Washington, D.C
The Trump administration has declassified and released thousands of newly digitized documents related to the 1968 assassination of civil rights icon Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., fulfilling a directive issued by President Donald Trump at the start of his second term.
The release, made public on Monday by the National Archives, is part of a broader executive order that also calls for the declassification of files connected to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and Senator Robert F. Kennedy — all long-standing subjects of public interest and conspiracy theories.
According to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), over 230,000 files pertaining to King’s assassination are now available. The documents include FBI investigation notes, internal memos, potential leads, and information about James Earl Ray, the man convicted of killing King. Notably, some files detail conversations with Ray’s former cellmate, who claimed Ray had spoken of an assassination plot.
In response, King’s children — Martin Luther King III and Bernice A. King — issued a joint statement urging the public to examine the files in their full historical context. They emphasized that their father had been "relentlessly targeted by an invasive, predatory, and deeply disturbing disinformation and surveillance campaign orchestrated by FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover."
"While we support transparency and historical accountability, we strongly object to any misuse of these records that could distort our father’s legacy or promote false narratives," the family stated.
The King family has long questioned James Earl Ray’s conviction, maintaining that he was framed. "As we examine these newly released files, we will determine whether they offer insights beyond what we have already come to understand," the family said.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, announcing the release, said, "The American people deserve answers decades after the horrific assassination of one of our nation’s greatest leaders."
The decision to release the King files comes amid mounting pressure on the White House from President Trump’s supporters to declassify additional documents — including those related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Earlier in March, the administration had also released thousands of previously classified files on the JFK assassination.
000
