Luna Opens Hearing on Declassified MLK Records
WASHINGTON—Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets Chairwoman Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) delivered opening remarks at today’s hearing on “Declassified MLK Records: What They Reveal and Why They Matter.” In her opening statement, Task Force Chairwoman Luna called for transparency from the federal government on releasing records related to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. She also emphasized the importance of building on and adhering to President Trump’s Executive Order directing federal agencies to release extensive files to increase the American public’s trust in the government.
Below are Task Force Chairwoman Luna’s remarks as prepared for delivery:
On Thursday, April 4, 1968, America was forever changed when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was tragically shot and killed on a balcony at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee.
Dr. King’s murder was an immense tragedy for the nation, the civil rights movement, as well as the King family.
Over time, it has become increasingly clear that our federal government was not honest about its investigation of this tragedy or its abuses leading up to it.
Throughout the 1950s and 60s, the FBI waged an extensive campaign of surveillance, intimidation, and harassment against Dr. King.
They wiretapped his phones, bugged his hotel rooms, and paid informants to spy on him.
The Task Force is gathered here today to examine the benefits of declassification and how disclosure can restore confidence in the federal government and avoid abuses from ever happening again.
President Trump’s Executive Order directing agencies to release extensive files on Dr. King, is a step in the right direction.
It is the job of the Task Force to ensure that federal agencies comply with the Executive Order.
Even now, records remain outstanding, including those covered in the highly anticipated 1977 settlement requiring the FBI to release its records in 2027.
It is, however, important to note that many of those wire that those wiretaps were illegally obtained and meant to smear Dr. King.
I want to make it clear that we are not here to speculate without facts.
We are here to seek the truth.
Declassification is not about politics; it is about justice and transparency.
It is also about ensuring that the American people finally receive the full story behind one of the most consequential and tragic events in the nation’s history.
For too long, that truth has remained sealed.
It is long past time to confront our history honestly so we can begin rebuilding the public’s faith in the institutions meant to serve them.