Trump admin releases MLK's files despite family objection

Despite protests from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s family and the civil rights group he once led, the Trump administration has made public records of the FBI's surveillance of the slain civil rights icon.Why it matters: The move pits President Trump's determination to release documents the government has kept secret for more than a half-century against the family's lingering pain over how J. Edgar Hoover's FBI spied on King and tried to intimidate and humiliate him.It also comes as Trump is refusing to release documents that the Wall Street Journal said is connected to his own recent past — the Epstein files.Driving the news: Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard released on Monday over 230,000 pages of documents related to the 1968 assassination of MLK, the agency announced.In January, Trump ordered the release of all records the U.S. government still holds about King's assassination in 1968, as well as the assassinations of President Kennedy (1963) and Sen. Robert F. Kennedy (1968).The newly released MLK files had never been digitized and had spent decades "gathering dust in federal archives," the agency said.Zoom in: The documents detail the FBI's investigation into MLK's assassination — including case leads, internal memos tracking progress, and records about James Earl Ray's former cellmate, who claimed Ray spoke of a possible assassination plot.The release also includes evidence from a Canadian police department, and never-before-seen CIA records outline overseas intelligence on the international hunt for Ray, the prime suspect in the assassination.What they're saying: "The American people deserve answers decades after the horrific assassination of one of our nation's great leaders," Attorney General Pam Bondi said after the release."The Department of Justice is proud to partner with Director Gabbard and the ODNI at President Trump's direction for this latest disclosure."The new documents will be uploaded alongside the previously released files at archives.gov/mlk to ensure all MLK assassination documents can be found in a centralized location, the ODNI said.Yes, but: King's two surviving adult children, in a statement, asked that "those who engage with the release of these files to do so with empathy, restraint, and respect for our family's continuing grief."Martin Luther King III and Dr. Bernice A. King had wanted an "advanced viewing" of the documents, and the ODNI said members of the King family were provided an opportunity to review the files two weeks before the release."During our father's lifetime, he was relentlessly targeted by an invasive, predatory, and deeply disturbing disinformation and surveillance campaign orchestrated by J. Edgar Hoover through the Federal Bureau of Investigation," the Kings said."While we support transparency and historical accountability, we object to any attacks on our father's legacy or attempts to weaponize it to spread falsehoods."Flashback: King's assassination at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis has long fueled conspiracy theories about potential government involvement, especially because of the FBI's hostility toward him.In 1969, Ray, a career criminal, pleaded guilty to shooting King but later recanted his confession, saying he was part of a larger conspiracy.Allegations of government complicity have persisted for decades, with civil rights leaders, investigative authors and Ray's attorneys citing the FBI, Memphis police, and Missouri State Penitentiary — from which Ray escaped a year before the killing — as potential conspirators.Between the lines: The promise of complete disclosure alarmed the King family, who were hurt in 2019 by the release of FBI files that alleged sordid details about King's sex life, a family friend said.King's pursuit of civil rights through nonviolence is his enduring legacy. But as his work unfolded in the 1960s, Hoover and others in the U.S. government sought to prevent the rise of what they feared would be a Black "messiah" who could unify African Americans.Congress formally recognized King's iconic status by approving a federal holiday in his honor more than 15 years after he was killed in Memphis.In the following decades, his legacy drew bipartisan admiration. More recently, however, far-right commentators such as Charlie Kirk, a Trump ally, began criticizing King.Go deeper: MLK's family fears records set for release will contain FBI "smears"MLK's daughter urges Americans to "stay woke" ahead of Trump's returnMLK's words resonate with both sides of Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Comments

World news

Trump administration delves into MAGA distractions in deviation from the so-called Epstein files

Independent

Trump’s Treasury Secretary suggests August 1 trade deal deadline doesn’t matter one day after Commerce Secretary calls it a ‘hard deadline’

about 6 hours ago

Independent

Gen Xers mourn drowning death of The Cosby Show's Theo actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner

about 6 hours ago

Independent

Mom flies from NJ to Florida to check on son. Then cops found her murdered body in a dumpster

about 6 hours ago

Comments

Similar News

Iowa Republicans contemplate the unthinkable: who will follow Trump?

Trump administration delves into MAGA distractions in deviation from the so-called Epstein files

"Go f**k yourself": Colbert responds to Trump post

Thune stuck between Trump's demands, members' recess plans

Trump thinks Canadians who avoid U.S. travel, ban its booze are ’mean and nasty,’ ambassador says

Trump administration releases 240,000 pages of FBI records on Martin Luther King Jr. assassination

Trump bans Wall Street Journal from Scotland trip press pool over Epstein report

Trump officials release FBI records on MLK Jr despite his family’s opposition

Trump ‘caught off guard’ by Israeli strikes on Syria last week

How Trump is using the courts to get what he wants - and changing the shape of presidential power

A Federal Trial Reveals the Sprawling Plan Behind Trump’s Attacks on Pro-Palestinian Students

Trump’s border czar to target sanctuary cities in US: ‘We’re gonna flood the zone’

Trump’s Treasury Secretary suggests August 1 trade deal deadline doesn’t matter one day after Commerce Secretary calls it a ‘hard deadline’

Trump administration releases details of FBI investigation into MLK Jr’s killing as his family insists James Earl Ray was not the shooter

White House pulls WSJ from Trump's Scotland press pool over Epstein reporting

President Trump blasts federal judge, vows to appeal Harvard ruling

Trump slams judge in Harvard federal funding case as a ‘total disaster’

Trump tax bill to add $3.4tn to US debt over next decade, new analysis finds

‘Stop violating the law!’: Exasperated judge blasts Trump for blackout over public money

White House says Donald Trump is serious about wanting the Commanders to revert to Redskins

World news

Trump administration delves into MAGA distractions in deviation from the so-called Epstein files

Ukraine-Russia war latest: Zelensky says new peace talks in Turkey tomorrow after previous fail to end conflict

Here’s why Target is ending its long-running ‘price matching’ policy this month

These two cancer drugs may help lower your risk of Alzheimer’s disease, study shows

What to know about the 1979 disappearance of Etan Patz and the hunt for his killer

The Nvidia Chip Deal Trades Away the United States’ AI Advantage

I retired at 58. After my husband died I returned to work at his care home at 77

Australian Parliament resumes after Labor's landslide election victory

Mount Rainier earthquakes set new record

"Go f**k yourself": Colbert responds to Trump post

Rep. Andrew Garbarino wins key vote in race for Homeland Security Committee chair

Gazan doctor held in 'inhumane' conditions in Israeli jail, says lawyer

Gausman has best stuff in clutch win over Yankees

Migrants deported from US tortured in El Salvador, Venezuela says

Sharing a Bed With Your Kid? It’s Totally Normal in Asia.

TV Show Helps Identify Mother and Child Found Dead in Rome Park, and a Suspect

Iran’s Leaders Turn to a New Brand of Nationalism After Israeli and U.S. Attacks

NDP critical of government over Jansen mine delays

Scientists work to understand why dozens of whales have recently died in the San Francisco Bay Area

House grinds to a halt as GOP tries to shut down Epstein votes

Thune stuck between Trump's demands, members' recess plans

Alberta housing starts outpace 2024 levels

Vancouver mulls mass rezoning of 4,300 properties in Broadway, Cambie plan areas

B.C. slaps Oak Bay, West Vancouver with directives amid slow progress on housing

Bo Bichette lifts Blue Jays over Yankees 4-1

Saskatoon Berries awarded 2026 WCBL All-Star Weekend festivities

Fury as woman branded 'gold digger' after marrying wealthy farmer a day before he died

Accuser says 'rollercoaster' of Epstein files saga is a 'real weight' on victims

Taylor Swift and Drake music giant files to list on US stock market

The voices in the cockpit fuelling controversy over Air India crash

Okanagan creators release Dungeons & Dragons graphic novel

Calls for ‘femicide’ to be declared distinct crime in wake of Kelowna mother’s tragic death

Leatherback sea turtle sighted in B.C. waters is ‘extremely rare’ expert says

Police officer convicted in Breonna Taylor raid sentenced to almost three years in prison

Florida man arrested for threatening to ‘kill everyone’ on so-called Epstein client list

Blair was warned George Bush had ‘Manichean’ mindset over Iraq, archives reveal

Ex-officer in fatal Breonna Taylor raid sentenced to 33 months

"I hate it": Redistricting arms race gives lawmakers heartburn

8 best shop vacs for heavy-duty messes

Measles cases in Alberta take big jump over the weekend

After 2011 wildfire, Slave Lake better prepared amid current evacuation alert

Coquitlam residents upset about proposed redevelopment with no public hearing

CN move opens ‘once-in-a-generation opportunity’ for passenger rail to Whistler

Baba Vanga and Living Nostradamus both have 'turning point' prediction for 2025

How Trump is using the courts to get what he wants - and changing the shape of presidential power

'It's a lifesaver': Making solar power affordable in South Africa

Trucking's uneasy relationship with new tech

'My friend died right in front of me' - Student describes moment air force jet crashed into school

US police officer jailed for 33 months in relation to death of Breonna Taylor

Ibiza Rocks pauses events after British men die at venue

Billy Joel feels 'good' after brain disorder diagnosis

Calgary couple survives ‘frightening’ encounter with grizzly bear

Penticton, B.C. couple attacked on boardwalk, husband left with broken leg

Enhancements announced for federal AgriStability program to combat drought, tariffs

Health Minister: Ottawa will try to improve Vaccine Injury Support Program

Council to mull new north central Calgary neighbourhood instead of business park

A Federal Trial Reveals the Sprawling Plan Behind Trump’s Attacks on Pro-Palestinian Students