US EditionJudge weighs government’s request to unseal records of FBI’s surveillance of Martin Luther King Jr.
- U.S. District Judge Richard Leon is considering a Trump administration request to unseal FBI surveillance records on Martin Luther King Jr. Kept under seal in Washington, D.C.
- The records originate from a 1977 court order sealing files gathered from King’s FBI surveillance between 1963 and 1968, aimed at discrediting him and the civil rights movement.
- King was frequently monitored and arrested about 29 times on dubious charges, while his family and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference oppose public release citing privacy and legacy concerns.
- Judge Leon stated at a June 4 hearing that unsealing the records is 'delicate stuff' and requires a careful inventory before deciding on potential release focused on assassination-related files.
- The case underscores tensions between transparency and protecting King’s legacy, as his son called the surveillance a 'shameful and dark chapter' and decried public disclosure as unjust.
33 Articles
33 Articles
Judge weighs request to unseal FBI records on MLK
WASHINGTON — A federal judge is weighing a request from the Trump administration to unseal records of the FBI's surveillance of Martin Luther King Jr. — files that the civil rights leader's relatives want to keep under wraps in the…
Judge weighs request to unseal MLK records
WASHINGTON — A federal judge is weighing a request from the Trump administration to unseal records of the FBI's surveillance of Martin Luther King Jr. — files that the civil rights leader's relatives want to keep under wraps in the…
Judge Considers Unsealing FBI Documents About MLK Assassination Early
Source: Universal History Archive / Getty Earlier this year, President Trump signed an executive order to unseal documents related to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. before their original court-appointed release date. Amidst pushback from the King family, a federal judge has stated he’s open to granting the Trump administration’s request. According to the New York Times, a hearing was held on June 4 as a result of a lawsuit filed…
Associated Press News
Judge weighs government's request to unseal records of FBI’s surveillance of Martin Luther King Jr.
A federal judge is weighing a request from the Trump administration to unseal records of the FBI’s surveillance of Martin Luther King Jr. — files that the civil rights leader’s relatives want to keep under wraps in the national archives.
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