ANKARA: The Trump administration is scrambling to contain fallout after the unplanned release of thousands of pages related to John F. Kennedy’s 1963 assassination, some of which exposed sensitive personal data, Anadolu Agency reported Thursday, citing The New York Times.
Among the 64,000 pages made public by the National Archives, many included unredacted Social Security numbers and other private details belonging to congressional staff, intelligence researchers, and at least one former US ambassador—some of whom are still alive.
Previous releases had redacted such information, but Trump’s off-the-cuff order on Monday called for full disclosure, apparently without considering the privacy implications.
“This is an egregious breach,” said national security lawyer Mark S. Zaid, warning the release could violate federal privacy laws, depending on data handling protocols.
The White House admitted officials only began reviewing the files for exposed personal data after publication. A review is now underway, with the Social Security Administration ordered to reissue compromised numbers.
Free credit monitoring will be offered to affected individuals, most of whom are believed to be elderly—making them especially vulnerable to identity theft.
Despite Trump’s promotion of the release, historians say the documents reveal no major new insights into the assassination. No evidence of a second gunman or conspiracy emerged. Instead, the files mostly detail Cold War-era CIA surveillance operations. – BERNAMA
