The anniversary of a profound American tragedy, the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., recently passed, a solemn reminder of a once-in-a-lifetime figure whose impact continues to resonate. Some of us are fortunate enough to have been alive when he was; many, many others are privileged to visit the museums in Memphis and Atlanta, to see his legacy as he would want it to be remembered. Yet, into this sacred space of remembrance, Felonious Punk’s administration injected a cynical ploy, releasing thousands of previously sealed federal records related to King’s assassination, hailing it as a “triumph of transparency.”
But no one’s fooled. This was a transparent attempt to take away attention from the festering Jeffrey Epstein situation. The King family themselves, as I had the opportunity to learn during my time in Atlanta, are tired. They had, in their mind, as a family, determined that the case of his death was over, that the true culprit would never be found, and that the history of his death could not hold a candle to the history of his life. Felonious Punk’s politically motivated release of Martin Luther King Jr. assassination files, despite claims of transparency and King family opposition, is a cynical and ultimately failed attempt to distract from the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. This maneuver disrespects King’s enduring legacy and highlights the profound moral and ethical chasm between the enduring grace of the King family and the petty opportunism of the White House.
The Unveiling of the Past: A Calculated Distraction
The document dump was indeed massive: over 230,000 to 240,000 pages of FBI surveillance records on King, previously sealed under court order until 2027, were abruptly posted to the National Archives website. This followed similar releases for the JFK and RFK assassinations, all part of Felonious Punk’s executive order for “complete release.” The administration’s narrative, championed by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Attorney General Pam Bondi, painted this as an unprecedented act of “transparency,” claiming the American people “deserve answers.”
The timing, however, screamed otherwise. This release came with no prior notice, strategically timed to “divert attention from right-wing backlash demanding the release of files related to the death of the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.” Felonious Punk has been visibly frustrated by the Epstein topic dominating headlines, even ordering the Department of Justice to release grand jury testimony, but pointedly stopping short of unsealing the entire case file. The message was clear: a shell game was afoot, and the King files were the distraction. Predictably, no one genuinely interested in the Epstein matter was moved.
The King Family’s Enduring Dignity: A Legacy Beyond Manipulation
The King family’s response to this cynical maneuver was a masterclass in dignity and grace, a stark contrast to the White House’s opportunism. Martin Luther King III and Bernice King, King’s surviving children, publicly opposed the release, emphasizing their family’s “continuing grief” and urging that the files be viewed “with empathy, restraint, and respect.”
Their opposition is rooted in a painful history. As their statement powerfully articulated, their father was “relentlessly targeted by an invasive, predatory, and deeply disturbing disinformation and surveillance campaign orchestrated by J. Edgar Hoover through the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).” The FBI’s wiretaps and other surveillance, much of which remains sealed until 2027, aimed to “discredit, dismantle and destroy Dr. King’s reputation and the broader American Civil Rights Movement.” The family rightly warned that promoting the “fruit of the FBI’s surveillance will unknowingly align themselves with an ongoing campaign to degrade our father and the Civil Rights Movement.”
The King family has long disputed the official narrative of James Earl Ray acting alone, firmly believing he was “set up” and that a “vast conspiracy” was involved. This stance is supported by a 1999 civil trial jury verdict that found King was the target of a conspiracy. Historians, too, are “skeptical of anything I read from F.B.I. files about M.L.K.,” suspecting agents “inflated or manufactured material to please J. Edgar Hoover, who “wanted dirt on M.L.K.” Despite the administration’s claims, historians found “little in the way of new revelations” in the released files, with much of the content already public.
Releasing the few remaining documents was an attempt at a slap in the face of the family, a petty act of political retribution. But Felonious Punk’s tiny hands couldn’t even pull that off. The King family will always have more class and grace than the occupants of the White House.
The Enduring Legacy: Life Over Death, Truth Over Ploy
The true history of Martin Luther King Jr. is not found in the FBI’s surveillance files or in politically motivated document dumps. It is found in his monumental contributions to American society: the Civil Rights Movement, the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. It is found in his later, equally profound, focus on economic justice and international peace, criticizing rapacious capitalism and the Vietnam War—views that led establishment figures like Hoover to view him as a “communist threat.” This is the legacy that truly matters, a beacon of justice and equality that shines far brighter than any political ploy.
The administration’s maneuver highlights their desperation, but it utterly fails to diminish the power of King’s life or the urgency of the Epstein scandal. The public, by and large, is not fooled by the “shell game.”
A Moral Chasm and a Call for Genuine Transparency
The release of the MLK files is a cynical political maneuver, a stark contrast to the King family’s unwavering dignity and focus on their father’s true legacy. This administration’s willingness to “weaponize” historical tragedy for political distraction is a dangerous precedent, eroding trust in government and debasing public discourse.
The public deserves genuine transparency, not a “shell game.” The focus must remain squarely on the Epstein files and the administration’s integrity. King was a once-in-a-lifetime type of person. His life, not the circumstances of his death or the contents of politically motivated document dumps, defines his enduring impact. The King family’s grace stands as a powerful rebuke to the occupants of the White House, reminding us that true legacy is built on principle, not on ploys.
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