Over 500 Secret CIA Documents Released in Latest JFK Files Dump
Conspiracy theorists, have at it!
Some of the most closely-held, unseen CIA files related to the assassination of John F. Kennedy were released to the public Friday afternoon, and the National Archives says even more batches of these sensitive documents are expected to be made available in the near future.
This follows what was supposed to be the release of tens of thousands of files last week. Due to last minute national security concerns, the file dump ended up being a mere 2,800 documents. The National Archives has maintained that all the remaining files will see the light of day eventually, but they’ll now be trickling out over time.
For now, conspiracy theorists may be appeased by this whole new set of files to binge, especially because Friday’s documents were “formerly withheld in full;” in other words, they’ve never previously been seen by the public at all.
Many believe that these files will answer whether Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone and other burning questions that have simmered over the years since JFK was killed in Dallas. Of course, they might not answer anything at all.
Around 29,000 files from the CIA, FBI and Justice Department still remain classified as the national security community reviews them for “information that would harm national security, law enforcement, or foreign affairs,” the National Archives says. The files released this year, along with the ones that still haven’t been released, represents a mere 11 percent of all the documents on JFK’s assassination — which gives some perspective on just how many records exist in all.
A bill from 25 years ago mandated the National Archives to release all files related to JFK’s assassination by Oct. 26, 2017. The JFK Assassination Records Collection Act was passed after the 1991 film JFK refueled a crazy amount of conspiracy theories. Trump originally tweeted that he would allow the release of the files in full, but gave in to officials last month to hold back some of the documents.
If you liked this article, check out this video where the CIA once illegally drugged thousands of U.S. and Canadian citizens with LSD.
