The National Archives released thousands of newly digitized documents related to the 1968 assassination of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., as part of a directive from President Trump.
The release on Monday continues an executive order signed by Trump days after the start of his second term, requiring the release and declassification of records related to King’s assassination and the assassinations of Presidents John F. Kennedy and Robert Kennedy—tragedies that have been the subject of curiosity and conspiracy theories for decades.
It was not immediately clear what new historical insights might be found in the trove of documents. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence stated in a Monday (21) release that the disclosure included more than 230,000 files related to King’s assassination, including information related to the man convicted of assassinating him, James Earl Ray.
“The documents include details on the FBI’s investigation into Martin Luther King’s assassination, discussion of possible leads, internal FBI memos detailing the progress of the case, information on James Earl Ray’s former cellmate, who claimed to have discussed an alleged assassination plot with Ray, and much more,” the ODNI statement said.
King’s family responded to the release by stating that the files should be examined “within their full historical context,” adding that the late civil rights leader was “relentlessly targeted by a campaign of disinformation and invasive, predatory, and deeply disturbing surveillance orchestrated by J. Edgar Hoover through the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation).”
“While we support transparency and historical accountability, we oppose any attacks on our father’s legacy or attempts to use him as a weapon to spread lies,” wrote King’s children, Martin Luther King III and Bernice A. King, in a statement.
Members of King’s family have long contested Ray’s conviction, arguing that he was used as a scapegoat—a point reiterated in Monday’s statement.
“As we review these newly released files, we will assess whether they offer any additional information beyond the findings already accepted by our family,” they said.
In a statement announcing the release, Attorney General Pam Bondi said: “The American people deserve answers, decades after the horrific assassination of one of our nation’s great leaders.”
The Trump administration’s decision to release the files comes at a time when the White House faces growing pressure from Trump’s base to also disclose additional information related to disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
In March, the administration also released thousands of records related to the JFK assassination.
Source: npr.org by Elena Moore