#1298 – Andrew Iler, Mark Adamczyk
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In this in-depth episode of Black Op Radio, hosts Len and Glenn welcome Andrew Iler and Mark Adamczyk to discuss their groundbreaking article, 'The War on Oliver Stone's JFK Records Act,' published on April 1, 2025—the one-year anniversary of the first Luna hearing. The conversation unpacks a meticulously researched exposé revealing how the CIA and other intelligence agencies preemptively devised a strategy to obstruct the release of JFK assassination records even before the JFK Records Act was passed in 1992. Drawing on newly uncovered documents, including a February 10, 1992 memo, the guests detail how the CIA rushed to transfer sensitive HSCA and sequestered records to the National Archives (NARA) before the law took effect, exploiting a loophole in Section 5D3 that allowed records delivered pre-act to bypass the ARRB review process and RIF numbering. This enabled the CIA to place these records into a 'black hole' of untracked, unreviewed files. The article further reveals that the ARRB, despite its mandate, never published its final determination orders—binding legal decisions on record release—leading to a complete lack of transparency. The hosts and guests emphasize that the National Archives has never issued the required certification under Section 12B of the Act, and no comprehensive index exists, rendering claims about record releases speculative. The episode concludes with a call for urgent congressional oversight and the creation of a temporary review board to audit the entire collection, particularly the tens of thousands of records transferred after 1998, and to finally fulfill the law’s promise of full disclosure.
The CIA developed a preemptive plan in early 1992—before the JFK Records Act passed—to transfer sensitive HSCA and sequestered records to NARA, bypassing the ARRB review process.
Section 5D3 of the JFK Records Act allowed pre-1992 records to avoid RIF numbers and ARRB review, creating a legal loophole that enabled records to be hidden in a 'black hole' of untracked files.
The ARRB issued final determination orders for nearly 30,000 records, but these were never published annually as required by law, and NARA now claims it cannot locate them.
The National Archives has never issued the certification required by Section 12B of the Act, as no complete index or directory of all records exists.
Despite Judge Thunheim’s 2025 testimony confirming that only 1,500 redactions should remain by 2017, over 30,000 records were still withheld, indicating systemic non-compliance.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
Introduction and Context: The One-Year Anniversary of the Luna Hearing
The episode opens with a welcome to Andrew Iler and Mark Adamczyk, authors of a new article published on the one-year anniversary of the first Luna hearing, which sparked renewed public interest in the JFK Records Act.
The Preemptive CIA Strategy: How Agencies Beat the Law
“The CIA had very good intuition... to do a quick review of what they had, what was the most sensitive to protect and how to get ahead of what they anticipated as a congressional re-review.”
The ARRB’s Legal Orders: The Missing Final Determinations
“They were supposed to be published annually... But in 1996, 1997 and 1998, the ARB never published an annual report like they were mandated to by law.”
The Black Hole of Untracked Records: The 50-Year Rule and Legislative Records
“Without a complete index of the records in the collection, it's speculation to say that they've all been released.”
The 2025 Luna Task Force Hearings: A Media Blackout on Critical Testimony
“There was zero mainstream media coverage... not even C-SPAN, PBS, NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, Fox—no one touched this with a 10-foot pole.”
“By October 2017, there should have only been 1,500 redactions left to deal with by October 2017. But in October 2017, what we saw was somewhere between 31,000 and 45,000 records still being withheld.”
“We're still looking for the legal orders that govern these records that as a matter of law should have been published 30 years ago.”
“There was zero mainstream media coverage... not even C-SPAN, PBS, NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, Fox—no one touched this with a 10-foot pole.”
Hosts
Guests
JFK Records Act
other
National Archives
organization
Assassination Records Review Board
organization
CIA
organization
Andrew Iler
person
House Select Committee on Assassinations
organization
Mark Adamczyk
person
Judge Thunheim
person
Oliver Stone
person
Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
organization
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