Trump Administration Releases Over 2.4 Lakh Pages of Martin Luther King Jr. Assassination Files
In a significant move toward government transparency, the Donald Trump administration has declassified and released more than 240,000 pages of documents related to the assassination of civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., despite concerns raised by King’s family members.
The files — many of which originate from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) — were made public via the National Archives website. These documents shed light on years of FBI surveillance and disinformation campaigns aimed at undermining King’s leadership and tarnishing his legacy during the civil rights movement. According to Reuters, the FBI under then-director J. Edgar Hoover had actively tried to discredit and disrupt King’s work.
The release is part of a broader declassification push initiated by President Trump, who signed an executive order to make public previously classified documents tied to the 1960s assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr.
“No Stone Left Unturned”
In a statement following the release, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said:
“The American people have waited nearly sixty years to see the full scope of the federal government’s investigation into Dr. King’s assassination. We are ensuring that no stone is left unturned in our mission to deliver complete transparency on this pivotal and tragic event in our nation’s history.”
Gabbard emphasized that the documents were released with minimal redactions, primarily for privacy concerns, and that further files may be declassified in the days ahead.
King’s Family Voices Concern
While supporting the idea of transparency, Dr. King’s children — Martin Luther King III and Bernice King — issued a joint statement expressing unease about how the newly released records might be used.
They reiterated that their father had been subjected to an “invasive, predatory, and deeply disturbing” campaign of government surveillance, led by the FBI, in an effort to destroy both his personal reputation and the broader civil rights movement.
“These actions were not only invasions of privacy but intentional assaults on the truth,” the statement read.
“We support transparency and historical accountability, but we are concerned that these records may be misused to attack our father’s legacy.”
They urged the public and media to approach the files with empathy, caution, and respect for the ongoing pain felt by the King family and those impacted by the civil rights struggle.
A Controversial Assassination
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. Officially, James Earl Ray was convicted for the murder and later died in prison in 1998. However, King’s family has long voiced doubts about Ray’s guilt and has pushed for deeper investigations into the possibility of a broader conspiracy.
The newly released documents may offer fresh insights into government conduct, FBI surveillance tactics, and hidden historical narratives that continue to shape America’s understanding of its civil rights legacy.
