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Judge weighs government’s request to unseal records of FBI’s surveillance of Martin Luther King Jr.
- On Wednesday, a federal judge in Washington, D.C., held a hearing to review the Trump administration’s request to lift the sealing order on FBI surveillance files concerning Martin Luther King Jr.
- The request stems from a 1977 court order that sealed records about the FBI's monitoring of King until January 31, 2027, but the Justice Department seeks to lift this seal nearly two years early to promote transparency about King's assassination.
- The Southern Christian Leadership Conference and King's family oppose unsealing, citing concerns about privacy, government overreach, and the FBI's alleged efforts to discredit King, including illegal wiretapping during 1963–1968 surveillance.
- Judge Leon described the matter as sensitive and indicated he wants to review a detailed list of the documents prior to deciding on their public disclosure, while attorneys from the Justice Department guaranteed that no personal or privileged information would be made public.
- The decision may take as long as the full period left until the seal expires and could influence public access to historical records concerning King’s assassination and surveillance.
38 Articles
38 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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