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Luna Says CIA Took JFK, MK-Ultra Files as DNI Denies Raid

United States

Kylie Cooper/Reuters

Kylie Cooper/Reuters

What Happened

Whistleblower James Erdman III testified May 13 that the CIA 'took back' roughly 40 boxes of JFK-assassination and MKUltra documents undergoing declassification review at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. ODNI denied a raid; Rep. Anna Paulina Luna demanded their return and threatened a subpoena.

What Happened

Whistleblower James Erdman III testified May 13 that the CIA 'took back' roughly 40 boxes of JFK-assassination and MKUltra documents undergoing declassification review at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. ODNI denied a raid; Rep. Anna Paulina Luna demanded their return and threatened a subpoena.

Where Right Sources Focus

  • CIA Executive Order Violation: Conservative outlets detail how the CIA allegedly seized JFK and MKUltra files from DNI Tulsi Gabbard's office, directly violating a presidential executive order, with Rep. Luna calling it an "internal coup."
  • Luna's Subpoena Ultimatum: Right-leaning media extensively cover Rep. Anna Paulina Luna's 24-hour ultimatum to the CIA to return the seized JFK and MKUltra documents or face a congressional subpoena, citing her public statements.

Where Left Sources Focus

  • MKUltra History, CIA Deception: Left and center sources highlight MKUltra's history as a secret CIA mind-control program that drugged unwitting citizens, noting the CIA's past claims of document destruction and the whistleblower's revelation of "never existed" files.
  • DNI Denies "Raid" Claims: Left and center outlets emphasize the DNI spokesperson's denial that the CIA "raided" Tulsi Gabbard's office, with Rep. Luna clarifying the incident occurred earlier and was not a "raid," despite documents being taken.

What's Largely Absent from Each Side

  • Left sources rarely mention: Left sources rarely mention whistleblower testimony detailing alleged CIA retaliation against investigators and illegal monitoring of their computer and phone usage, while right outlets feature this prominently.
  • Right sources rarely mention: Right coverage largely omits detailed descriptions of MKUltra's human experimentation methods, including drugging, torture, and hypnosis on unwitting citizens, which left sources emphasize.

Rare Agreement

  • Whistleblower Allegations Confirmed: Despite divergent coverage, sources across outlets confirm CIA whistleblower James Erdman III testified to the Senate, alleging the CIA took 40 boxes of JFK and MKUltra files that DNI Gabbard was preparing for declassification.

Timeline

May 14, 2026

Luna issues 24‑hour ultimatum and fallout: Rep. Anna Paulina Luna publicly demanded the CIA return the seized documents to DNI Tulsi Gabbard within 24 hours or face a congressional subpoena, sent preservation requests and pressed for congressional access amid media reports of a 'raid' that the ODNI disputed and Luna later clarified did not occur that day.

May 13, 2026

Whistleblower alleges 40 boxes seized: CIA whistleblower James Erdman III testified to the Senate that the CIA 'took back' about 40 boxes of JFK and MKUltra documents that were being processed for declassification and said the agency intervened as records were being prepared for release.

March 18, 2025

Major JFK document release: The Trump administration released a large tranche of JFK-related records, with reports noting roughly 63,000 pages were made public in March 2025 as part of the declassification effort.

Perspectives and Debates

Summary by Ground AI

Sources

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A varied selection of sources chosen by Ground to reflect the diversity of this story’s coverage.

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