A recent FBI search has led to the discovery of approximately 2,400 newly digitized records connected to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
This revelation follows an executive order issued by former President Donald Trump, directing the release of additional documents related to the killings of JFK, Robert F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr.
The FBI confirmed the discovery in a statement released Monday, noting that these records had previously gone unrecognized in connection with the JFK case. The agency credited advancements in automated record-keeping and a comprehensive reorganization of closed case files for facilitating the identification of these documents.
Since 2020, the FBI has been consolidating case files from its field offices across the country into the Central Records Complex in Virginia, enabling a more thorough and efficient review process. As part of ongoing efforts to enhance public access, the agency is working to transfer the newly uncovered records to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) for declassification.
During Trump's first presidency, more than 2,800 documents related to the JFK assassination were made public in compliance with a 1992 transparency law. However, around 300 records remained classified due to concerns over national security and foreign relations. Another batch of files was released in 2018.
In 2023, the Biden administration announced that NARA had completed its review of previously classified JFK files, with 99% of the documents now accessible to the public. Trump has since reiterated his promise to fully unseal all remaining records if reelected in 2024, fueling continued speculation and conspiracy theories surrounding the case.
Kennedy was fatally shot on Nov. 22, 1963, while traveling in an open limousine through downtown Dallas. Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested and charged with the assassination but was later killed by nightclub owner Jack Ruby before standing trial.
With the latest trove of newly identified records, renewed interest in one of America's most debated historical events is set to rise once again.
