Trump Administration Releases FBI Records On MLK Jr. Despite His Family’s Opposition

July 24, 2025

The Trump administration has released over 240,000 pages of previously sealed FBI surveillance records on Martin Luther King Jr. , despite opposition from King's family and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. The document dump, described as "unprecedented" by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, contains records that had been under court seal since 1977 and were originally scheduled to remain sealed until 2027.

Who is affected

Martin Luther King Jr.'s family, particularly his children Martin III and Bernice King
The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)
Historians, scholars, journalists, and the public interested in Civil Rights history
Civil rights activists and organizations
The King Center, founded by Coretta Scott King and now led by Bernice King

What action is being taken

The Trump administration is releasing more than 240,000 pages of FBI surveillance records on Martin Luther King Jr.
The National Intelligence office is digitizing previously sealed records for the first time
King's children are reviewing the files to assess if they offer additional insights
The King Center is responding to the release by framing it as ill-timed and a distraction
Civil rights activists like Rev. Al Sharpton are criticizing the timing and motives of the release

Why it matters

The files contain FBI surveillance of King that his family describes as "invasive, predatory, and deeply disturbing" and designed to "discredit, dismantle and destroy" his reputation
The records may provide new information about King's assassination in 1968 and potentially support or refute the King family's longstanding contention that James Earl Ray was not solely responsible for King's death
The release addresses questions about government surveillance of civil rights leaders and follows decades of secrecy surrounding these documents
The timing connects to current political controversies, including demands for transparency in the Jeffrey Epstein case
The documents may reveal more about the FBI's interest in King's pivot toward economic justice and anti-war activism in his later years

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint