WASHINGTON, July 21 – In a historic move nearly six decades after the assassination of civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Trump administration on Monday released over 240,000 previously classified documents related to the FBI’s investigation of the 1968 murder. The announcement was made by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who confirmed that the files are now accessible to the public via the National Archives website.
“After nearly six decades of uncertainty surrounding Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination., we are releasing 230,000 MLK assassination files,” Gabbard posted on X, formerly Twitter. The archive includes FBI internal memos, intelligence reports, surveillance data, and details of the agency’s investigation, along with information about James Earl Ray’s connections and potential leads that were explored by federal agents.
These records provide unprecedented insight into the government’s controversial role in tracking King’s movements, his associations, and the aftermath of the assassination. One significant document discusses a former cellmate of Ray who claimed Ray talked about a potential assassination plan before King’s death, shedding new light on long-standing speculation of a broader conspiracy.
Legacy of Surveillance and Mistrust
Dr. King, a Baptist preacher from Atlanta and the most prominent voice of the Civil Rights Movement, was shot and killed on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. At the age of 39, his death marked a devastating blow to the nation, occurring at a time when he was expanding his efforts from civil rights to economic justice and anti-war activism.
The man identified as King’s killer, James Earl Ray, was a convicted felon who had escaped from prison a year prior. Investigators connected Ray to the crime after finding his fingerprints on the rifle left near the site of the assassination. It was believed Ray stalked King for over two weeks before firing the fatal shot from a boarding house window facing the Lorraine Motel.
Ray entered a guilty plea in March 1969 to avoid the death penalty and received a 99-year sentence. He died in prison in 1998, though his recantation of the confession and claims of innocence have continued to stir debate among historians, researchers, and King’s family.
What sets this release apart is the inclusion of long-suppressed FBI files that confirm the extent of the agency’s aggressive surveillance of King. During the 1950s and 1960s, under the leadership of J. Edgar Hoover, the FBI used its COINTELPRO (Counter Intelligence Program) to monitor, harass, and attempt to discredit King. The Bureau wiretapped his phones, followed his movements, and even sent anonymous letters urging him to abandon public life.
In recent years, federal authorities have acknowledged these actions as serious misuses of power. The newly released documents offer concrete examples of the lengths to which the FBI went, confirming what King’s supporters have long suspected — that the surveillance was not based on legitimate national security concerns, but on an intent to undermine King and the movement he led.
Family Urges Caution and Historical Context
Following the public release, the King family issued a heartfelt statement emphasizing the importance of examining the files through a full historical lens. “Throughout our father’s life, he was persistently subjected to an aggressive and troubling campaign of surveillance and misinformation led by J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI,” the statement said.
Martin Luther King III and his sister Bernice, the two surviving children of the slain civil rights leader, reiterated their concerns that the newly available material could be misinterpreted or misused. The family firmly denounced any efforts to distort the documents in a manner that could harm their father’s legacy or diminish the accomplishments of the civil rights movement.
The King family further noted that a 1999 civil court ruling in Tennessee had already affirmed their belief that Dr. King was killed as part of a broader conspiracy. That verdict found that Loyd Jowers — a Memphis businessman and former police officer — participated in a plot to assassinate King and that the conspiracy included unidentified individuals and government agencies. The court concluded that James Earl Ray was not the sole actor, and that he had likely been set up to take the blame.
Although subsequent reviews by federal authorities have cast doubt on some of the conspiracy claims, the family maintains that the trial’s outcome supports their long-standing assertions. They encouraged the public to engage with the documents respectfully and with compassion. “We ask that all who review these files do so with empathy, restraint, and respect for our family’s continuing grief,” the statement added.
President Donald Trump had ordered the declassification of these files earlier this year, as part of a broader initiative to bring transparency to America’s most debated political assassinations. His earlier directives led to the release of documents surrounding the deaths of both former President John F. Kennedy and Senator Robert F. Kennedy.