MLK Assassination Files Set for Release — But Will They Reveal Anything New?

Thousands of long-classified documents related to the 1968 assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. are expected to be released in the coming days. The move, which stems from 2017 and 2018 executive orders signed by former President Donald Trump, aims to declassify all remaining files tied to the assassinations of King, President John F. Kennedy, and Sen. Robert F. Kennedy. “Everything will be revealed,” Trump said at the time.

Earlier this month, 64,000 JFK-related documents were made public — but historians found little that changed the established narrative. Now, attention turns to the King and RFK files, which Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard says are next.

“These have been sitting in boxes in storage for decades — they’ve never been scanned or seen before,” Gabbard said, adding that over 100 staffers have worked around the clock to prepare them for release.

What Might Be in the Files?

While the exact contents remain unknown, the MLK documents could include:

• FBI files detailing King’s activities and associations
  
• Internal government communications
  
• Reports on James Earl Ray, King’s convicted assassin
  

Still, historians are skeptical that any new revelations will emerge. Much of the material may already be known or previously leaked through unofficial channels.

The King Family’s Ongoing Fight for Truth

The King family has long rejected the government’s conclusion that James Earl Ray acted alone. In 1999, a civil jury in Memphis sided with the family, finding that King was the victim of a broader conspiracy involving U.S. government agencies.

“There is abundant evidence of a major, high-level conspiracy in the assassination of my husband,” said Coretta Scott King at the time.

King’s daughter, Bernice King, has expressed doubt that the upcoming release will bring meaningful transparency and has demanded the family be allowed to review the documents before they are made public.

FBI Surveillance Files May Be Unsealed Early

Adding another layer of controversy, the Justice Department is seeking to unseal FBI surveillance files on King — nearly two years ahead of their scheduled release in January 2027.

Sealed since 1977, these documents are believed to include:

• Wiretap recordings of King’s phone calls and hotel rooms
  
• FBI surveillance transcripts authorized by J. Edgar Hoover, who saw King as a “Communist threat”
  
• Potentially personal and salacious material that critics fear could be used to undermine King’s legacy
  

The early release faces legal pushback from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and the King family, who argue that the original 50-year seal should remain in place and that the Trump administration lacked authority to override it.

Why It Matters

This new wave of document declassification fulfills a promise by Trump and taps into deep public skepticism around the major assassinations of the 1960s — events still clouded by mystery and conspiracy theories. “Their families and the American people deserve transparency and truth,” Trump said in 2017. “It is in the national interest to release all records related to these assassinations without delay.”Whether these releases offer clarity or controversy, they underscore a broader national demand for truth, accountability, and historical transparency — especially regarding one of America’s most revered civil rights leaders.