Declassification of Records Concerning the Assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
This executive order directs the declassification and full disclosure of all government records related to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It builds on the 1992 JFK Assassination Records Collection Act and recent presidential certifications that had maintained redactions. The order asserts that releasing these records is in the public interest and aims to end or reduce ongoing withholding, while recognizing that releases must still comply with existing law and budget constraints. Key actions include setting concrete timelines for agency plans to disclose records: a JFK release plan within 15 days and plans for RFK and MLK records within 45 days. The order assigns coordination responsibilities to the Director of National Intelligence, the Attorney General, the National Security Advisor, and the Counsel to the President and requires plans to be prepared for full and complete release, subject to applicable law.
Key Points
- 1Policy and purpose: The federal government should promptly declassify and disclose all records related to the assassinations, citing transparency and public interest as the rationale, while acknowledging existing legal constraints.
- 2JFK records plan: Within 15 days, the Director of National Intelligence and the Attorney General must present a plan for the full and complete release of records related to President Kennedy’s assassination.
- 3RFK and MLK records plan: Within 45 days, DNI and the Attorney General must present a plan for the full and complete release of records related to RFK’s and MLK’s assassinations, respectively.
- 4Coordination and leadership: Plans must be developed in coordination with the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and the Counsel to the President, with oversight by the President.
- 5Legal framework and limitations: The order reiterates that it does not remove or alter existing authorities of executive departments or budget processes, and it emphasizes that the declassification should proceed consistent with applicable law and appropriations; it also states that the order does not create enforceable rights.