In a move that has been hailed as a significant stride towards transparency, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has overseen the release of 230,000 files pertaining to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
This release, which comes nearly six decades after the tragic event, includes details about the FBIs investigation into the assassination, potential leads, internal FBI memos detailing the progress of the case, and information about James Earl Rays former cellmate who claimed to have discussed an alleged assassination plot with Ray.
According to RedState, this release was made possible due to President Trump's Executive Order 14176, which resulted in three unprecedented interagency efforts to identify, digitize, declassify, and release files related to the federal government's investigations into the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and Dr. King.
Dr. Alveda King, niece of the late civil rights leader, lauded the move, stating in Gabbard's news release that it was a "historic step towards the truth that the American people deserve." However, the response from other family members was less enthusiastic. Martin Luther King III, his son, and Dr. Bernice A. King, his daughter, released a statement expressing their skepticism about the contents of the files due to the COINTELPRO and efforts to smear MLK in the 1960s.
The siblings stated, "During our fathers 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 (FBI)." They further explained that the governments COINTELPRO campaign aimed not only to monitor but to discredit, dismantle, and destroy Dr. Kings reputation and the broader American Civil Rights Movement.
The King siblings also expressed their concern about potential misuse of these documents to spread falsehoods or attack their father's legacy. They stated, "We strongly condemn any attempts to misuse these documents in ways intended to undermine our fathers legacy and the significant achievements of the movement."
They referred back to a wrongful death lawsuit in 1999, which they believe affirms that someone other than James Earl Ray was the shooter and that "Mr. Ray was set up to take the blame."
Despite the family's skepticism, the government maintains its stance based on the investigations they conducted. As the dust settles on this historic release, the public awaits any intriguing revelations that may emerge from these files.
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