WASHINGTON, D.C. — The long-awaited release of CIA officer George Joannides’ full personnel file— secured by the Task Force on Declassification of Federal Secrets— has shattered decades of secrecy surrounding the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. This historic disclosure marks a seismic shift in what the American people now know about their own government’s role in the events of November 22, 1963.
“The release of the George Joannides CIA file forever changes the game,” said Task Force Chairwoman Rep. Anna Paulina Luna. “We just learned definitively that the CIA has been lying for 62 years about the assassination of an American President.”
This revelation was only made possible thanks to the relentless efforts of the Declassification Task Force, which was established to expose long-buried truths withheld from the public. The Task Force’s breakthrough builds on the groundwork laid by President Donald J. Trump and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, who together championed transparency and initiated sweeping declassification efforts.
“Were it not for President Trump, DCI Ratcliffe, and the work of our Task Force Hearings on JFK, the American people would still be in the dark,” Rep. Luna continued. “Instead, we have now uncovered the truth: the CIA actively concealed its involvement and knowledge regarding JFK’s assassination for more than six decades.”
George Joannides was a covert CIA officer in 1963 who ran psychological-warfare operations in Miami. He directed and funded a Cuban exile group called the DRE— which had direct contact with Lee Harvey Oswald just months before President Kennedy was assassinated. For decades, the CIA denied having any relevant connection. But newly released files confirm Joannides was the DRE’s case officer and reveal that he later misled Congress, hiding the CIA’s ties to both the group and Oswald. This new evidence confirms a long-running effort to cover up the truth, completely undermining the CIA’s official story.
The Declassification Task Force reaffirms its commitment to exposing the full truth behind historic cover-ups, restoring transparency, and ensuring accountability. Additional disclosures from other intelligence agencies are expected as the investigation continues.
Contact:
Office of Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna
(202) 225-5961 | press@luna.house.gov
Follow updates at luna.house.gov
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