A recent batch of documents concerning the assassination of President John F. Kennedy has brought to light a memo that long fueled speculation about potential CIA involvement in the president’s murder. Referred to as the Schlesinger Memo, this 15-page document, dated June 10, 1961, was penned by JFK’s aide Arthur Schlesinger Jr. It cautioned Kennedy about the CIA encroaching on his authority to shape foreign policy.
While the existence of the memo was not a secret and had been partially disclosed earlier with significant redactions for security reasons, the full unredacted version was among the many declassified documents released by the National Archives and Records Administration on orders from President Donald Trump. As of Wednesday, approximately 69,000 out of the 80,000 documents promised for release by Trump are now available online.
Despite hopes of uncovering evidence within the memo suggesting a CIA conspiracy with JFK’s assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, to orchestrate Kennedy’s demise, such proof is notably absent. The redacted portions of the memo mainly pertained to CIA personnel details, such as the number of operatives in the U.S. Embassy in Paris and their interactions with French political figures.
Outspoken advocate for document transparency, Jefferson Morley, emphasized the significance of the revelations, underscoring Kennedy’s deep-seated distrust of the CIA. Morley pointed out that the CIA had been monitoring Oswald prior to Kennedy’s assassination, shedding light on the agency’s surveillance activities and Kennedy’s plans to restructure the organization.
The release of these documents comes after a lengthy legal battle initiated by the Mary Ferrell Foundation, which sued the administration to make all assassination-related records public. Morley, associated with the foundation, highlighted the substantial insight these documents offer into the CIA’s surveillance of Oswald before the tragic events of November 22, 1963.
The meticulous surveillance conducted by CIA veteran James Jesus Angleton on Oswald, starting as early as 1959, underscores the complex web of surveillance and monitoring Oswald was under before Kennedy’s fateful trip to Dallas. This narrative prompts the question of whether the CIA had extensive knowledge about Oswald’s activities leading up to the assassination.
Morley expressed uncertainty about Angleton’s involvement with Lee Harvey Oswald, questioning whether Angleton was truly inept or secretly orchestrating an operation with Oswald. He emphasized the need for more records to be released, pointing out that a file belonging to another CIA officer involved in surveilling Oswald before the assassination remains classified. This marks a promising beginning in uncovering the truth.
