JFK Files, Part 2: What Must be Disclosed to Bring Transparency to the Deep State

Although some interesting tidbits were found within the 80,000 pages of released documents, there was a lack of earth-shaking revelations that many were hoping to see.

The JFK Files were released last month, and although some interesting tidbits were found within the 80,000 pages of released documents, there was a lack of earth-shaking revelations that many were hoping to see.

The deep state and its enablers like the cowardly neocon Ben Shapiro are crowing that the JFK Files fizzled because there is nothing more to uncover. The government was telling the truth all along and now it’s time to move on and get back to business as usual. That, of course, is hogwash and believing that akin to spitting in the faces of our heroic ancestors who fought a revolution to unyoke themselves from reviled tyrants.

Releasing the JFK Files is not as easy as a snap of the fingers, and the last month’s disclosures were just the beginning. There are still many important records that are being suppressed. As attorney Larry Schnapf has meticulously detailed, there are a host of vital documents and records not yet released that will paint the true picture of what happened on Dealey Plaza over six decades ago.

In a Feb. 5 letter addressed to White House Counsel David Alan Warrington, Schnapf explained that the Assassination Records Review Board (ARRB) tasked with sorting through the JFK assassination records failed to complete its work by the time of its dissolution in 1998. The ARRB explained in their final report that entities such as the FBI, Immigration and Naturalization Service, the JFK Library, and the Congressional Research Office were unable or unwilling to comply with requests for documents. As a result, the JFK Collection, part of which was exposed to the public in last week’s 80,000-page dump, is woefully incomplete.

The ARRB entered into a memorandum of understanding with the CIA and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in the hopes of continuing its important work after the group was dissolved. Unfortunately, the CIA and NARA shirked their duty and failed to continue ARRB’s mission to unearth these important documents. It is not enough for the government to merely release the current JFK Collection in its entirety, but they also must complete ARRB’s work to get the full depth of the pertinent documents released to the public. Schnapf has identified various crucial records that must be searched, retrieved and then released to achieve true transparency.

The CIA Miami Station Situation Reports (“SITREPS”)

The CIA Miami Station Situation Reports (“SITREPS”) referenced an investigation into Cuban exiles who were potentially involved in the assassination of JFK, according to a March 22, 1977 memo issued by veteran diplomat Donald Health. The results of this investigation were omitted from the Warren Commission’s investigation into the assassination as well as the ARRB, and its contents are currently a mystery.

Mob Boss Confession

A recorded "confession" of Carlos Marcello, a mob boss from New Orleans, that was given in prison to a cellmate emerged during an undercover sting operation in the mid-1980s. Marcello reportedly told his cell mate, Jack Van Laningham, that he ordered the assassination of JFK. Those tapes have been sealed for decades, and their authenticity unable to be determined by a thorough vetting in the public eye.

George Joannides’ 44 CIA Files

The 44 files of CIA officer George Joannides who, between the years of 1963 and 64, was the case officer for the Cuban exile group DRE. The DRE was known to have fraternized with Lee Harvey Oswald in the months before JFK's assassination. The ARRB specifically requested for Joannides' records to be transferred to the JFK collection but were stonewalled by the CIA. The CIA has fought requests for transparency in the courts for a decade to ensure these documents do not see the light of day.

Important Memoranda

Memos prepared by CIA Director John McCone in Nov. 1963 summarizing his meetings with President Lyndon B. Johnson have not been included in the JFK collection. Another memorandum from CIA officer Desmond FitzGerald to Army general counsel Joseph Califano referenced the "U.S. Courses of Action in the Event of a Military Revolt in Cuba." In this case, a cover sheet appeared at NARA but the actual contents of the memo are missing.

President and CIA Meeting Transcript

The transcript of a meeting that occurred on Aug. 15, 1963 at the White House with JFK, National Security Advisor McGeorge Bundy, CIA Director John McCone, CIA Deputy Director Richard Helms, CIA officer Wiliam Colby, CIA officer Desmond FitzGerald, and CIA officer Bruce Cheever is conspicuously absent from the record.

Church Committee Findings

In 1975, the Church Committee was called to investigate corrupt actions by the CIA, NSA, FBI and IRS. Their findings pertaining to the JFK assassination have not been made available as part of the collection.

Walter Sheridan’s Records and a Lee Harvey Oswald Photo

Investigator Walter Sheridan suspiciously delivered his records on the JFK Assassination to NBC offices to prevent them from being released to the ARRB where they are still reportedly being held. NBC cameramen James Darnell and David Weigman also took footage on the day of the assassination that allegedly showed Lee Harvey Oswald on the steps of the book depository as JFK was being shot. These images have been suppressed and not allowed for public inspection by NBC.

The Mexican Connection

A CIA Staff D document created in 1963 documented Lee Harvey Oswald's visits to Soviet and Cuban embassies while in Mexico City. These records have conveniently gone missing but could be found with additional investigation. Assassination records from foreign governments such as Mexico are also being suppressed.

Schnapf stated that agencies should be compelled to prepare Final Declarations of Compliance and certify them to NARA under penalty of law. Until there is a regime of consequences imposed on deep state bureaucrats, they will continue to stonewall and make a mockery of the disclosure process. If the deep state is allowed to operate under a shroud of mystery, they will always be able to make excuses for their behavior and obscure their true intentions. The administration must do whatever it takes to ensure that the materials explained by Schnapf and all withheld documents are made public or the deep state will persist as a malignant presence in America beyond the Trump presidency.