Washington, July 22(HS): The Trump administration has released over 230,000 pages of documents concerning the 1968 assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard described the release as unprecedented, reflecting President Trump’s commitment to transparency. This follows an executive order Trump signed at the beginning of his second term, aimed at declassifying documents related to the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr., President John F. Kennedy, and Senator Robert F. Kennedy.
Since 1977, King’s records had been sealed by a court order after the FBI first collected them and handed them over to the National Archives and Records Administration. Previously, the National Archives had released documents related to JFK’s assassination in March and files about RFK’s murder in April. King was assassinated in April 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee, and James Earl Ray, who was convicted for the crime, died in prison in 1998. However, King’s family members have questioned whether Ray was the actual assassin.
The newly digitized documents are part of an effort to shed light on King’s assassination. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence noted that the release encompasses more than 230,000 files, including significant information regarding James Earl Ray, the convicted assassin. The records detail various aspects of the FBI’s investigation, including discussions of potential leads, internal memos outlining the investigative progress, and testimonies regarding alleged assassination plots involving Ray’s former cellmate.
King’s family emphasized that the files should be viewed in their historical context, noting that their father had been subjected to invasive and disturbing surveillance and misinformation campaigns directed by J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI. They expressed support for transparency and historical accountability but urged caution against misusing their father’s legacy for spreading falsehoods. The family has long contended that Ray was wrongfully convicted and reiterated that they would evaluate the newly released documents for further insights beyond their established conclusions.
Attorney General Pam Bondi stated that the American public deserves answers concerning the assassination of one of the nation’s prominent leaders, reflecting a broader push for transparency from the Trump administration. This release follows a similar initiative earlier in March when thousands of records regarding JFK’s assassination were made public, as pressure mounts on the administration to disclose more information related to other sensitive topics, including the case of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
