“Now do the Epstein files,” the daughter of the civil rights icon, Bernice King, has said
The administration of US President Donald Trump has released thousands of government files related to the assassination of civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. Around 240,000 pages were posted on Monday on the National Archives website, which promised more releases.
King was assassinated on April 4, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee. Segregationist James Earl Ray confessed to the killing but later recanted. He died in prison in 1998.
National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard said the files include FBI memos, case leads, notes on Ray’s former cellmate, and overseas intelligence from the manhunt after Ray fled to the UK. Early reviews revealed no new details on FBI surveillance of King or possible links to Ray. Some researchers – and King’s family – believe the killing was part of a wider conspiracy and that Ray may have been framed.
Today, after nearly 60 years of questions surrounding the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we are releasing 230,000 MLK assassination files, available now at https://t.co/71P3p5jBgK. The documents include details about the FBI’s investigation into the assassination… pic.twitter.com/l96t9tgYmn
— DNI Tulsi Gabbard (@DNIGabbard) July 21, 2025
King’s children, Bernice King and Martin Luther King III, were given early access to the records and opposed their release, fearing they might contain material that could damage their father’s legacy.
It remains unclear whether the files reveal new information about King’s personal life. In a statement on X, they urged the public to view the documents in “their full historical context,” stressing that King’s death remains a deeply personal loss.
“We support transparency and historical accountability, but oppose any attacks on our father’s legacy or efforts to weaponize it with falsehoods,” they said, adding they will review the documents to assess whether Ray was truly responsible.
In a separate post, Bernice King addressed another controversy, writing on X: “Now do the Epstein files,” referencing claims of a cover-up in the case of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Critics have slammed the administration’s handling of the case. The Justice Department released ‘The Epstein Files: Phase 1’ in February, but the heavily redacted documents revealed little new information.
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Trump ordered the release of grand jury testimony last Friday but stopped short of unsealing the full case file, which many believe includes names of high-profile Epstein associates. Trump, who once knew Epstein, said he cut ties in the 1990s.
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