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

WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Joe Biden signed an executive order on January 23, 2025, mandating the full release of classified 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 The order aims to provide transparency and address decades of public demand for access to these historical documents.

The executive order directs the Director of National Intelligence and the Attorney General to present a plan within 15 days for the release of JFK assassination records. Additionally, they must review and propose a plan within 45 days for the release of documents related to the assassinations of RFK and MLK. “The continued redaction and withholding of information from records pertaining to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy is not consistent with the public interest,” the order states.

The move comes more than 50 years after the deaths of these prominent figures, whose assassinations have fueled widespread conspiracy theories. The President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 initially required the release of all related documents by October 2017. However, successive administrations, including those of Presidents Trump and Biden, delayed full disclosure, citing national security concerns.

Since 1992, over 90% of JFK assassination records have been released, but approximately 2,140 documents remain fully or partially redacted. Biden’s order marks a significant step toward fulfilling the public’s right to know, though experts caution that the review and release process could take considerable time. Larry Schnapf, an attorney who has sued for the release of JFK files, noted, “If they’re going to do a substantive review, it’s going to be a while before the records are released.”

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vocal advocate for transparency, praised the decision. “I think it’s a great move because they need to have more transparency in our government,” he said. Kennedy has previously stated his belief that the CIA was involved in his uncle’s assassination, a claim that remains unproven.

The Warren Commission and subsequent investigations concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in killing JFK. However, a 1979 House Select Committee on Assassinations report suggested a “high probability” of a conspiracy. The release of these records may finally provide clarity—or fuel further speculation—about one of the most debated events in American history.