided that all assassination records should be released in 2017 except in extraordinary circumstances. Yet [four] years and passed since that date and the public has been deprived of the remaining information that has been identified by a federal entity to be related to President Kennedy’s assassination. After the passage of fifty-[eight] years it is time that this information sees the light of day (subject to, of course, any lawful proper exemptions that might apply). Accordingly, I am respectfully requesting that you hold oversight hearings on the failure of the Executive Branch to comply with the JFK Records Act as soon as possible especially given that no later than [April 26, 2021], all federal agencies are required by law to notify the Archivist as to whether any objections will be asserted to the release of the remaining JFK Records."

[Michael Griffith]

Good for Senator Klobuchar. I wish she had gained more traction in the Democratic presidential primaries in 2020. 

[Paul Cummings]

Seems pretty late in the game for Senator Klobuchar to start pushing this now. Perhaps in the past she's been an advocate but it appears it's more about scoring political points. 

Edited December 28, 2022 by Paul Cummings

[Lawrence Schnapf]

I dont know why the research community did not take action after the Trump postponements but things are different this time. we have a team that has weekly strategic meetings  and Judge Tunheim who just finished his term as the chief judge for the federal district court for the district of Minnesota- is working with us.  she did not have to write her own separate letter to the President so I will take her letter at face value for now and try to enlist her as an ally.   

Edited December 28, 2022 by Lawrence Schnapf

[Ron Bulman]

9 hours ago, Lawrence Schnapf said:

This is letter the Senator sent to the President as a follow-up to Judge Tunheim's letter.  Another step in building a coalition to get an oversight hearing.

Bravo!  Thank You Senator!