The Trump administration has released over 230,000 pages of records related to the 1968 assassination of civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr, despite concerns raised by his family. The files were made public on Monday as part of a broader effort to declassify historical documents tied to high-profile political killings of the 1960s.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said in a statement that the release aimed to provide full transparency about the federal government's investigation into Dr. King's death. "The American people have waited nearly sixty years to see the full scope of the federal government's investigation into Dr King's assassination," she said, adding that the documents were released with minimal redactions for privacy reasons.
Dr. King was fatally shot in Memphis, Tennessee, in April 1968. James Earl Ray was convicted of the murder and died in prison in 1998. However, King's surviving children have long expressed doubts about Ray's involvement and have called for a deeper investigation.
In a joint statement, Martin Luther King III and Bernice King said they support efforts to ensure transparency and historical accountability. Still, they voiced concern that the newly released records could be misused to tarnish their father’s legacy.
They noted that during his lifetime, Dr. King was subjected to an “invasive, predatory, and deeply disturbing” campaign of surveillance and disinformation led by then-FBI director J. Edgar Hoover. "These actions were not only invasions of privacy, but intentional assaults on the truth,” they stated.
The family urged those engaging with the records to do so respectfully, keeping in mind the ongoing pain the revelations may cause. "We ask those who engage with the release of these files to do so with empathy, restraint, and respect for our family's continuing grief," they said.
The release follows an executive order signed by President Donald Trump to declassify records on the assassinations of King, President John F. Kennedy, and Senator Robert F. Kennedy.
Files related to JFK's 1963 assassination were released in March, while those on Robert Kennedy's 1968 murder were made public in April.
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