The release of never-before-seen records from the investigation into the assassination of President John F. Kennedy is almost certain to raise more questions and more conspiracy theories surrounding his death.
A 1992 law requires all files still hidden on JFK’s assassination on Nov. 23, 1963 in Dallas, Texas, must be released by today. Only the president can hold them back. President Trump says the release of records will be “so interesting.”
Scholars want every bit of information that is available, but intelligence agencies are pushing back against full disclosure. According to BBC News, 88 percent of the files are open, 11 percent are open but with “sensitive" portions removed, and 1 percent are withheld.
Boston University professor Thomas Whalen says, “in a larger sense it will provide a lot of context historically and fill-in some details, but there won’t be a huge revelation.”
Whalen says intelligence agencies are sensitive to releasing past secrets and intelligence gathering mechanisms in investigations that could be compromised.
“J. Edgar Hoover, the first director of the FBI, said we dropped the ball on the Kennedy assassination,” said Whalen. He added that Hoover disciplined several agents who tried to cover-up parts of the investigation.
Click on the audio player above to listen to the interview in its entirety.
