JFK Files Watch: White House is reviewing Archivist’s secrecy recommendations

In his Oct. 26, 2017 order concerning JFK files, President Trump set a specific time table for the CIA and other agencies that want to keep JFK secrets past April 26, 2018.

Any agency seeking to postpone release of any files must report to U.S. Archivist David Ferriero “on the specific information within particular records that meets the standard for continued postponement” under JFK Records Act, Trump said.

“Thereafter,” Trump went on, “the Archivist shall recommend to me, no later than March 26, 2018, whether the specific information within particular records identified by agencies warrants continued withholding from public disclosure after April 26, 2018.”

So I recently put two questions to Ferriero’s offiice.

1) Has the Archivist made his recommendations to the President?

2) Has the Archivist recommended postponing the release of any JFK documents after April 26, 2017? If so, how many?

James Pritchett, director of public and media communications for the Archives, responded:

The Archivist provided recommendations to the White House per the amended timeline provided by the administration. The National Archives has no additional information to provide until the White House has had time to review recommendations, reach a decision(s) and provide guidance as to the release of the remaining eligible documents.

As the Mary Ferrell Foundation pointed out in a March 12 letter to Ferriero the Archives’ JFK records database indicates that 21,890 assassination-related records remain wholly or partially classified. About 85 percent of those records are held by CIA and FBI.

The withheld files include material on the CIA’s surveillance of accused assassin Lee Harvey Oswald from 1959 to 1963 in Russia, New Orleans, and Mexico City.

The Foundation urged Ferriero to recommend release of all JFK files with no information withheld.

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply