A CIA whistleblower dropped a bombshell during Senate testimony, revealing the agency seized 40 boxes of declassification materials from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard—including sensitive JFK assassination and MKUltra documents. Representative Anna Paulina Luna responded by issuing a preservation demand and threatening punitive action against CIA officials who defied presidential orders.
Whistleblower Exposes CIA Document Seizure
James Erdman III testified before the Senate Homeland Security Committee that the CIA reclaimed 40 boxes of JFK assassination files and MKUltra records that Gabbard’s office was processing for declassification. Erdman described the action as part of documented efforts to circumvent congressional oversight. The files were specifically requested by Luna’s task force for an ongoing investigation into government transparency.
Luna appeared on News Nation following the testimony, sounding the alarm about the CIA’s alleged resistance to President Trump’s executive orders on declassification. She confirmed coordinating with House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer to send a document preservation request within hours. Luna stated she had contacted both the White House and the CIA director directly about the matter.
Congressional Deadline and Subpoena Threat
Luna and Chairman Comer jointly signed a letter demanding the CIA preserve all records related to the seized materials. The congresswoman emphasized that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence received direct presidential authority to declassify documents related to the assassinations of President Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr. The MKUltra files were part of her task force’s active investigation.
Luna issued a stark warning on social media, giving the CIA 24 hours to return the documents and identify who authorized their seizure. She wrote that someone at the agency was actively undermining an executive order and promised punitive action. The move represents a significant escalation in tensions between Congress and intelligence agencies over transparency regarding decades-old classified operations and historical assassinations.
What This Means for Government Transparency
The standoff highlights ongoing battles over declassification authority and intelligence agency accountability. President Trump issued executive orders directing the release of assassination-related files, but implementation has faced resistance from within the intelligence community. The CIA’s seizure of materials already under review suggests institutional pushback against transparency efforts. Congressional investigators now face the challenge of compelling cooperation from agencies with long-standing practices of protecting classified information, even when presidential directives mandate disclosure.
