U.S. Justice Department Released Martin Luther King Jr.'s(MLK Jr.) Assassination Files

Martin Luther King Jr.’s (MLK jr.) assassination Files.

In a major step toward transparency, the U.S. Justice Department has made public over 240,000 pages of documents related to the 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The trove includes extensive FBI records, which reveal years of surveillance and disinformation campaigns against the civil rights icon.

The files, posted on the National Archives website, come after years of advocacy by researchers, historians, and the King family. The agency announced that more documents will be released over time.

FBI’s Surveillance and Campaign to Discredit King

Among the most disturbing revelations are the FBI’s actions during the 1950s and 60s. The bureau, under Director J. Edgar Hoover, wiretapped King’s phones and monitored his activities. At the time, the FBI falsely alleged that King had ties to communism — part of a Cold War-era justification for their intense scrutiny. In recent years, the FBI has acknowledged this operation as an example of institutional “abuse and overreach.”

King, who received the Nobel Peace Prize, was increasingly focused on economic justice and anti-war advocacy in the months leading up to his assassination in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968. His murder shocked a nation already reeling from the Vietnam War and racial unrest.

King Family Responds: “Honor His Legacy, Not Exploitation”

In a heartfelt statement, King’s family urged the public to approach the documents with “empathy, restraint, and respect” for their ongoing grief. They condemned any potential misuse of the files and emphasized that Dr. King was relentlessly targeted by a coordinated disinformation campaign orchestrated by the FBI.

His children — Martin Luther King III, 67, and Bernice King, 62 — reiterated their belief that the assassination was part of a broader conspiracy. They referenced a 1999 civil lawsuit in Tennessee, where a jury unanimously found that King was the victim of a conspiracy involving Loyd Jowers, government agencies, and other unnamed individuals. The verdict also concluded that James Earl Ray, who had confessed to the killing and later recanted, was not the actual shooter but was instead set up as a scapegoat.

Jowers’ Claims and Controversy

Loyd Jowers, a former Memphis police officer, had told ABC in 1993 that he took part in the assassination plot. While a 2023 Justice Department report labeled Jowers’ claims as questionable, the King’s family maintains that the 1999 court decision affirms their belief in a larger government-linked conspiracy.

King’s assassination and the events that followed remain one of the most controversial chapters in American history. The newly released documents are expected to fuel fresh investigations and public debate over the true circumstances of his death.

Highlights:

Over 240,000 pages on MLK Jr.’s assassination, including FBI surveillance records, released by the U.S. Justice Department.
King’s family reiterates belief in a government-involved conspiracy and urges respectful engagement with the documents.
FBI’s historical misconduct against King acknowledged as an abuse of power and part of a Cold War-era smear campaign.

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