Biden Orders Full Release of JFK, RFK, and MLK Assassination Records

WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Joe Biden issued an executive order on January 23, 2025, mandating the full release of all federal records related to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The order aims to provide long-awaited transparency and closure to the American public.

The directive comes more than 50 years after the deaths of these iconic figures, whose assassinations have remained shrouded in secrecy and speculation. “Their families and the American people deserve transparency and truth,” the order states. “It is in the national interest to finally release all records related to these assassinations without delay.”

The President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 initially required the disclosure of all JFK-related records by October 26, 2017. However, subsequent certifications by Presidents Trump and Biden allowed for continued redactions, citing potential harm to national security, intelligence operations, law enforcement, or foreign relations. Biden’s latest order overturns those redactions, declaring that withholding information is no longer consistent with the public interest.

Under the order, the Director of National Intelligence and the Attorney General must present a plan within 15 days for the full release of JFK assassination records. Additionally, within 45 days, they must review and propose a plan for disclosing records related to the assassinations of Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., which are not covered by the 1992 Act.

“I have determined that the release of all records in the Federal Government’s possession pertaining to each of those assassinations is also in the public interest,” Biden stated in the order.

The decision has been met with widespread support from historians, transparency advocates, and the families of the victims. “This is a monumental step toward uncovering the truth,” said Dr. Bernice King, daughter of Martin Luther King Jr. “For decades, we’ve been denied the full story. This order brings us closer to justice.”

The release of these records is expected to shed new light on one of the most turbulent periods in American history, potentially revealing previously undisclosed details about the investigations, conspiracies, and government responses to these tragic events.