MLK Family Reportedly Fears Revival of FBI 'Smears' From Upcoming Report Release: 'Under the Guise of Transparency'

The family of Martin Luther King Jr. fear that government documents scheduled for release on March 9th will be used to tarnish his legacy "under the guise of transparency."

President Donald Trump ordered the release of records on King's assassination, along with those of John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy.

A family friend addressed the King family's "deep concerns"—explaining they were already "hurt" by the 2019 alleged reveal of Dr. King's sordid sex life, reported Axios.

"They know the right wing wants to smear Dr. King, and one way to do it is by putting these smears in the public under the guise of transparency," the unnamed friend told Axios. "If there are assassination records, release those. But smears are not assassination records."

While civil rights leaders seek truth about King's assassination, concerns remain that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) past efforts to discredit King will resurface.

The FBI, at the time led by J. Edgar Hoover, spied on King and "engaged in covert operations against him," according to Stanford's Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute.

Previously released FBI files detailed the agency's surveillance which included sending him a package with a note suggesting that he kill himself, blackmail attempts and claims about King's personal life.

These actions can be viewed in the 2020 documentary, MLK/FBI and supporting documents can be found at the National Archives.

The family requested an advance review of the documents but was denied.

A White House spokesperson explained the reasoning behind the denial.

"These records don't belong to them," the spokesperson said to Axios. "These are the public's records."

The King family argued that exposing old smears distracts from the real issue: uncovering further government involvement in King's 1969 assassination at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee.

After King's records are released, John F. Kennedy's records will be revealed next.

According to Axios and the New York Times, Trump associates the bureau as a "Deep State" bureaucracy that is manipulating the government.

Last month, the Pentagon paused observations of Martin Luther King (MLK) Jr. Day, which would have been observed on January 20th in honor of King's contribution to equality and human rights for Black Americans.

While Trump officially recognized Black History Month in a proclamation, government agencies and departments such as the Pentagon and State Department were told not to observe it.

The move was part of Trump's diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) crackdown bolstered by his executive orders across the federal government and corporations in the country.

Originally published on Latin Times