4 takeaways from the JFK files
1. In the age of DOGE, complexity and opacity of gov't records persists
Even for the most zealous researcher, the JFK files reveal a massive, disorganized collection — estimated to reach as many as 300,000 pages, including 64 boxes for the Warren Commission and 17 boxes on Oswald 104-10337-10001. Largely unindexed, uncatalogued, and filled with duplication, sensitive intelligence, and mundane clippings, the files make it difficult to extract a clear picture, a conclusion also shared by the CIA.
The Assassination Records Review Board’s creation aimed to eliminate what the board referred to as “uncertainty and speculation,” but the files reveal ongoing challenges, including unrealistic deadlines, inflexible standards, and resource strains, according to the documents.
