Checklist: explain the alleged seizure of documents; report Rep. Anna Paulina Luna’s account; include the quoted statements exactly; note whistleblower claims and planned congressional actions; preserve original embeds and tokens.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna has raised an alarm over reports that the CIA removed roughly 40 boxes of documents from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence while Tulsi Gabbard was preparing them for declassification. This account centers on files tied to the JFK assassination and MKUltra, a set of records that have long been the subject of public curiosity and skepticism. Luna’s statements and a whistleblower’s account have pushed House Republicans to demand answers and consider subpoenas to ensure oversight. The story touches on questions of executive orders, agency transparency, and whether intelligence agencies are following lawful directions from the White House and ODNI.
Luna described the incident in a NewsNation interview, saying the boxes were “pertaining to the JFK files as well as MKUltra” and that the removal was troubling because of a presidential directive she referenced. From a Republican oversight perspective, the key issue is whether agencies are complying with declassification directives and whether Congress can secure the records it has requested. Lawmakers are framing the retrieval of records as an obstruction of the declassification process and an affront to transparency. That complaint fuels growing calls for a formal preservation order and possible subpoenas.
LUNA: “We were actually just notified that the CIA went in and took documents out of ODNI. Multiple boxes pertaining to the JFK files as well as MKUltra.”
“The reason why this is troubling is A, there was an executive order that the president had directed the full declassification of JFK, but then also to the MKUltra files.”
“The CIA famously has said that, you know, all documents were released and other documents had been destroyed. So these are allegedly those documents that apparently never existed.”
“And so very troubling. I did just talk to Chairman Comer and we are sending in the next hour or so a preservation of documents requests to the CIA.”
“I have called into the White House to the director of the CIA himself. And so obviously, as this develops, we’ll keep everyone up to date. But strange times we’re living.”
Republicans see this as a test of institutional accountability: if ODNI directed review and declassification, and if the president ordered transparency, then why would the CIA remove boxes without notifying Congress? That is the question House Republicans are pressing. The response so far, according to Luna, includes immediate efforts to preserve evidence and compel production through the committee process. This aligns with a broader push for tougher oversight of intelligence agencies.
Beyond Luna’s on-camera account, a named whistleblower stepped forward with additional allegations about what the CIA allegedly did while investigators were working. Those claims add a new layer, suggesting not just the removal of records but also possible surveillance of staff working on the matters. If true, the notion that Americans performing duties under ODNI direction were monitored illegally would be particularly grave and demand a swift, public accounting.
CIA whistleblower claims the agency “took back 40 boxes of JFK and MK-Ultra files” that Tulsi Gabbard was reviewing for declassification.
The whistleblower also alleges the CIA “illegally monitored the computer and phone usage” of Gabbard’s investigators during the probe into the COVID-19 origins cover-up.
“These were Americans being spied on illegally while carrying out duties directed by the President and under the authority of the Director of National Intelligence.”
House oversight leaders are moving fast to translate those concerns into action, saying they will issue preservation demands and, if necessary, subpoenas to force document returns. Republicans will argue that failure to produce the records could amount to obstruction of Congress and a breach of the public’s right to know. The timeline Luna cited—giving the CIA 24 hours to return materials—illustrates the urgency being communicated from Capitol Hill.
From a conservative viewpoint, the episode underscores a deeper worry: that intelligence agencies may operate with too little transparency and with inconsistent respect for directions coming from civilian leadership. Lawmakers insist that the rule of law and the constitutional role of Congress in oversight must not be sidelined by bureaucratic resistance. The stakes are not only the contents of the boxes but whether processes for declassification and oversight will be honored.
As Republicans press for swift answers, they plan to use every tool available under committee rules to retrieve relevant materials and interview witnesses. The coming days will likely produce more committee filings, document requests, and public statements demanding clarity. For now, the core facts being debated are simple: boxes removed from ODNI, allegations of illegal monitoring, and a rush to preserve potentially important records.
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Watch:
On X, Luna “The CIA has 24 hours to return the documents to Tulsi Gabbard’s office or else I will make a motion to issue a subpoena. These documents have been requested by Congress.”
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