Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard announced July 21 the release of more than 230,000 pages of FBI records tied to the 1968 assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
“The American people have waited nearly sixty years to see the full scope of the federal government’s investigation into Dr. King’s assassination,” Gabbard wrote on X. “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.”
Originally scheduled for release in 2027, the documents were declassified in advance following President Donald Trump’s executive order calling for the disclosure of files related to the assassinations of King, President John F. Kennedy, and Sen. Robert F. Kennedy.
Gabbard said the files shed light on the federal investigation into the Memphis shooting of King, who was 39. Among the disclosures are internal FBI memos, case updates, and accounts of potential leads.
The records also include information about James Earl Ray’s former cellmate, who claimed that he and Ray discussed an alleged assassination plot, according to FOX News.
Ray pleaded guilty to King’s murder in 1969 and received a 99-year prison sentence. He died in custody in 1998.
Additional documents detail records from the Canadian police department about Ray’s flight from the country.
Gabbard added that the documents include “never-before-seen CIA records” outlining the “overseas intelligence” efforts during the international hunt for Ray, in a press release from the Office of the DNI.
Attorney General Pam Bondi praised the move.
“The American people deserve answers decades after the horrific assassination of one of our nation’s great leaders,” she said in the release. “The Department of Justice is proud to partner with Director Gabbard and the ODNI at President Trump’s direction for this latest disclosure.”
