Latest news with #DeclassificationofFederalSecrets
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Opinion - Reps. Luna and Garcia should make their next JFK hearing a fair fight
Recently the House Oversight and Government Reform committee's task force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets held a hearing on the JFK files. It included the deeply weird claim by one member of the panel, testifying that the man arrested for the murder of President John F. Kennedy 'might have fired a gun' that day in Dallas, but was absolutely 'not the intellectual author' of the murder. After plenty of thinking, I must admit: I have no idea what that means either. I am not alone. JFK anti-conspiracy nation was appalled. 'My expectations were low going in and it was still worse than I expected,' said Gerald Posner in an interview. Posner is the author of 'Case Closed,' the bestselling book on the assassination. The one that lays out the-beyond-convincing case that Lee Harvey Oswald, arrested 80 minutes after the assassination — after murdering a Dallas police officer — is irrefutably much more than just 'the intellectual author' of the assassination. He is the lone shooter of the president, proven by the evidence, melded with a solid understanding of his biography, confirmed by multiple investigations as well as by decades of hard work by individual researchers unimpressed by tales of invisible additional shooters; or of somehow popular explanations such as that either of two Secret Service agents in the motorcade shot JFK. (Really. This scenario is huge on social media.) The reason the Oswald-is-guilty case was not made at the hearing is because no one present was interested in making it. Nobody at the witness table and nobody among their questioners, members of the subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), who announced before the hearing that she had decided that multiple shooters were involved, and that a news film taken moments after the shooting had been hidden from the country by NBC. It had not, and was barely referenced in the hearing. Several leading anti-conspiracy critics said they approached the subcommittee in advance of the hearing seeking a seat at that table of testifiers, but were ignored. 'We are not angry, but we are disappointed,' said Fred Litwin, author, podcaster and constant updater of his essential website, which debunks claim after ridiculous claim from JFK conspiracists. 'Congresswoman Luna does not seem to have a firm grasp of the case, and I worry that she could end up being fooled by theories which are ridiculous.' One solution: Invite to testify next time experts with a broader range of views. And not just on who the killer is, but on what arcane documents mean and do not mean. Luna announced late last week she would in fact host another hearing on JFK issues. Posner, Litwin, W. Tracey Parnell and other leading anti-JFK-conspiracy critics were left to provide fast and informative reactions after the made-for-TV event. The non-revelations piled up: The CIA reading Oswald's mail — actually only one letter, from Oswald's mother, asking him to write to her more — was likely because Oswald lived in the Soviet Union. The covert mail surveillance program itself has long been public, revealed in the 1970s. Oliver Stone said 'more than 40 witnesses' have claimed they saw a large hole in the back of JFK's head, potentially indicating a shot from the front. Litwin and other researchers patiently point out that in fact such a claim is assembled from recollections that are nowhere near consistent — or from witnesses who would not have had an extended view of Kennedy's wounds. Conspiracy dissenters also note the vast evidence-faking operation necessary to sustain such a scenario, involving, to begin with, the entire autopsy team — doctors, photographers, x-ray technicians, medical staff, military brass — as well as many others operating within an enormous criminal conspiracy that has somehow sustained for 62 years. (The most prominent film of the assassination would have had to be somehow secretly altered, as well, since it shows the back of the president's head intact.) The JFK files release in the days preceding the hearing was also a dud, say the conspiracy dissenters, as nearly all of these documents were previously released and whatever redactions were uncovered addressed zilch about who shot the president. But additional truth may in fact be out there: JFK assassination-related files Litwin says he wants to read may be found in Cuba, Mexico City, Russia and in the city of Minsk in Belarus, the Soviet city where Oswald lived as a defector. Litwin wants to know: Were further KGB operations in place to influence American public opinion — aimed at selling the narrative that the CIA was behind the assassination — than those already known? One useful voice for future hearings is the king of the skeptics. 'Will the final release of all the JFK files at long last put an end to conspiracism surrounding the murder of the 35th president?' asked Michael Shermer, author, publisher, podcaster and executive director of the Skeptic Society. 'Of course not! 'If it were the assassination of Texas Gov. [John] Connally instead of JFK, or the mayor of Dallas, or anyone besides JFK, would we still be talking about it? No. Oswald would have been charged, tried and convicted in a short trial, and that would have been case closed. But because it was the POTUS, the proportionality bias dictates that large effects must have large causes.' And if Luna keeps to her word to look into the murder of Robert Kennedy as well, she or ranking member Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) could invite RFK case authority and author Mel Ayton or bulldog author-reporter Dan Moldea to that hearing. Both are respected anti-conspiracy authorities in the RFK case. Let's at least make it a fair fight. Craig Colgan is a Washington, D.C.-based writer. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
01-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Democrats decry ‘sloppy and rushed' release of JFK files during task force hearing
House Democrats on Tuesday decried the Trump administration's rollout of records related to the 1963 assassination of former President Kennedy, raising concerns about the release of personal information even as they agreed with Republican colleagues that there was value in accessing the files. 'We've got to have transparency so that we can learn to be better, so that we can hold agencies accountable. But being reckless with this sensitive information is also not the way to do it,' said Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pa.) during a hearing focused on the flood of so-called 'JFK files.' 'Unfortunately, the rollout of documents that we've seen so far has been sloppy and rushed. The release didn't really give us a smoking gun, but it did produce plenty of collateral damage,' Lee said. An executive order from President Trump prompted the National Archives to release thousands of files related to Kennedy's killing. Through unredacted documents, hundreds of Social Security numbers and other personal data were made public, putting some living individuals named in the records at risk. Though Democrats on the committee largely said there was value in examining previously classified information, Lee and others sounded alarm about the risks of releasing materials without regard for personal data. 'We know that in the past the government has over-classified documents. … Over-classification at the expense of transparency is something we should all take seriously. But also note that it's incredibly serious and a delicate subject,' said Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee's Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets. Later in the hearing, Garcia stressed his concern that 'a lot of personal information' had been released during the document rollout that has 'actually caused harm to folks.' John Davisson, senior counsel and director of litigation at the Electronic Privacy Information Center, testified that the National Archives were aware that the documents included sensitive personal information – and completed the document release 'without taking the steps that are ordinarily taken to redact that information and to ensure the privacy is protected.' 'There's a whole host of harms that can come from that,' Davisson said, pointing out the possibility of identity fraud and other issues. The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in a release acknowledged that files went out without redactions and contained the personal identification information of some living individuals. Along with the Social Security Administration, NARA said it's now working 'to protect the individuals who may be affected from their information being exploited.' Officials at the White House have also said there's a plan in place to help those affected by the document release, according to the Associated Press, but Davisson argued that significant harm can still happen in the meantime. Also testifying before the committee was Oliver Stone, the American filmmaker behind the 1991 political thriller 'JFK,' which stoked conspiracy questions surrounding Kennedy's death. 'I ask the committee to reopen what the Warren Commission failed miserably to complete. I ask you … to reinvestigate the assassination of this President Kennedy from the scene of the crime to the courtroom,' Oliver Stone told lawmakers in his opening statement, contending that the CIA's 'muddy footprints are all over this case.' But Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), another of just five Democrats on the 12-member subcommittee, stressed that the latest flood of documents does not contradict the Warren Commission's conclusion that Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone gunman in the assassination. 'While I value government accountability and transparency like most of my colleagues, nearly all of the previously classified JFK assassination files are now public and show no evidence of a CIA conspiracy,' Crockett said. 'But what I find funny about this hearing is that the Republicans are here litigating whether CIA agents lied 60 years ago, but aren't doing anything about the CIA director lying to Congress just six days ago,' she added, decrying that Trump administration officials who controversially used a Signal group chat, arguing they were 'carelessly discussing classified military plans.' Task force Chair Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) pitched the document release as a 'historical day' for transparency. 'With the recent efforts made to declassify over 80,000 pages of classified documents, fighting against the request for redactions—combined with prior releases under the previous administration—we have an unprecedented opportunity to peel back the layers of that dark day and lay bare the facts for all to see and for the first time in many years we are seeing complete cooperation between the U.S. government enterprise,' Luna said in her opening remarks. Jefferson Morley, editor of the JFK Facts blog, and James DiEugenio, author of books on the assassination, were additional witnesses who raised questions about the investigations and long-held conclusions about the case.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Oliver Stone calls on Congress to reopen JFK assassination investigation
Filmmaker Oliver Stone on Tuesday called for Congress to reopen the investigation into the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Stone is testifying before a House Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets hearing on the release of recently declassified records of the investigation into the Kennedy assassination. Stone took aim at the Central Intelligence Agency, calling it a tax-funded agency that "arrogantly believes it is outside our laws" and that "nothing of importance has been revealed by the CIA in all these years." He asked, "Can we return to a world where our government can level with us," and tell the truth? Stone's 1991 film "JFK" focused on the work of New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison, who conducted an independent investigation of the assassination, resulting in his failed prosecution of New Orleans businessman Clay Shaw, who Garrison alleged was involved in a CIA conspiracy to kill the president. The film was a commercial and critical success, grossing $205 million and winning two Academy Awards. The film is credited with popularizing conspiracy theories of FBI and CIA involvement in the Kennedy assassination. The film was credited by the Assassination Records Review Board as being at least partially responsible for the passage of the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992. Stone testified before Congress in support of the bill. The act mandated the release of all documents related to the assassination by 2017, though that timeline was delayed several times. The film's release also coincided with an increased degree of public skepticism in the Warren Commission's findings that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in the assassination of Kennedy. Gallup polling has consistently shown that a majority of Americans has consistently believed more than one person was responsible for the assassination. The number believing the official conclusion of a lone gunman saw a sharp decline in the 1970s and 1980s, reaching an all-time low of 10% in 1992. Stone has long been active in politics, largely supporting Democratic candidates and has been a vocal supporter of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. He has been the subject of criticism for statements that have been perceived as supportive of Russian President Vladimir Putin. he took aim at the cia calling it a tax funded agency that "arrogantly believes it is outside our laws" and that "nothing of importance has been revealed by the cia in all these years". He asked "can we return to a world where our government can level with us" and tell us the truth. Oliver Stone calls on Congress to reopen JFK assassination investigation originally appeared on
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone is to testify on latest JFK assassination files
Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone, whose 1991 film JFK portrayed President John F Kennedy's assassination as the work of a government conspiracy, is set to testify to US Congress today regarding thousands of newly released documents surrounding the killing. Also invited are Jefferson Morley and James DiEugenio, who both have written books arguing for conspiracies behind the assassination of JFK. Experts say the files that Donald Trump ordered to be released did not reveal any new information that weakened the conclusion that a lone gunman killed Kennedy. Many documents were previously released but contained newly removed redactions, including Social Security numbers. The first hearing of the House Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets comes five decades after the Warren Commission investigation concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald, a 24-year-old former Marine, acted alone in fatally shooting Kennedy as his motorcade finished a parade route in downtown Dallas on 22 November 1963. Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, who chairs the task force, said last month that she wants to work with writers and researchers to help solve 'one of the biggest cold case files in US history.' Stone's JFK was nominated for eight Oscars, including Best Picture, and won two. It grossed more than $200 million but was also dogged by questions about its factuality. The last formal congressional investigation of Kennedy's assassination ended in 1978, when a House committee issued a report concluding that the Soviet Union, Cuba, organized crime, the CIA and the FBI weren't involved, but Kennedy 'probably was assassinated as a result of a conspiracy.' In 1976, a Senate committee said it had not uncovered enough evidence 'to justify a conclusion that there was a conspiracy.' The Warren Commission, appointed by Kennedy's successor, President Lyndon B. Johnson, concluded that Oswald fired on Kennedy's motorcade from a sniper's perch on the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository. Police arrested Oswald within 90 minutes, and two days later, Jack Ruby, a nightclub owner, shot Oswald during a jail transfer broadcast on live television.
Boston Globe
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
‘JFK' director Oliver Stone to testify to Congress about the newly released assassination files
The first hearing of the House Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets comes five decades after the Warren Commission investigation concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald, a 24-year-old former Marine, acted alone in fatally shooting Kennedy as his motorcade finished a parade route in downtown Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963. Advertisement Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, who chairs the task force, said last month that she wants to work with writers and researchers to help solve 'one of the biggest cold case files in U.S. history.' Scholars and historians haven't viewed the assassination as a cold case, viewing the evidence for Oswald as a lone gunman as strong. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Stone's 'JFK' was nominated for eight Oscars, including best picture, and won two. It grossed more than $200 million but was also dogged by questions about its factuality. The last formal congressional investigation of Kennedy's assassination ended in 1978, when a House committee issued a report concluding that the Soviet Union, Cuba, organized crime, the CIA and the FBI weren't involved, but Kennedy 'probably was assassinated as a result of a conspiracy.' In 1976, a Senate committee said it had not uncovered enough evidence 'to justify a conclusion that there was a conspiracy.' Advertisement The Warren Commission, appointed by Kennedy's successor, President Lyndon B. Johnson, concluded that Oswald fired on Kennedy's motorcade from a sniper's perch on the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository, where Oswald worked. Police arrested Oswald within 90 minutes, and two days later, Jack Ruby, a nightclub owner, shot Oswald during a jail transfer broadcast on live television. For Tuesday's hearing, the task force also invited Jefferson Morley and James DiEugenio, who both have written books arguing for conspiracies behind the assassination. Morley is editor of the JFK Facts blog and vice president of the Mary Ferrell Foundation, a repository for files related to the assassination. He has praised Luna as being open to new information surrounding the killing.
