Report of the President's Commission on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy

Conclusion

The Commission acknowledges that no protective procedures can guarantee absolute security for the President, given the varied and complex demands of the office and the deep-seated democratic traditions that limit security restrictions. However, it is confident that its recommended improvements to Secret Service procedures, if adopted, would materially reduce the risk of a future assassination compared to the procedures in place at the time of President Kennedy’s death. The Commission emphasizes that successful implementation will require active cooperation from responsible agencies and public understanding of the demands placed on the presidency, and that its recommendations will advance presidential security without infringing on fundamental American liberties.

Appendix I: Executive Order No. 11130

This appendix reproduces the full text of Executive Order 11130, issued by President Lyndon B. Johnson on November 29, 1963, which formally appoints the Warren Commission (the Commission to report upon the assassination of President John F. Kennedy). The commission membership includes Chief Justice Earl Warren (Chair), Senators Richard B. Russell and John Sherman Cooper, Representatives Hale Boggs and Gerald R. Ford, and Hon. Allen W. Dulles and Hon. John J. McCloy. The order tasks the commission with investigating the facts of President Kennedy’s assassination and the subsequent violent death of the man charged with the assassination, evaluating all related evidence, and reporting findings and conclusions to the President. It authorizes the commission to set its own procedures, hire necessary staff, draw on the Presidential Emergency Fund for operating expenses, and requires all federal departments and agencies to provide requested cooperation and resources.

Appendix II: White House Announcement of Special Commission

This appendix reproduces the November 29, 1963 White House press release announcing President Johnson’s appointment of the Special Commission to investigate President Kennedy’s assassination. The release notes the President consulted Senate and House majority and minority leadership prior to the announcement, lists the commission’s members, outlines that the commission will review all evidence gathered by the FBI and all information available to federal agencies, with cooperation from the Texas Court of Inquiry convened by the Texas Attorney General. The commission may conduct additional investigation as it deems necessary, and is tasked with uncovering all relevant facts and reporting its findings to the President, the American people, and the global community.

Appendix III: Public Law 88-202

This appendix reproduces the full text of Public Law 88-202 (S.J. Res. 137), a joint resolution approved by Congress on December 13, 1963, which authorizes the Warren Commission (established by Executive Order 11130) to compel witness attendance and testimony, as well as the production of evidence, for its investigation into President Kennedy’s assassination.

CAPÍTULO II. With the assistance of Agent in Charge Sorrels of the

This segment is fragment 5 of 52 from Chapter 24 of the President’s Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy’s report, titled “chapter II. With the assistance of Agent in Charge Sorrels of the”. It covers the Commission’s statutory investigative authorities, procedural rules for evidence gathering and enforcement, the legislative history of its authorizing act, and Appendix IV containing biographical information and acknowledgments for Commission leadership, counsel, and staff.

Commission Subpoena and Evidence Powers

Subsection (b) grants the Commission, or Commission members authorized by the full Commission, the power to issue subpoenas requiring witness attendance, testimony, and production of evidence related to matters under Commission investigation. The Commission, its members, or designated agents/agencies are authorized to administer oaths, examine witnesses, and receive evidence. Witnesses and evidence may be compelled from any location within the United States to a designated hearing site.

Contumacy and Court Subpoena Enforcement

Subsection (c) establishes court enforcement for Commission subpoenas. If a person commits contumacy or refuses to obey a Commission subpoena, any U.S. court with jurisdiction over the location of the Commission’s inquiry, or the person’s residence, business location, or where they are found, may issue a court order on Commission application requiring the person to appear before the Commission to produce evidence or testify. Failure to comply with the court order may be punished as contempt of court.