Latest news with #HouseTaskForceontheDeclassificationofFederalSecrets
The Hill
17-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
KGB files on JFK assassination to be released in months: Luna
Covert files gathered by the Soviet-era KGB regarding President Kennedy's assassination in 1963 are on track to be revealed to the American public for the first time this fall, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) said this week. 'It's information the Russian government was in charge of releasing and I'm sure that you'll see that information coming out here pretty soon,' Luna, who chairs the House Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets, told NewsNation's Chris Cuomo on Wednesday. 'There is some level of open communication, and so as a result of that, that information will now be available in the coming months to the American people and also to JFK researchers.' During her appearance on 'Cuomo,' she did not provide additional details about the anticipated contents or the channels that are being used to facilitate their release. Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs didn't immediately respond to The Hill's request for additional information and comment. Luna indicated that new information the Task Force has obtained and observed supports long-standing conspiracy theories that Kennedy's assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, didn't act alone and the CIA helped cover up details about the killing. 'I've been told that the KGB had actually observed Oswald in Russia when he was there as a citizen, and he was actually not a good shot,' Luna told Cuomo. 'This is not also the only piece of information that we have.' 'The whole story that was the official narrative has been going to pieces within the last week,' she added. Conspiracies have persisted about CIA involvement or the existence of another assassin for decades. The National Archives in March released more than 2,000 files connected to Kennedy's assassination, after President Trump in January signed an executive order directing the release of all documents related to the government's investigation into the then-president's death. The Archives in 2022 released nearly 13,000 new files — the largest tranche disclosed on the case since 2018. Luna said late Wednesday that federal investigators attempted to obtain the KGB files in the 1990s, amid renewed interest in the case. '[They] actually reached out to the Russian government for those files, and unfortunately, they were not able to obtain them,' she said. American filmmaker Oliver Stone, whose 1991 film 'JFK' fueled renewed interest in a possible coverup of a second shooter and portrayed the assassination as a government conspiracy, took part in a hearing with the Luna-led task force earlier this year. 'I ask you, in good faith outside all political considerations, to reinvestigate the assassination of this President Kennedy from the scene of the crime to the courtroom,' he told the panel in April.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Live: JFK assassination hearing
(NewsNation) — The House Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets is holding a hearing Tuesday afternoon on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Witnesses at the hearing will include Dr. Don Curtis, who was one of the first to treat Kennedy at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, Texas; Dan Hardway, former staff member on the Select Committee on Assassinations; Judge John Tunheim, former head of the Assassinations Records Review Board; Douglas Horne, former staff member of the Assassinations Records Review Board; Abraham Bolden, a former U.S. Secret Service agent who has alleged misconduct in the agency's protection of Kennedy; and Alexis Coe, a presidential historian. The task force pledged to hold hearings on the JFK files when it was formed, initially stating it would call those who were present at Kennedy's autopsy as witnesses. As all those who were present during the autopsy have died, that would not be possible. Diddy's ex-assistant tells jury he set up hotel rooms for 'Freak Offs' Earlier in the year, President Donald Trump ordered the release of JFK files held by the National Archives, none of which provided a smoking gun that would prove the conspiracies circulating since Kennedy's death. Kennedy's assassination in 1963 has been the subject of conspiracies for decades. The president was shot twice while riding in an open-top motorcade in Dallas, Texas, and was pronounced dead shortly after being taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital. Lee Harvey Oswald was apprehended and accused of shooting Kennedy from the Texas School Book Depository. Oswald was then shot and killed by Jack Ruby as he was being moved by police. Numerous conspiracy theories have emerged about Kennedy's death, with many raising doubts about the number and location of shooters, suggesting that Oswald did not act alone or was set up as a patsy. In particular, conspiracy theorists believe the fatal shot came from the grassy knoll near the Plaza, not the book depository. Those who believe the official narrative is not accurate have alleged the involvement of the CIA, the mafia, the FBI, the U.S. military, Cuban leader Fidel Castro and varying combinations of the above. One major question has to do with the 'magic bullet theory,' which questions findings that the same bullet that struck Kennedy in the throat also hit Texas Gov. John Connally in the shoulder. Many conspiracies have questioned if that trajectory were possible. 'Original Sin' book alleges Biden aides covered up cognitive decline Conspiracies have been fed by failures during Kennedy's autopsy, including the disappearance of X-rays, photographs and Kennedy's brain, which had been removed for further examination. Other things that have fueled conspiracies are the Zapruder film, recorded by Abraham Zapruder at Dealey Plaza and containing a view of the assassination, as well as allegations from other witnesses that authorities confiscated film or photographs taken that day. The new files released in 2025 did not offer any confirmation of those conspiracies but did reveal that the CIA was aware of Oswald prior to the assassination and had monitored him. That has led some to suggest the agency failed to properly assess Oswald as a threat and treat him accordingly. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'JFK' director Oliver Stone calls for investigation into presidential assassination
Oliver Stone, the Oscar-winning director whose film JFK portrayed the President John F. Kennedy's assassination as the work of government conspiracy yesterday called for a new congressional investigation into his killing. Stone, 78, testified at a hearing of the House Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets following last month's release of thousands of pages of government documents related to the assassination. Related Neil Young says he may be barred from returning to US over Donald Trump criticism Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone is to testify on latest JFK assassination files JFK was nominated for eight Oscars, winning two, and grossed over $200 million (€185 million) at the box office. Stone described his film as a 'counter-myth' to the 'fictional myth' of the Warren Commission, established to investigate Kennedy's assassination. At the time of its release in 1991, JFK was criticised for its historical accuracy. Stone told the committee that he believes decades of delays in releasing unredacted records had prevented 'clarity' about who killed Kennedy. Stone also said a new investigation 'outside all political considerations' should begin 'at the scene of the crime' and re-examine all of the evidence from the day of the assassination. Experts have concluded that there's strong evidence that Lee Harvey Oswald, a 24-year-old former Marine, acted alone in killing Kennedy. 'Can we return to a world where we can trust our government to level with us, the people for which this government exists?' Stone said. 'This is our democracy. This is our presidency. It belongs to us.' Whether Oswald acted alone in fatally shooting Kennedy on a motorcade route in Dallas on 22 November 1963 was the task force's first line of questioning. Scholars say the files that President Donald Trump ordered to be released showed nothing undercutting the conclusion that a lone gunman killed Kennedy. Many documents were previously released but contained newly removed redactions, including Social Security numbers, angering people whose personal information was disclosed. The task force's chair, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, said she thinks the federal government under previous administrations had engaged in 'stonewalling.' The task force also invited Jefferson Morley and James DiEugenio, who 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. 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.
Euronews
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
'JFK' director Oliver Stone calls for investigation into presidential assassination
ADVERTISEMENT Oliver Stone, the Oscar-winning director whose film JFK portrayed the President John F. Kennedy's assassination as the work of government conspiracy yesterday called for a new congressional investigation into his killing. Stone, 78, testified at a hearing of the House Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets following last month's release of thousands of pages of government documents related to the assassination. Related Neil Young says he may be barred from returning to US over Donald Trump criticism Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone is to testify on latest JFK assassination files JFK was nominated for eight Oscars, winning two, and grossed over $200 million (€185 million) at the box office. Stone described his film as a 'counter-myth' to the 'fictional myth' of the Warren Commission, established to investigate Kennedy's assassination. At the time of its release in 1991, JFK was criticised for its historical accuracy. Stone told the committee that he believes decades of delays in releasing unredacted records had prevented 'clarity' about who killed Kennedy. Stone also said a new investigation 'outside all political considerations' should begin 'at the scene of the crime' and re-examine all of the evidence from the day of the assassination. Experts have concluded that there's strong evidence that Lee Harvey Oswald, a 24-year-old former Marine, acted alone in killing Kennedy. 'Can we return to a world where we can trust our government to level with us, the people for which this government exists?' Stone said. 'This is our democracy. This is our presidency. It belongs to us.' Oliver Stone listens during a hearing of the House Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, April 1, 2025, in Washington. AP Photo Whether Oswald acted alone in fatally shooting Kennedy on a motorcade route in Dallas on 22 November 1963 was the task force's first line of questioning. Scholars say the files that President Donald Trump ordered to be released showed nothing undercutting the conclusion that a lone gunman killed Kennedy. Many documents were previously released but contained newly removed redactions, including Social Security numbers, angering people whose personal information was disclosed. The task force's chair, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, said she thinks the federal government under previous administrations had engaged in 'stonewalling.' The task force also invited Jefferson Morley and James DiEugenio, who 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. resident John F. Kennedy slumps down in the back seat of the Presidential limousine as it speeds along Elm Street toward the Stemmons Freeway overpass after being fatally shot AP Photo 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.
CBS News
02-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
"JFK" director Oliver Stone tells Congress to reinvestigate 1963 assassination starting "at the scene of the crime"
Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone, whose 1991 film "JFK" portrayed President John F. Kennedy's assassination as the work of a shadowy government conspiracy, called Tuesday for a new congressional investigation of the killing during a hearing that aired conspiracy theories about it. The freewheeling hearing of the House Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets, where partisan grievances were aired, followed last month's release of thousands of pages of government documents related to the assassination. The task force's Republican chair opened the proceedings by questioning the Warren Commission investigation's conclusion that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in fatally shooting Kennedy as his motorcade finished a parade route in downtown Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963. Scholars say the files that President Donald Trump ordered to be released showed nothing undercutting the conclusion that a lone gunman killed Kennedy, and the declassified versions did not appear to contain significant new revelations about the assassination, based on a review by CBS News. Many documents were previously released but contained newly removed redactions, including Social Security numbers, angering people whose personal information was disclosed. 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 historical accuracy. Stone told the committee that he believes decades of delays in releasing unredacted records had prevented "clarity" about who killed JFK. Stone also said a new investigation "outside all political considerations" should begin "at the scene of the crime" and reexamine all of the evidence from the day of the assassination. Scholars and historians have concluded that there's strong evidence that Oswald, a 24-year-old former Marine, acted alone in killing Kennedy. "Can we return to a world where we can trust our government to level with us, the people for which this government exists?" Stone said. "This is our democracy. This is our presidency. It belongs to us." The task force's chair, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, said she thinks the federal government under previous administrations had engaged in "stonewalling." The task force also heard from a witness called by Democrats who criticized the Trump administration's handling of the recent JFK document release. John Davisson, senior counsel for the Washington-based Electronic Privacy Information Center, called it "hurried" and suggested that the National Archives and Records Administration "simply ignored" procedures for protecting people's privacy. The task force's Democrats followed up on his comments by criticizing the Trump administration over a variety of other issues. "What I find funny about this hearing is that the Republicans are here relitigating whether CIA agents lied 60 years ago," said Rep. Jasmine Crockett, whose Texas district includes part of Dallas. Crockett suggested that Congress should instead delve deeper into revelations that top national security officials discussed sensitive attack plans over a messaging app and mistakenly added a journalist to the group chat. The last formal congressional investigation of Kennedy's assassination took three years and 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, 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 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. Shortly after taking office in January, Mr. Trump took executive action to establish a process to declassify and release any remaining documents related to Kennedy's killing, as well as the assassinations of Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. The recently released documents about JFK's assassination have been uploaded to a portal maintained by the National Archives, which can be found here .
