Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna on Wednesday warned the Central Intelligence Agency that it must return dozens of documents related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy within 24 hours or she will move to issue a subpoena. Luna’s demand follows testimony from former CIA officer James Erdman III, who told a Senate committee that the agency had taken 40 boxes of files that were being processed for declassification by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) under Director Tulsi Gabbard.
Erdman said the seized material included Kennedy‑assassination files and records from the Cold‑War program MK‑ULTRA. He described the action as part of “documented efforts to circumvent oversight.” In a series of posts on X, Luna wrote that the documents had been requested by Congress and that a preservation notice had been issued, stressing that the ODNI had authority to declassify the files.
DNI press secretary Olivia Coleman responded that the CIA had not “raided” the ODNI office, though she did not dispute that the agency had removed the records. Luna later clarified that the removal was not a raid and that the CIA had taken documents that fall under ODNI jurisdiction, noting that the transfer occurred during the 2025 government shutdown.
The controversy revives longstanding public interest in the Kennedy assassination, an event that continues to generate conspiracy theories and distrust of federal institutions. Polls in recent years have shown a majority of Americans suspect a broader plot behind the 1963 killing, though no declassified material has proven CIA involvement. Historical investigations have confirmed that the agency monitored Lee Harvey Oswald but have not established a direct role in the murder.
The MK‑ULTRA files pertain to a CIA program that, in the 1950s and 1960s, conducted experiments on unsuspecting subjects involving hallucinogens, sensory deprivation and other forms of psychological manipulation. While most of the program’s records were ordered destroyed in 1973, some documents survived and have been gradually released.
Luna’s warning raises questions about the balance of power between intelligence agencies and congressional oversight. If the CIA does not comply, lawmakers may pursue a subpoena to compel the return of the files, potentially intensifying scrutiny of how classified material is handled and declassified.
The dispute underscores the challenges of transparency in historically sensitive investigations and highlights ongoing demands for accountability from U.S. intelligence bodies. Future developments will hinge on whether the agency returns the documents and how Congress proceeds with its oversight role.
