The National Archives published thousands of newly digitized documents related to the 1968 assassination of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., as part of a directive from President Trump.
The release on Monday fulfills an executive order that Trump signed days after the start of his second term, requiring the release and declassification of records connected to King’s assassination and the assassinations of President 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 would be found in the collection of documents. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence said in a statement on Monday that the release included more than 230,000 files related to King’s assassination, including information linked to the man convicted of assassinating him, James Earl Ray.
“The documents include details about the FBI’s investigation into the MLK assassination, discussions about potential leads, internal FBI memos detailing the case’s progress, information about James Earl Ray’s former cellmate who claimed to have discussed with Ray an alleged assassination plan, and more,” the ODNI statement said.
King’s family reacted to the release saying that the files should be viewed “in their full historical context,” adding that the late civil rights leader was “relentlessly targeted by an invasive, predatory, and deeply disturbing campaign of disinformation and surveillance orchestrated by J. Edgar Hoover through the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).”
“While we support transparency and historical accountability, we oppose any attacks on our father’s legacy or attempts to use it as a weapon to spread falsehoods,” 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 framed, a point repeated in Monday’s statement.
“As we review these newly released files, we will assess whether they offer additional insights beyond the conclusions our family has already accepted,” 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 publish the files comes as the White House faces growing pressure from Trump’s base to also release additional information related to the 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