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By Amanda Castro and Dan Gooding
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Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard on Monday released more than 230,000 pages of documents related to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., fulfilling a transparency directive issued by President Donald Trump.
The files, many of which had never been digitized, include FBI memos, CIA intelligence, and foreign records tied to the investigation of King's 1968 killing.
Responding to the release, King's children said they hoped those reading the documents would do so "with empathy, restraint, and respect."
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"While we support transparency and historical accountability, we object to any attacks on our father's legacy or attempts to weaponize it to spread falsehoods," Martin Luther King III and Dr. Bernice A. King said in a statement. "We strongly condemn any attempts to misuse these documents in ways intended to undermine our father's legacy and the significant achievements of the movement."
Why It Matters
The release comes amid the backlash over the Trump administration announcing that there was no "client list" from the Jeffrey Epstein case despite promises to release it.
Gabbard said Monday that releasing the files "follows through on President Trump's commitment to fully release previously-classified records" related to the assassinations of King, President John F. Kennedy, and Senator Robert F. Kennedy.
When it comes to the files related to King's assassination, the classified nature of the documents has fueled decades of suspicion and conspiracy theories around his death.
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MLK Jr. Files Released: What We Know
The newly digitized files expanded on previously released documents and included details on the FBI's investigation following King's death in 1968. Gabbard's press release explained that the documents included discussions of potential leads and memos detailing how the case progressed.
Gabbard posted on X that the documents, comprising 243,496 pages, were now live on the National Archives' website.
When Was MLK Jr. Assassinated?
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King was fatally shot while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968. His assassination became one of the most heavily scrutinized and controversial deaths in American history.
He had been monitored by the U.S. government for several years leading up to his death, with the FBI's then-director J. Edgar Hoover viewing King as a communist sympathizer. The agency wiretapped his phones and bugged his hotel rooms during this time.
Who Was James Earl Ray?
James Earl Ray, a fugitive at the time of King's death, was arrested and pleaded guilty to the murder in 1969. He was sentenced to 99 years in prison.
Ray later recanted his plea, claiming he was a patsy in a broader conspiracy, but he spent the rest of his life in prison. He died in 1998, at the age of 70.
Part of the speculation around the previously unreleased files has been whether investigators believed Ray acted alone or not.
What People Are Saying
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, in a press release: "Under President Trump's leadership, we are ensuring that no stone is left unturned in our mission to deliver complete transparency on this pivotal and tragic event in our nation's history. I extend my deepest appreciation to the King family for their support."
Attorney General Pamela Bondi, in a press release: "The American people deserve answers decades after the horrific assassination of one of our nation's great leaders. The Department of Justice is proud to partner with Director Gabbard and the ODNI at President Trump's direction for this latest disclosure."
Martin Luther King III and Dr. Bernice A. King, in a statement: "Instead of repeating the injustices of the past, we encourage the public to continue the work that our father began – building equity, justice, and peace for all. Now more than ever, we must honor his sacrifice by committing ourselves to the realization of his dream – a society rooted in compassion, unity, and equality.
"Let us move forward together, inspired by our father's enduring vision of the Beloved Community – a world made possible when we choose to center love in all that we do. By embracing compassion, mutual respect, and justice, we can transform his dream into our shared reality."
What Happens Next
Gabbard said that as more documents are discovered, they will be released.
Update 7/21/25, 4:56 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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