Yesterday, the Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets held a hearing to examine why key records related to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination remain sealed or redacted, despite efforts to increase transparency in recent years. The session, titled “Declassified MLK Records: What They Reveal and Why They Matter,” also addressed how decades of secrecy have fueled conspiracy theories and diminished public trust in government.
Stuart Wexler, an author and investigative researcher, testified that while most records from the House Select Committee’s investigation into President John F. Kennedy’s assassination have been released, “There is still one major body of evidence that needs to be released. It’s the House Select Committee on Assassination files on Martin Luther King’s assassination. Nearly every single page of the concurrent investigation into the JFK assassination has been released. Zero has been released on the Martin Luther King assassination.”
The hearing highlighted extensive FBI surveillance of Dr. King and his family during the 1950s and 1960s—a practice that raised concerns about violations of First Amendment rights and parallels with modern surveillance practices.
Dr. Alveda King, Chair of The American Dream at America First Policy Institute and niece of Dr. King, described her family's experience: “[My] own family experienced what we call ‘wiretaps,’ and their excuse for taping or tapping all of us…So they ended up being in files not only on Martin Luther King, but our whole family. And you could [hear] in those days, the wires would crackle and you could hear the wiretaps, and we would know that somebody was listening.”
Authorities have investigated Dr. King's murder five times since his death in 1968.
During her testimony, Dr. Alveda King stated: “The release of the files related to the assassination of my uncle, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., represents a meaningful and historic step towards faith and truth and justice. Especially difficult truth has a way of getting and setting us free. Transparency invites trust, and trust is essential for national healing.”
Mr. Wexler emphasized progress made under recent executive action: “I’d love to reframe the focus of this committee...to what Executive Order that Donald Trump put into effect...And that’s releasing files very specifically related to his assassination...There is a misconception that the material that was released in June was derogatory material towards Martin Luther King...No...[The House Oversight Committee] and [the National Archives] actually did an amazing job...Every single field office in the United States was involved in [the murder] investigation...You folks got released virtually every single one of those files...There’s a handful I can talk about that need to be put in, but almost all of them were released.”
Task Force Chairwoman Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) asked about details within recently unsealed MURKIN Files—named by FBI as shorthand for "murder"—that reveal federal use of wiretaps against Dr. King's family.
Chairwoman Luna referenced past FBI actions targeting Dr. King: “[When] Dr. King was going through all this,...we know that the FBI was suggesting that he kill himself...even going as far as sending information to his wife....do you specifically remember—can you speak to what you remember and how that impacted your family? From a personal perspective?”
Dr. Alveda King responded with personal recollections from childhood through adulthood about pervasive surveillance affecting her entire family.
Chairwoman Luna also questioned how lack of transparency after events such as the Loyd Jowers trial—the 1999 civil case implicating government agencies in conspiracy—affected public confidence.
Dr. Alveda King replied: “Thank you, Madam Chairwoman....But I think transparency and truth are so important....this moment offers an invitation to unity,...renewed commitment to those ideals that bind us together.”
Rep. Eric Burlison (R-Mo.) discussed whether Congress could further release documents without causing harm or violating privacy for surviving members.
Wexler explained Congressional authority over certain sealed records from late-1970s investigations: “The stuff that I’m most interested is stuff that [Congress] are ...the only people who can release....there was a letter ...that gave ...the Clerk ...discretion to release files....I believe Clerk should direct archives...[to] expedite release ...on [MLK's] assassination....We could do a much more deliberative process...with these 100 & 105 files.”
Calls for increased openness echoed throughout testimony; witnesses said greater access would help dispel harmful speculation while supporting national reconciliation.
