Certifications Regarding Disclosure of Information in Certain Records Related to the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy

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In simple terms

This memorandum certifies continued postponement of some JFK assassination records while ordering release of others. It sets a June 30, 2023 deadline for temporary withholding of certain redacted records, requires review completion by May 1, 2023, and mandates release of non-postponed information by December 15, 2022.

Federal Register Open PDF 87 FR 77967

Record & deadlines

Dec 15, 2022Signed
Signed by the President
Dec 20, 2022FR published
Published in the Federal Register · 87 FR 77967
Federal Register PDF
Jun 30, 2023
Expiration of temporary certification; release of information not proposed for continued postponement beyond this date
May 15, 2023
Agency withdrawal of redaction or presidential recommendation for continued postponement
May 1, 2023
Completion of joint review; NARA agreement and Archivist recommendation on continued postponement

Key directives

Certify continued postponement of records under section 2(c) with strongest reasons standard
Temporarily certify continued postponement of section 2(d) records until June 30, 2023
Release non-postponed information by December 15, 2022
Conduct joint review of remaining redactions from signing date until May 1, 2023
Limit continued postponement beyond June 30, 2023 to absolute minimum
Direct NDC to use agency Transparency Plans for future reviews
Authorize Acting Archivist to publish in Federal Register

Who is ordered

Prior policy

otherPresidential Memorandum of October 22, 2021 (Temporary Certification Regarding Disclosure of Information in Certain Records Related to the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy)

What to expect

Immediate

Release of non-postponed information by December 15, 2022
Publication of memorandum in Federal Register

Near term (90d)

Joint agency-NARA review of remaining redactions through May 1, 2023
Archivist recommendation due by May 1, 2023
Agency withdrawal or presidential recommendation due by May 15, 2023

Long term

Temporary withholding expires June 30, 2023
Transparency Plans guide future declassification by National Declassification Center

Risks & tensions

Tension between transparency mandate and national security claims for continued secrecy
COVID-19 pandemic delayed prior review timeline, creating backlog pressure
Subjective statutory standard ('such gravity that it outweighs public interest') leaves room for agency interpretation
May 1, 2023 deadline for review completion is tight given complexity of intelligence/law enforcement records
Document does not specify consequences if agencies fail to meet deadlines