U.S. Releases 240,000+ FBI Files on Martin Luther King Jr.’s Assassination

The U.S. Justice Department has released over 240,000 pages of documents related to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., including extensive FBI surveillance records aimed at discrediting the civil rights leader. The files were posted on the National Archives website, with more releases expected.

King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee, as he expanded his focus beyond racial justice to economic equality and anti-war advocacy. His death marked a pivotal moment in a year marred by political violence and social unrest, including the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy.

The newly released documents highlight the FBI’s efforts under Director J. Edgar Hoover to monitor and undermine King, citing unfounded Cold War-era suspicions of communist ties. In recent years, the FBI has acknowledged its actions as historic overreach and abuse of power.

Earlier in 2025, the Trump administration also declassified documents tied to the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy, promising greater transparency on high-profile political deaths.

King’s family urged the public to approach the files with "empathy, restraint, and respect," condemning any misuse of the sensitive material. They recalled their successful 1999 wrongful death civil case, in which a Tennessee jury found that King was assassinated as part of a conspiracy involving Loyd Jowers and unnamed government agencies. The verdict concluded that James Earl Ray, who confessed but later recanted, was not the actual shooter but was set up.

Though a 2023 Justice Department report questioned Jowers’ claims, the King family maintains the civil verdict supports their long-standing belief in a broader plot.

The National Archives' ongoing document release is expected to reignite public interest in one of the most scrutinized assassinations in American history.