Trump Administration Releases Martin Luther King Jr. Assassination Files
The Trump administration has unveiled a significant collection of 230,000 documents related to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
During a cabinet meeting with President Trump, National Intelligence Director Tarsi Gabbard mentioned that her team is actively searching through FBI and CIA files for additional insights into the case.
On Monday, Gabbard remarked, “After nearly 60 years of questions surrounding the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., we are releasing 230,000 MLK assassination files.”
The documents include details of the FBI’s investigation, discussions about possible leads, and an internal memo outlining the progress of the case. It also sheds light on information from James Earl Ray’s former cellmate.
Ray was convicted for the assassination of King, who was shot and killed on April 4, 1968, at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. Ray was captured in London following a manhunt and pleaded guilty to the crime, although he later retracted his plea and claimed innocence until his death in 1998.
Gabbard noted that the released documents detail specific leads pursued by the FBI after the assassination, as well as the CIA’s intelligence operations during Ray’s capture. Additionally, these records include Ray’s claims about conversations with his former cellmate regarding the incident.
“Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, Executive Order 14176 has initiated unprecedented efforts to identify, digitize, and release documents related to the assassinations of Dr. King, President John F. Kennedy, and Senator Robert F. Kennedy,” Gabbard stated.
A release from Gabbard’s Office detailed that these files had been neglected for decades, left unprocessed in federal facilities.
Dr. Alveda King commented, “We are grateful to President Trump and DNI Gabbard for their commitment to transparency regarding the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. While we continue to grieve his loss, the declassification of these documents is a significant step toward uncovering the truth for the American people.”
The civil trial in Memphis in 1999 against Lloyd Jowards, who reportedly had knowledge of the assassination plot, led to numerous testimonies suggesting collaboration among various parties, including government agencies.
Ryan Jones, director at the National Museum of Civil Rights in Memphis, expressed that the newly released records highlight the importance of the information gathered during the FBI investigation.
“This is especially significant as the American public at the time was largely unaware of the FBI’s smear campaign against King, even while he was still alive,” Jones explained. “They were receiving notifications about attempts on his life during the investigation.”
Jones also questioned the reasoning behind classifying documents as “sealed on national security” when the alleged assassin was imprisoned.
Lerone A. Martin from Stanford’s Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute expressed skepticism regarding the new documents, suggesting they may not contain any definitive proof.
“We need to approach these documents with a degree of skepticism, as the trust in the FBI has been eroded,” Martin said.
In a statement following Gabbard’s announcement, King’s family addressed the situation.
“Throughout our father’s life, he faced relentless, invasive surveillance and disinformation campaigns orchestrated by J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI,” the family stated. “The Cointelpro Campaign aimed not just to monitor him, but to undermine and dismantle Dr. King’s reputation and the larger civil rights movement.”
The Cointelpro, or “Counter Intelligence Program,” refers to a series of secretive and illegal actions taken by the FBI from 1956 to 1971, which were eventually discontinued.
