The White House delays release of Kennedy assassination documents due to COVID: NPR

In this November 22, 1963, file photo, seen through the foreground’s convertible windshield, President John F. Kennedy’s hand reaches for his head within seconds of being fatally shot. About 90% of the public records surrounding the assassination attempt have been released, but the release of the remaining records has now been delayed.

James W. (Ike) Altgens / AP

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James W. (Ike) Altgens / AP

In this November 22, 1963, file photo, seen through the foreground’s convertible windshield, President John F. Kennedy’s hand reaches for his head within seconds of being fatally shot. About 90% of the public records surrounding the assassination attempt have been released, but the release of the remaining records has now been delayed.

James W. (Ike) Altgens / AP

The White House has announced that a number of remaining records of the assassination of former President John F. Kennedy will not be released as planned due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Congress declared in 1992 that all government records surrounding the Kennedy assassination “should ultimately be disclosed to enable the public to be fully informed of the history surrounding the assassination.”

But part of the law also says that the release of these records could be postponed if their publication would cause “identifiable damage” to military, intelligence, law enforcement or foreign operations.

The National Archives says it needs more time

In a note released Friday, the White House said the National Archives and Records Administration has concluded that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it requires additional time to consult with government agencies to determine how much more information about the 1963 murder that can be released.

According to the memo, the US archivist told the White House that “making these decisions is a matter that requires a professional, scientific and orderly process; not decisions or releases that are made in a hurry”.

Instead, the archivist and the White House have agreed that full publication of these records will be postponed until December 15, 2022. If there is information that the archivist and agencies are investigating that should not be postponed, it will be released on Dec. . 15, 2021.

In 2017, former President Donald Trump promised to release all remaining documents about the Kennedy assassination. But in 2018, he turned the course and postponed the release with reference national security worries.

The White House eventually wants to digitize all records

Friday’s note also outlines how the records of the Kennedy assassination can be more easily made available to the public. More than 250,000 records have already been fully released, but many can only be viewed at a National Archives facility in College Park, Md., Near Washington DC

Now the White House has asked the archivist to draw up a plan that will digitize the records and make the entire collection available for viewing online.