“Housing Affordability: Saving the American Dream”

1[House Hearing, 119 Congress]2[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]34                  DECLASSIFIED MLK RECORDS: WHAT THEY5                       REVEAL AND WHY THEY MATTER67=======================================================================89                                HEARING1011                               before the1213         TASK FORCE ON THE DECLASSIFICATION OF FEDERAL SECRETS1415                                 of the1617              COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM1819                     U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES2021                    ONE HUNDRED NINETEENTH CONGRESS2223                             SECOND SESSION2425                               __________2627                            JANUARY 22, 20262829                               __________3031                           Serial No. 119-563233                               __________3435Printed for the use of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform3637    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]3839    Available on: govinfo.gov, oversight.house.gov or docs.house.gov40                                    _______4142                     U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE434462-608 PDF                   WASHINGTON : 20264546              COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM4748                    JAMES COMER, Kentucky, Chairman4950Jim Jordan, Ohio                     Robert Garcia, California, Ranking51Mike Turner, Ohio                        Minority Member52Paul Gosar, Arizona                  Eleanor Holmes Norton, District of53Virginia Foxx, North Carolina            Columbia54Glenn Grothman, Wisconsin            Stephen F. Lynch, Massachusetts55Michael Cloud, Texas                 Raja Krishnamoorthi, Illinois56Gary Palmer, Alabama                 Ro Khanna, California57Clay Higgins, Louisiana              Kweisi Mfume, Maryland58Pete Sessions, Texas                 Shontel Brown, Ohio59Andy Biggs, Arizona                  Melanie Stansbury, New Mexico60Nancy Mace, South Carolina           Maxwell Frost, Florida61Pat Fallon, Texas                    Summer Lee, Pennsylvania62Byron Donalds, Florida               Greg Casar, Texas63Scott Perry, Pennsylvania            Jasmine Crockett, Texas64William Timmons, South Carolina      Emily Randall, Washington65Tim Burchett, Tennessee              Suhas Subramanyam, Virginia66Lauren Boebert, Colorado             Yassamin Ansari, Arizona67Anna Paulina Luna, Florida           Wesley Bell, Missouri68Nick Langworthy, New York            Lateefah Simon, California69Eric Burlison, Missouri              Dave Min, California70Eli Crane, Arizona                   Ayanna Pressley, Massachusetts71Brian Jack, Georgia                  Rashida Tlaib, Michigan72John McGuire, Virginia               James R. Walkinshaw, Virginia73Brandon Gill, Texas74Vacancy7576                                 ------7778                       Mark Marin, Staff Director79                   James Rust, Deputy Staff Director80                     Ryan Giachetti, Chief Counsel81                  Kaity Wolfe, Director for Oversight82                      Mary Woodard, Senior Counsel83                 Emily Allen, Professional Staff Member84         Mallory Cogar, Director of Operations and Chief Clerk8586                      Contact Number: 202-225-50748788                Robert Edmonson, Minority Staff Director89                      Contact Number: 202-225-505190                                 ------9192         Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets9394                 Anna Paulina Luna, Florida, Chairwoman9596Nancy Mace, South Carolina           Jasmine Crockett, Texas, Ranking97Tim Burchett, Tennessee                  Member98Lauren Boebert, Colorado             Raja Krishnamoorthi, Illinois99Eric Burlison, Missouri              Summer Lee, Pennsylvania100Eli Crane, Arizona                   Dave Min, California101Brandon Gill, Texas                  Vacancy102103                         C  O  N  T  E  N  T  S104105                              ----------106107                           OPENING STATEMENTS108109                                                                   Page110111Hon. Anna Paulina Luna, U.S. Representative, Chairwoman..........     1112113Hon. Jasmine Crockett, U.S. Representative, Ranking Member.......     2114115                               WITNESSES116117Dr. Alveda King, Chair, American Dream, America First Policy118  Institute119Oral Statement...................................................     4120121Mr. Stuart Wexler, Author and Investigative Researcher122Oral Statement...................................................     5123124Mr. Kia Hamadanchy (Minority Witness), Senior Policy Counsel,125  American Civil Liberties Union126Oral Statement...................................................     7127128Written opening statements and bios are available on the U.S.129  House of Representatives Document Repository at:130  docs.house.gov.131132                           INDEX OF DOCUMENTS133134  * Article, CNN, ``Judge Deals Blow to the Trump Justice135  Deparment's Use of The Civil Rights Act to `Clean' Voter136  Roles''; submitted by Rep. Crockett.137138  * Article, NYT, ``The Many Political Interpretations of Martin139  Luther King Jr.'s Legacy''; submitted by Rep. Crockett.140141  * Article, SPLC, ``Trump Executive Action on Voting,142  Explained''; submitted by Rep. Crockett.143144  * Article, NBC News, ``Trump is Turning Dr. King's Dream Into a145  Nightmare''; submitted by Rep. Crockett.146147  * Article, ACLU, ``Trump's Attempt to Roll Back Key Civil148  Rights-Enforcement Tool''; submitted by Rep. Crockett.149150  * Article, Times, ``With MLK Files Released, Trump Plays Fire151  With a Legacy Whose Importance He Doesn't Fully Grasp'';152  submitted by Rep. Crockett.153154  * Article, USA Today, ``Trump Says DEI, Civil Rights Policies155  Hurt White People. Do They?''; submitted by Rep. Crockett.156157The documents listed above are available at: docs.house.gov.158159                  DECLASSIFIED MLK RECORDS: WHAT THEY160                       REVEAL AND WHY THEY MATTER161162                              ----------163164                       THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 2026165166                     U.S. House of Representatives167168              Committee on Oversight and Government Reform169170         Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets171172                                                   Washington, D.C.173174    The Task Force met, pursuant to notice, at 10:12 a.m., Room175HVC-210, U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, Hon. Anna Luna,176[Chairwoman of the Task Force] presiding.177    Present: Representatives Luna, Mace, Burchett, Burlison,178Crockett, and Lee.179    Also present: Representative Tlaib .180    Mrs. Luna. The Task Force on the Declassification of181Federal Secrets will come to order.182    Welcome, everyone. Without objection, the Chair may declare183a recess at any time. I recognize myself for the purpose of184making an opening statement.185186       OPENING STATEMENT OF CHAIRWOMAN ANNA PAULINA LUNA187188                  REPRESENTATIVE FROM FLORIDA189190    On Thursday, April 4, 1968, America was forever changed191when Dr. Martin Luther King was tragically assassinated on a192balcony at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. Dr. King's193murder was an immense tragedy for the Nation, the civil rights194movement, as well as the King family. Over time, it has become195increasingly clear that our Federal Government was not honest196about this investigation regarding the tragedy or its abuses197leading up to it. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the FBI waged198an extensive campaign of surveillance, intimidation, and199harassment against Dr. King. They wiretapped his phones, bugged200his hotel rooms, and paid informants to spy on him.201    The Task Force is gathered here today to examine the202benefits of declassification and how disclosure can start to203rebuild trust in this Federal Government and avoid these204horrendous abuses from ever happening again. President Trump's205executive order directing agencies to release extensive files206on Dr. King was the right thing to do. It is the job of this207Task Force to ensure that Federal agencies comply with the208executive order.209    Even now, records remain outstanding, including those210covered in the highly anticipated 1977 settlement requiring the211FBI to release its records in 2027. It is, however, important212to note that those wiretaps were illegally obtained and meant213to smear Dr. King.214    I want to make it clear that we are not here to speculate215without facts. We are here to seek the truth. Declassification216is not about politics. It is about justice and transparency. It217is also about ensuring the American people finally receive the218full story behind one of the most consequential and tragic219events in our Nation's history. For too long, that truth has220remained sealed. It is long past time to confront our history221honestly so that we can begin rebuilding the public's faith in222an institution meant to serve them.223    Mrs. Luna. And with that, I yield to Ranking Member224Crockett for her opening statement.225226              OPENING STATEMENT OF RANKING MEMBER227228          JASMINE CROCKETT, REPRESENTATIVE FROM TEXAS229230    Ms. Crockett. Thank you so much, Madam Chair.231    And it is a bit surreal for me to sit here as someone who232attended college in Memphis, Tennessee, and is a civil rights233lawyer and now has the privilege of serving in Congress, mostly234because of the activism of not only Dr. King but all of those235involved in the civil rights movement. And to serve as the236Ranking Member, nevertheless, when I know that literally it was237he, along with others, that fought for the Voting Rights Act to238be signed into law, as well as the Civil Rights Act to be239signed into law.240    At the same time, I cannot help but to feel a bit241conflicted at the moment in which we are in right now, where it242seems like a lot of that work is being rolled back. But243nevertheless, I am so grateful to the Chairwoman for making244sure that we could dig into this because if we do not245understand the errors of our past, then we are doomed to repeat246them.247    This past weekend, we celebrated the life and legacy of Dr.248Martin Luther King, Jr., a life dedicated to fighting for civil249liberties and economic opportunity through nonviolent250resistance, a legacy built on demanding institutions to uphold251the promises laid out in our Constitution and an impact252continued by his living children.253    One year ago, President Trump signed Executive Order 14176,254which ordered the release and declassification of documents255regarding the assassinations of former President John F.256Kennedy, his brother Robert F. Kennedy, and Dr. King. This257order and the subsequent release of roughly 250,000 pages258pertaining to Dr. King's assassination were done in the name of259transparency and strong public interest.260    Yet when it comes to the crimes that have not been brought261to justice or the victims and families that have not had their262day in court, this administration has lied to the American263people, disregarded subpoenas and discharged petitions like264they are mere suggestions, and continues to trample over265transparency, despite incredibly strong public interest, both266domestically and internationally.267    Dr. King's assassin was held accountable for his crimes,268but I am sure we all know of a group of individuals who have269not been afforded that same justice. The hundreds of victims of270sexual abuse and human trafficking at the hands of Epstein,271Maxwell, and countless others we have no knowledge of due to272this administration's withholding of the files. And I must say273that the Chairwoman has also been very strong on these issues,274so I just want to be clear on that.275    How can we engage in a serious conversation about what the276American people ought to know when there are predators and277there are enablers that continue to walk free and potentially278perpetrate those same crimes? We simply cannot in good faith,279but this administration does not know good faith. This280administration knows distraction, destruction, and deals all281for the benefit and protection of the President and his282billionaire buddies.283    We know that no new information regarding King's284assassination was uncovered following the release of the285declassified documents. But released documents pertaining to286the FBI and CIA's investigation of King highlight the287weaponization of the FBI to undermine King's efforts and288tarnish his image, something this administration knows all too289well, whether it be weaponizing the DOJ to go after Jack Smith290for his January 6 investigation or the directing of the FBI to291investigate Ms. Becca Good following her wife Renee Good's292murder at the hands of an ICE agent. This administration's293actions today are reminiscent of Hoover's FBI that worked so294diligently to ensure that equality and justice for all would295not become a reality.296    Trump's 2025 release of the declassified MLK documents also297circumvents a 1977 order by Judge John L. Smith to seal the298records for 50 years, which would release them in 2027.299Releasing the documents two years ahead of their schedule order300is another example of this administration's laundry list of301ignoring the law and its pattern of slashing through protocols302that protect our national security and intelligence.303    Today's hearing and the continued actions of the304administration undermine the work Dr. King dedicated his life305to, while also reminding us how the Trump Administration and306Republicans, to quote Dr. King himself, ``are more concerned307about the status quo than about justice, equality, and308humanity.''309    Thank you, and I yield back.310    Mrs. Luna. I ask for unanimous consent for Representative311Mfume of Maryland to be waived onto the Task Force for today's312hearing for the purpose of asking questions.313    Ms. Crockett. No objection.314    Mrs. Luna. Without objection, so ordered.315    I am pleased to welcome the panel of witnesses here today.316I would like to first welcome Dr. Alveda King, who happens to317have her birthday today, so happy birthday, ma'am.318    Dr. King. [Off mic.]319    Mrs. Luna. Oh, just real quick, how old are you turning320again?321    Ms. Crockett. Oh, no, you did not.322    Mrs. Luna. Yes, yes, no, she was telling--you said 70--75.323    Ms. Crockett. You are going to put that on the record?324    Mrs. Luna. Happy 75th birthday, ma'am. We are very happy to325have you here today.326    Dr. King is the niece of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King.327She is a former college professor, previously served in the328Georgia State House, and is a former Presidential appointee.329Dr. King currently serves as the Chair of the American Dream at330the America First Policy Institute.331    Mr. Stuart Wexler is an investigative researcher and author332who has cowritten two books on the Dr. King assassination.333    And Mr. Kia Hamadanchy is a senior Federal policy counsel334at ACLU. He is a former House and Senate staffer and went to335work at the Peace Street Project and the congressional336Progressive Caucus Center.337    Pursuant to the Committee rule 9(g), the witnesses will338please stand and raise your right hand.339    Do you solemnly swear or affirm that the testimony that you340are about to give is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing341but the truth, so help you God?342    Let the record show that the witnesses answered in the343affirmative. Thank you. You may take your seats.344    We appreciate you being here today and look forward to your345testimonies.346    Let me remind the witnesses that we have all read your347written statement, and it will also appear in full in the348hearing record. Please limit your oral responses to 5 minutes,349but if it goes over, it is okay.350    As a reminder, please press the button on the microphone in351front of you so that it is on and that the Members can hear352you. When you begin to speak, the light in front of you will353turn green, and after 4 minutes, the light will turn yellow.354When the red light comes on, your 5 minutes has expired, and we355would ask you to please wrap up.356    I now recognize Dr. King for her opening statement.357358STATEMENT DR. ALVEDA KING, CHAIR, AMERICAN DREAM AMERICA FIRST359                        POLICY INSTITUTE360361    Dr. King. Thank you. Madam Chairwoman, Ranking Member, and362Members of this honorable Committee, thank you for allowing me363to appear before you today. I am grateful for your service to364our Nation and for your willingness to engage in this important365and solemn work.366    I am Dr. Alveda Celeste King. I come before you today not367only as a policy leader, as a daughter, a niece, a368granddaughter, a mother, a grandmother, and a woman of faith. I369wish to begin by expressing sincere appreciation to President370Donald J. Trump. My mother's last message to him--and my mother371was a very devoted Democrat, but she was so blessed when372President Trump signed our home that had been bombed in373Birmingham, Alabama, in 1963, and she thanked him for putting374the home of her husband and our family on the registry when he375signed that, and it is on the cover of one of our books.376    Attorney General Pam Bondi and Director Tulsi Gabbard for377their commitment to transparency and openness in government.378The release of the files related to the assassination of my379uncle, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., represents a380meaningful and historic step toward faith and truth and381justice. Especially difficult truth has a way of getting and382setting us free. Transparency invites trust, and trust is383essential for national hearing--healing.384    This moment--I am very emotional because it triggers many385memories as I am speaking to you today. Please excuse me. This386moment is deeply personal for me and my family. My uncle, Dr.387Martin Luther King, Jr., was first and foremost a preacher of388the gospel. Before he was the global civil rights leader, he389was guided by faith, prayer, and family as a husband, a father,390an uncle, a servant of God. He believed with all his heart that391we are one blood, one human race, created by God and called to392love one another, even when that love is costly.393    My father, the Reverend A.D. King, was a pastor and civil394rights leader who stood faithfully beside his brother in the395civil rights movement. Daddy, too, preached nonviolence,396reconciliation, and courage rooted in faith.397    My grandfather, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Sr.,398or Daddy King, as we called him, raised our family in the399church and taught us that righteousness, justice, humility, and400perseverance must guide our public lives as well as our private401ones.402    As we have reviewed these newly released records, we are403reminded that the civil rights era was marked not only by moral404courage but also by deep concern, misunderstanding, and405mistrust. There were moments when institutions failed to live406up to their highest calling. Instead of protecting voices407calling for justice and for peace, actions were taken that408caused pain, confusion, and heartbreak for my family and for409many others who labored peacefully for equal rights. I say this410not in anger but in honesty and with sincere grace from God.411    We cannot heal what we refuse to acknowledge, and yet we412must approach the truth with humility and forgiveness,413remembering that our goal is not condemnation but rather414restoration and healing. My uncle taught us that love must be415the center of every pursuit of justice. Nonviolence was not416merely a tactic for him. It was a way of life. He reminded us417that hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that.418Darkness cannot drive out darkness. Only light can do that. In419a time when our Nation feels deeply divided, I believe this420moment offers an invitation to unity, to prayer, and to a421renewed commitment to the ideals that bind us together. I pray422that the work of this Committee will help lead our Nation423forward in wisdom, humility, and peace.424    Thank you for allowing me to share my heart today. I look425forward to your questions.426    Mrs. Luna. Thank you, Dr. King.427    I now recognize Mr. Wexler for his opening statement.428429                 STATEMENT OF MR. STUART WEXLER430431              AUTHOR AND INVESTIGATIVE RESEARCHER432433    Mr. Wexler. Greetings, Chairwoman Luna, Ranking Member434Crockett. Do I need to----435    Mrs. Luna. Yes, press the button, please.436    Mr. Wexler. Greetings, Chairwoman Luna, Ranking Member437Crockett. Thank you--and everyone else on the Task Force. Thank438you for giving me the opportunity to talk to you folks today.439    My focus is going to be on material that we can obtain, but440I want to say that the material that you already have released,441which is something like 245,000 pages, is already a major442contribution to scholarship, to investigations, to the public443in trying to understand what happened. I will talk a little bit444about what is in that material. Most of my time is going to be445pleading with you folks to release some more.446    The main focus of what I am going to be talking about--and447I will go into some depth and in questions--is my hope that you448will release the sealed material, sealed by this body, by the449House of Representatives. This is incredibly important. You are450the folks who can release it. Executive order cannot release451it. To release the materials from the House Select Committee on452Assassinations--I am going to call it the HSCA a lot as we move453forward--that was sealed not by a judge, this was sealed by the454Clerk of the House of Representatives. But it can be unsealed--455it is a misperception; I will talk about it--at the discretion456of that Clerk. I am going to actually ask you folks to do that457and to do it selectively, and that might be a little bit458controversial, but I will explain why.459    So, a little bit about me, I have been researching all460three assassinations for--since I was 12. I am about to be 50461in a couple of weeks. I grew up in a RFK, MLK, JFK family. I462have authored two books on Martin Luther King's assassination.463I believe Martin Luther King was one of the greatest moral464leaders of our time, possibly of any time, and in fact, I think465he was killed in large part by people who wanted to divide our466country against each other and have us engage in basically a467genocidal civil war because, crazily enough, they think that468somehow from those ashes, something good would come.469    And for two weeks after Dr. King was killed, when our470country descended into the worst domestic unrest that we471experienced since the Civil War and Reconstruction, some of472those people might have been licking their lips, but they473failed. And I would like to actually take this opportunity, if474the King family is watching, to extend it to them, but to Ms.475King, to thank their family. They do not get enough credit for476what they did after his assassination to calm the tensions in477this country when we were at each other's throats.478    I mentioned that I come from a JFK, MLK, RFK family. My479father and my grandparents were at the March on Washington in4801963. Five years later, on April 5, in the chaos in the school481in which my father taught, he was knocked to the ground. A482student had a chair and was ready to hit him in the head, but483he paused and he put the chair down. And my father was484convinced that it is because that student thought about the485example not only Dr. King but the message and the example that486his family was offering to the country at the time. And it487might be presumptuous of me, definitely going to do it on488behalf of my late father, but to do it on behalf of the489country. I do not know if anybody's ever thanked you folks for490that, but amongst the many things that you should be thankful--491thanked for, that is one of them.492    Now, I would love to reframe the focus of this Committee493not to the legacy necessarily specifically of Dr. King but to494focus it on very specifically what the executive order that495Donald Trump's put into effect I think almost a year ago to496this day, and that is releasing files very specifically related497to his assassination. There is a misconception that the498material that was released in June was derogatory material499toward Martin Luther King. No, your Committee and the archives500actually did an amazing job of focusing the material that was501released on his actual murder and the investigation of his502murder.503    The material that was released was something called the504MURKIN files. That is an abbreviation the FBI gave it. It is505murder of Martin Luther King. Every single field office in the506United States was involved in the investigation of the murder507that happened afterwards, and you folks got--released virtually508every single one of those files, including headquarters files.509There is a handful I could talk about it that need to be put510in, but almost all of them were released.511    There is almost nothing in there--I can see--I have never512seen--I have been researching this for 20 years. In the MURKIN513material, you do not find the kind of salacious stuff that J.514Edgar Hoover was quite deliberately collecting to try and smear515Dr. King. And frankly--and this is a point I want to make. I am516actually kind of glad it does not because if you know517anything--and I am going to probably ask questions about this--518that material is unvetted material, so it is not necessarily519good stuff.520    But what you can do--and I am running out of time--there is521still one major body of evidence that needs to be released. It522is the House Select Committee on Assassinations files on Martin523Luther King's assassination. Nearly every single page of the524concurrent investigation into the JFK assassination has been525released. Zero has been released on the Martin Luther King526assassination.527    Mrs. Luna. Mr. Wexler, we are a minute over and we have to528run to votes real quick, so we will continue to ask you those,529but we are going to move on to our next witness----530    Mr. Wexler. Certainly.531    Mrs. Luna [continuing]. Mr. Hamadanchy.532533       STATEMENT OF MR. KIA HAMADANCHY (MINORITY WITNESS)534535                     SENIOR POLICY COUNSEL536537                 AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION538539    Mr. Hamadanchy. Chairwoman Luna, Ranking Member Crockett,540and Members of this Task Force, thank you for the opportunity541to testify today on behalf of the American Civil Liberties542Union about the release of files related to the legal543surveillance of Dr. Martin Luther King and broader issues of544government surveillance.545    The surveillance of Dr. Martin Luther King represents one546of the darkest abuses of government power in the history of our547country. Under the FBI's Counterintelligence Program548(COINTELPRO), Dr. King was subjected to extensive warrantless549surveillance that violated both his constitutional rights and550the fundamental principles of a free society. The FBI's551campaign against Dr. King had no connection to any legitimate552national security concerns or law enforcement purpose. The FBI553wiretapped Dr. King's phones, bugged his hotel rooms, monitored554his associates, and attempted to destroy his reputation. It555remains one of the most shameful episodes in FBI history. The556surveillance was warrantless, it was illegal, and it was wrong.557    This experience helps show how surveillance powers that the558government can ostensibly claim for legitimate purposes can559easily be weaponized against whichever groups the government560views as threatening at any given moment, whether civil rights561activists in the 1960s, antiwar protesters in the 1970s, or562Muslim Americans after 9/11.563    In 1975, the Senate established the Church Committee, which564remains the gold standard for congressional oversight. Their565investigation uncovered COINTELPRO, the FBI's program under J.566Edgar Hoover to infiltrate and disrupt civil rights and antiwar567movements. Few members of any of the groups targeted by568COINTELPRO were ever charged with a crime.569    Operation CHAOS, the CIA's domestic surveillance of antiwar570protesters, political dissidents, and civil rights activists,571and Project SHAMROCK, a National Security Agency (NSA) program572that collected the contents of private telegrams and573communications without warrant or judicial approval. The574Committee's work led to the creation of the House and Senate575Intelligence Committees and the Foreign Intelligence576Surveillance Act, or FISA. Over time, however, these577achievements eroded as the oversight framework established in578the 1970s has proved ill-equipped to handle the modern era.579    In recent decades, under Presidents of both parties, we580have seen a massive expansion of the government's surveillance581apparatus in ways that threaten our rights, allowing the582government access to vast amounts of personal information and583communications, often without warrants or the kind of robust584self-safeguards needed to protect individual privacy and585constitutional rights. And the concerns regarding these586programs from Congress have been bipartisan, including587legislation introduced by the Chairwoman of this Committee to588repeal the Patriot Act.589    On April 20, section 702 of FISA is scheduled to expire.590While intended for foreign targets, section 702 sweeps up vast591quantities of American communications without a warrant. The592FBI then searches these data bases for Americans' information,593a backdoor search that bypasses the protections of the Fourth594Amendment. And section 702 has been abused under Presidents of595both political parties and has been used to unlawfully query596the communications of individuals and groups across the597political spectrum. These include searches of Members of598Congress and their donors, journalists and political activists,599more than 141 individuals protesting the murder of George600Floyd, and over 20,000 individuals associated with the events601of January 6.602    In recent years, we have also seen the ever-growing603practice of law enforcement intelligence agencies circumventing604constitutional protections by purchasing access to data they605would otherwise need a warrant to obtain, including location606and internet search records. This is allowed to occur because607of gaps in the law, and the Fourth Amendment Is Not For Sale608Act, which passed the House of Representatives with bipartisan609support last Congress, including from the Chairwoman and610Ranking Member of this Task Force, would have closed this611dangerous loophole.612    More recently, National Security Presidential Memorandum 7,613or NSPM 7, has directed Federal departments and law enforcement614agencies to focus existing authorities to investigate and615disrupt civil society groups and nonprofits under false labels616of domestic terrorism. This strategy of investigating and617disrupting networks mirrors the exact abuses uncovered by the618Church Committee. It uses categories subject to political,619ideological, and racial bias to paint ordinary Americans as620threats.621    Simultaneously, the Department of Homeland Security has622expanded its surveillance infrastructure through facial623recognition apps like Mobile Fortify, the use of spyware624technology, expanded use of StingRay technology, and nationwide625networks of automated license plate readers.626    The question before this Task Force and Congress is whether627we will continue down our current path or whether we can change628course and conduct the kind of comprehensive investigation that629the current surveillance State demands. A new Church Committee630tasked with investigating the exercise and abuse of executive631power would represent the first comprehensive review of632Presidential authority in half a century. And the only633sustainable approach is principled oversight that constrains634executive power and related surveillance authorities,635regardless of who holds the office of the Presidency.636    As Senator Frank Church himself warned, the capability at637any time could be turned around on the American people, and no638American would have any privacy left, such as the capability to639monitor everything. Telephone conversations, telegrams, it does640not matter, there would be no place to hide.641    Thank you for your attention, and I welcome your questions.642    Mrs. Luna. Thank you.643    Pursuant to the previous order, the Chair now declares the644Task Force in recess, subject to the call of the Chair. We will645plan to reconvene immediately after Floor votes.646    And this Committee stands in recess.647    [Recess.]648    Mrs. Luna. The Committee will come to order. I now649recognize myself for 5 minutes.650    Mr. Wexler, if you could, over time, do you think that651there is some way to inform the American people about the652COINTELPRO type of activities more in depth without giving653unwarranted support for the kind of dirty tricks, unvetted654smut, et cetera, that none of us should have to hear about655people we respect, especially when it might not be true?656    Mr. Wexler. I think there is definitely a way. I think the657way you do it is you delineate between process and substance,658and I use substance very loosely. So, if you want to say,659release information that says, in a file, right? On X day, this660agent planted this device in so-and-so's hotel room at 5:48 in661violation or contradiction to orders from the Attorney662General's Office. The public should get to see something like663that.664    But right afterwards, you are going to probably have a665whole bunch of information that was obtained from what was666almost definitely--if you know anything about how the FBI667surveillance worked at that time--a grainy microphone in a668closed room that is interpreted by biased people who are out to669smear the people they are interpreting. Their bosses are on670their case to give them material that they can leak to the671media to smear somebody.672    I would redact that stuff. You can tell me about the673process without giving me stuff that, as I could probably get674to in later points in time, I know of examples where they have675had obviously false information that it snowballed into even676worse false information, and it is in the files. And we do not677have people who are alive now who can even tell you that it is678false. And so that is my worry, that it is going to be just679continuing Hoover's dirty work for him.680    Mrs. Luna. So, you would consider that, with681interpretation, as basically like planted information with the682intent to smear reputation?683    Mr. Wexler. And not just planted. I mean, he is--it is not684like Hoover was discerning. If somebody went to him with really685bad information, the worse information it was, the happier he'd686be to put it in a file and then go over to some687Congressperson's office and say, hey, look at what I learned688about Martin Luther King or John Lennon or President Kennedy.689He was terrible with that. So, yes, that is--I would agree with690that.691    Mrs. Luna. And can you remind us again what were the MURKIN692files and what was the MURKIN investigation?693    Mr. Wexler. So, MURKIN--the FBI likes to abbreviate their694investigation. So, like the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist695Church is called BAPBOMB. MURKIN is the FBI shorthand for the696murder of Martin Luther King. It was the investigation that697emanated right after April 4. It was all 55 field offices in698the country, multiple field offices overseas, central699headquarters. They were all in what was large--one of the700largest manhunts, one of the largest investigations in FBI701history, dedicated to try and investigate the crime. And what702is so good about what is released is that material, even when703it is, you know, silly leads, it is all about the crime. It is704not about trying to smear Dr. King.705    Mrs. Luna. Dr. King, I know that you had spoken earlier--706and thank you for being here again today--about the impact that707this had on your family specifically. But when Dr. King was708going through all this--I know with some of the files that have709come out, we know that the FBI was suggesting that he kill710himself and was using a smear operation, even going as far as711sending information to his wife. But you being, you know, a712little girl at the time, do you specifically remember--can you713speak to what you remember and how that impacted your family714from a personal perspective?715    Dr. King. I can certainly definitely----716    Mrs. Luna. Ma'am, please turn on your microphone so we can717hear you.718    Dr. King. I certainly do remember. I have had 75 years of719these experiences. So, I was born in 1951. Around 1956 or so,720my uncle, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., my father,721Reverend Alfred Daniel Williams King, they were brothers, they722were preachers together, young fathers, family men together.723So, very loosely, we and my own family experienced what we call724wiretaps. And their excuse for taping or tapping all of us,725Uncle M.L. and Daddy, they were brothers. They were in and out726of each other's houses, shared each other's telephones. So,727there ended up being files not only on Martin Luther King but728our whole family. And you could--in those days, the wires would729crackle, and you could hear the wiretaps, and we would know730that somebody was listening.731    I do not know if you can imagine this, but I was a young732girl, 1963, I was 12, ``I have a dream'' speech. I grew up, had733little boyfriends and things, and got married the year after734Martin Luther King, Jr., was killed. So, I became an adult,735young woman. And so, my own little private conversations were736being listened to under the excuse of, we have got to hear what737Martin Luther King, Jr., is doing. So, this is not secondhand738information for me. It happened to our whole family.739    Mrs. Luna. Mr. Hamadanchy, can you maybe speak to, there740was this intentional smear and, I think, excuse that Dr. King741was a communist. Can you speak to why he was branded as such742and how that might tie into what the NSA was doing with the743illegal surveillance of Dr. King?744    Mr. Hamadanchy. Yes, I mean, I think that they--it was an745attack on the civil rights movement. And they were looking for746justification to try to illegally wiretap Dr. King. And so747obviously, we were in an era in this country where being a748communist was seen as being something who was a threat to749national security.750    And this is the sort of thing we see where people violate751the constitutional rights of Americans, often with the idea of752there is a foreign intelligence purpose. And these are753obviously--these end up being defined fairly broadly, so pretty754much everything becomes a foreign intelligence purpose. And755many of the abuses we saw of Dr. King and other civil rights756leaders were along these lines, basically saying, oh, these757people are communists, so we can do whatever we want.758    Mrs. Luna. I now recognize Ranking Member Jasmine Crockett.759    Ms. Crockett. Thank you so much, Madam Chair.760    The FBI and CIA illegally tapped phone conversations, as761Dr. King has laid out, bugged hotel rooms, and deployed762informants to build a case against Dr. King. As the de facto763leader of the civil rights movement, Dr. King became a threat764to the status quo, leading him to become the target of illegal765surveillance, which the released declassified documents further766highlighted. The justification for this illegal surveillance,767Dr. King was an anti-American for fighting to see the ideals768enshrined in the Constitution become a reality for all.769    So, Mr. Hamadanchy, do you believe Dr. King's actions770warranted government surveillance?771    Mr. Hamadanchy. Absolutely not. There was no justification,772no national security justification, no law enforcement purpose,773so no.774    Ms. Crockett. It is almost as if the FBI should have used775its time and resources to investigate the countless threats on776Dr. King's life rather than attempting to discredit a man777working to fulfill the very tenets the agency claims to defend.778Today's political landscape proves that Dr. King's efforts are779just as needed as they were during his lifetime.780    From day one, Trump has rolled back Federal protections of781civil liberties, destroyed the institutional integrity of our782Federal Government, and wielded law enforcement to do his783personal bidding. The Trump Administration is quick to deem784individuals from private citizens to elected officials as anti-785American. Their alleged crime? Daring to stand up and speak out786against this administration's illegal actions.787    But you know what is anti-American? It is anti-American to788deport individuals without due process. It is anti-American to789strip thousands of their birthright citizenship. It is anti-790American to attack your enemies and send the DOJ after them.791    So, again, I ask you, Mr. Hamadanchy, would you agree the792current administration is similarly weaponizing the government793against private citizens as it was done to Dr. King? And if so,794how?795    Mr. Hamadanchy. Yes, I mean, I think we have seen796unprecedented abuses of executive authority under the current797administration. And part of the problem is, in the aftermath of798the surveillance of Dr. King, we saw a lot of reforms after the799Church Committee. And those reforms have broken down. And we800have seen a vast expansion of executive authority under801Presidents of both parties that this administration has now802taken and supercharged in a way that we have not seen for a803very long time.804    Ms. Crockett. Today, we are supposed to be voting on a bill805as it relates to ICE specifically. And there are reports that806ICE is now just monitoring random citizens with no warrants, no807nothing, just monitoring. You would agree with me that that is808similar to the actions that were taken by the Federal809Government as it relates to Dr. King?810    Mr. Hamadanchy. Yes, I mean, I think we are seeing tools811that ICE is using like facial recognition technology. And when812you scan someone with facial recognition technology, you do not813know if that person is in America or not, so it is absolutely814being used on U.S. citizens.815    And the second thing is, these sorts of technologies end up816not being cabined within one particular law enforcement agency.817ICE is using it today, but tomorrow, there is going to be other818law enforcement agencies using it against Americans in ways819that Members of both parties would probably disagree with.820    Ms. Crockett. Thank you. Exactly. This administration is821pulling from the tired old playbook of bigotry, trying to undo822the work that has been done in the name of civil rights and823economic advancement. Prices are higher. Housing is824unaffordable. You could be illegally detained as an American825citizen, or worse, murdered for standing up to an826administration hellbent on ripping away the humanity and827dignity of our neighbors.828    And since I have extra time, which I never have, you know,829listen, I am so afraid for our country right now. And it is830because I have never been one of those people that has said we831should not teach Black history. We should teach Black history.832Black history is American history. We should know the real833stories. And I think that is why declassification matters. We834should know what the Federal Government was doing as it relates835to someone who was so integral to making sure that civil rights836became a reality not just for Black Americans. Everybody837benefited from civil rights being passed. And so, it is so838counterintuitive that this administration, on one hand, is839like, let us declassify, while at the same time, they are doing840the very same things, if not more.841    I mean, the idea that--and I do not know if we are aware of842how much of this was going on, but we know that in the Jim Crow843South, that there were things that people had to worry about844such as law enforcement using the water hoses and using the845dogs on people that were simply trying to exercise their846constitutional rights. Is that correct, Mr. Hamadanchy?847    Mr. Hamadanchy. I think there were definitely lots of848abuses, like you said, at that time.849    Ms. Crockett. Yes. And sadly enough, it seems like instead850of us moving forward, we are only moving backward. So,851hopefully, declassifying this, hopefully, we can take this as852an opportunity to learn from what actually caused harm in our853country because I appreciate what Mr. Wexler said about854actually bringing people together in the aftermath and the work855that the King family did. I am calling on our country to become856unified because right now, the hate is destroying us.857    Again, as we just celebrated MLK Day, the best thing that858we can do to honor MLK is to see the humanity in our fellow859citizens, as well as those that are immigrants and actually860decide that we are going to be on the side of humanity. So,861thank you.862    And with that, I will yield.863    Mrs. Luna. I ask unanimous consent for Representative Tlaib864of Michigan to be waived onto the Task Force for today's865hearing for the purpose of asking questions.866    Ms. Crockett. No objection.867    Mrs. Luna. Without objection, so ordered.868    I now recognize Representative Lee for 5 minutes.869    Ms. Lee. I was not expecting that, but thank you so much,870Madam Chair.871    I think the thing that we need to remember during this872hearing is that these files would not even exist if the Federal873Government had not abused its surveillance powers and gone874after private citizens like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The FBI875ruthlessly and persistently surveilled Dr. King and his family,876even in their own home and without any kind of warrant. It is877only thanks to the work of journalists and government878investigators of the 1960s and the 1970s that we know that the879FBI weaponized its COINTELPRO program to spy on, to harass, and880to intimidate Dr. King and many other civil rights leaders and881figures. In 1976, the Senate Church Committee found that the882FBI used COINTELPRO to go after civil rights groups who were883fighting for integration and enfranchisement.884    Mr. Hamadanchy, the FBI did not just surveil and collect885information, did they? Can you tell us how the FBI weaponized886this information against Dr. King and other civil rights887leaders?888    Mr. Hamadanchy. They were trying to politically smear these889leaders because they were trying to discredit the civil rights890movement. And so, they were trying to create accusations891against them that would do that. And the most important thing892to note that pretty much anyone that was surveilled in893COINTELPRO was never actually charged with a crime.894    Ms. Lee. Thank you. And did these types of tactics stop895after the Church Committee's findings?896    Mr. Hamadanchy. The Church Committee findings were, at the897time, pretty groundbreaking, and the reforms that we put into898place did work in the aftermath. But that was 50 years ago, and899things have changed a lot like that, and those oversight900structures are no longer good.901    Ms. Lee. Thank you. In fact, there are even more ways that902the Federal Government can exploit laws now to surveil private903citizens. Post 9/11, of course, a number of new laws gave the904government a whole slew of tools to do the same thing in the905name of national security. We saw these tactics used against906Black Lives Matter protesters. We saw them used against student907protesters supporting a cease-fire in Gaza. Now we are seeing908it used against anti-ICE protesters.909    The Federal Government is also using AI and spyware to910better surveil private citizens, which is why I demanded911answers from Secretary Noem on ICE's contract with a spyware912company whose surveillance product has the ability to access913people's cell phone data without their knowledge or their914consent.915    The Fourth Amendment protects people in this country from916unreasonable searches and seizures. Yet for decades, the917Federal Government seems to throw that right out of the window918when it is Black or it is Brown people who exercise their First919Amendment rights to free speech or peaceable assembly. Time and920time again, these movements are portrayed as terrorists, are921violent, rioters, or simply anti-or un-American, all to give922the Federal Government the excuse that their unlawful actions923are in the interests of national security.924    So, the Federal Government cannot be allowed to violate925people's rights under the cover of darkness. We would not even926know about the Federal Government's actions against Dr. King or927the COINTELPRO operation if it was not for strong oversight, so928we need to continue this important oversight work, which is929why, today, Rep. Jonathan Jackson and I are introducing the930COINTELPRO Full Disclosure Act. This bill will require the931public disclosure of all COINTELPRO records and establish a932review board to ensure compliance.933    So, Madam Chair, I invite you and, of course, the rest of934our colleagues to join me in this effort and I think in an935attempt to ensure that there is no government overreach on936private citizens. I would love if we could have your support937for that.938    Mrs. Luna. I will take a look at it. I do not have any939objections.940    Ms. Lee. Thank you. We will definitely get that to your941team, and we appreciate you looking.942    Mrs. Luna. Okay.943    Ms. Lee. And with that, I yield back.944    Mrs. Luna. Thank you very much.945    I now recognize Representative Tlaib from Michigan for 5946minutes.947    Ms. Tlaib. Hi. Thank you all so much for this. You know, I948am not on this Committee, and I appreciate the Chairwoman949waiving me on because what I witnessed the last two years was950very reminiscent of the targeting of Dr. King, and not only951spying, but the attack on his moral character. And I know Dr.952King here knows what I mean. You know, not only racializing,953but using ways to tear him down, to divide the community that954has been behind the civil rights movement.955    And so, you know, as a Palestinian-American serving in956Congress, I am seeing ACLU and others representing folks right957now that the government--in expressing their First Amendment,958the government targeting people who have expressed their First959Amendment right around boycott, apartheid governments,960genocidal governments.961    And so, Mr. Hamadanchy, right now, private citizens are962being spied on. Is that correct?963    Mr. Hamadanchy. Yes, the government, through many different964programs, is gathering lots of communications in Americans, and965they have accessed that communication without a warrant.966    Ms. Tlaib. And have you, in the ACLU, witnessed them also967targeting students?968    Mr. Hamadanchy. I would say that we cannot--I cannot point969to specific abuses that happen with students, but almost970certainly. And one of the things we have actually seen with971students in particular is the use of social media monitoring--972--973    Ms. Tlaib. Yes.974    Mr. Hamadanchy [continuing]. So, using algorithmic tools--975--976    Ms. Tlaib. Using technology to----977    Mr. Hamadanchy [continuing]. To actually monitor what they978are saying in social media and then acting on that.979    Ms. Tlaib. So, what I witnessed is, you know, the targeting980by the Federal Government and surveilling the Muslim community981in the way they have, targeting people that maybe are of means982that have been investing in, you know, organizations that have983been trying to end the genocide. They have approached me984several times about different ways that the Federal Government985has put them on no-fly lists, have targeted them, have, you986know, indirectly or directly made accusations, again, in a way987that I think, similar to Dr. King, is like discrediting them988and making them kind of go silent, right? The fact that Hoover989is a dangerous threat, that, you know, Dr. King is this or that990so that people can, again, not allow him to be in space and991again, tear down his character.992    I am seeing that, though, happening to people in my own993community that are standing up against, you know, a foreign994government, for instance, or against, you know, different form995of war crimes and international human rights violations.996    And I do not know--Dr. Hamadanchy, I know that you guys997just won a case recently. You know this. And most of these998students are telling me that it is the university working with999the Federal Government and surveilling them and targeting them.1000And these are not people like Dr. King, who had a movement1001behind him, right? It still was hard, and Dr. King here, you1002know, is a witness to that. But these are students that have no1003access to means, and they are relying on, you know, us Members1004of Congress to defend their First Amendment right.1005    But I think it is just important for the American people to1006know, Dr. King is the one that a lot of people talk about. But1007just in a few years, in 2024 and 2025, you saw the increase of1008campuses and organizations working with the Federal Government1009to use various means to surveil and target and terrorize1010students.1011    Mr. Hamadanchy. I would say, in--particularly in the post-10129/11 era, we have seen a vast expansion of programs like the No1013Fly List, like surveillance--many, many different surveillance1014programs. And part of that is the overstrike structures that we1015built into place since the 1970s have completely broken down.1016    Ms. Tlaib. Do you know for a fact--and I have asked this1017before--anybody on the No Fly List, anybody on campuses that1018have been targeted, have they even been charged with a crime?1019    Mr. Hamadanchy. It is often the case that someone can be on1020the No Fly List or could be surveilled by the government1021without ever being charged with a crime.1022    Ms. Tlaib. Yes. With that, just for the Chairwoman to know,1023I can bring in one by one people, businessmen, women who work1024in the education field, others that have come to my office who1025continue to be put on the No Fly List, not told why, not even1026given a process to get reviewed. And again, it has been1027incredibly painful because they feel like the government is1028watching them, surveilling them, putting them on a list, and1029they have no way to defend themselves or to be able to1030understand why. And I think it is something we should look1031into. And again, a majority of them are Muslim, but they always1032start with one community, and they will get to the next, and1033the next, and the next because they disagree with them1034politically.1035    Thank you so much, and I yield.1036    Mrs. Luna. I now recognize Representative Burlison from1037Missouri.1038    Mr. Burlison. Thank you. I want to thank the witnesses for1039being here today. And thank you, Madam Chair, for your support1040of transparency. And really, I want to thank our President for1041his efforts to be the disclosure President.1042    As many of you know, and the reason why we are here under1043his executive order, we have had over 240,000 classified1044documents released. These documents pull back the curtain on1045the surveillance that was, you know, heavy-handed and toward--1046and before, leading up to Dr. King's assassination in 1968. And1047we are talking about wiretaps. We are talking about bugging1048hotel rooms in trying to get informants within his circle, all1049run by his own government that they are supposed to be1050protecting his rights.1051    Look, at the end of the day, I think they went--what is1052interesting is the impact maybe still goes on today. And so, I1053was going to ask the witnesses first and foremost, Mr. Wexler,1054do you see similarities to what happened at the time that Dr.1055Martin Luther King was assassinated and the heavy hand of the1056surveillance state? Do you see similarities to what we are1057facing today?1058    Mr. Wexler. So, a lot of what I am here for, particularly,1059is about Dr. King's assassination. And a lot of those 250,0001060files, I have been through them. Almost none of them actually1061deal with the surveillance on Dr. King. I am well aware of what1062the surveillance was on Dr. King. I am hoping that we could1063talk about what can be done to release even more information on1064his assassination if Congress unseals the records from the1065House Select Committee on Assassinations.1066    To your question, Representative Burlison, it is a little1067bit outside of my area of expertise, but there is no question1068that technology now has made it infinitely easier not just for1069the government but for private companies to surveil people, and1070so it--that is something that definitely concerns me.1071    Part of what I am trying to do here is to suggest a way1072forward on the assassination files where we can release the1073material on King's assassination that the executive order1074focuses on, the assassination. Release that material from the1075House's investigation in the 1970s without reflexively1076releasing information that, again, I hope I can answer some1077questions about this----1078    Mr. Burlison. Yes, I think what----1079    Mr. Wexler [continuing]. Is not even true about Dr. King.1080Like, that is my big concern is that we are--there is the1081process of the surveillance, which is a terrible thing that1082happened----1083    Mr. Burlison. But it all seemed to be trying to be trying1084to point in a direction that really was not the reality, that1085he was somehow, you know, connected to, or he was a communist1086in some way or a socialist. And it was all trying to pin that1087on him. But when you look at the documents that have been1088released, they seem to indicate that he never had any of those1089comments or thoughts.1090    Mr. Wexler. I mean, again, the documents are almost1091entirely--the ones--the 250,000 that were released were exactly1092what President Trump put forward in the executive order, which1093is almost exclusively about the crime, like who was where,1094when, what witnesses saw what, you know, what did the analysis1095of the bullets say. There is not--there is just a small subset1096that deals with the surveillance, Operation Merrimack, of some1097of the civil rights and antiwar activities, which people forget1098Dr. King was associated with, but it is not the salacious1099stuff.1100    We know about the salacious stuff from other previous1101sources, and it is partially why I am worried because, I agree1102with you, Representative Burlison. A lot of the salacious1103stuff, we would have no way of ever even verifying if it is1104true because, unfortunately, a lot of the figures who would be1105around to even talk about it do not even exist. It was obtained1106illegally. It was obtained for the very purpose of smearing not1107just him, but people like you folks in Congress, people in the1108executive branch, Presidents of the United States. And a lot of1109it was about trying to create a perception of people, like you1110said, that was either completely untrue or at least a1111distortion of the truth. J. Edgar Hoover was not discerning. I1112would agree with you on that.1113    Mr. Burlison. Just looking at this--and I have read some of1114your testimony that you are kind of trying to draw a line here1115that there is a way to legitimately release these documents1116without violating the interest of releasing material that might1117be harmful to the King family.1118    Mr. Wexler. A hundred percent there is.1119    Mr. Burlison. And can you explain that, what that is?1120    Mr. Wexler. So, the material that I am most interested in--1121there is some other stuff I can talk about. The stuff that I am1122most interested in is the stuff that you folks are the ones who1123are the only people who can release. President Trump cannot1124release it. Courts cannot release it because it is sealed by1125the Congress.1126    In the late 1970s, there was a concurrent investigation of1127both the assassination of JFK and MLK. We have almost all of1128the JFK files from that investigation. We have basically zero1129from the MLK assassination. There is a misperception that there1130is this absolute seal on the material. But there was a letter1131that went with the seal. And that letter that went with the1132seal gave the Clerk, at any given time--the Clerk of the House1133of Representatives--the discretion to release files.1134    Now, I believe the Clerk should direct the archives, the1135Legislative Archive Center in D.C.--it is not the one at NARA11362--to release the material, but selectively. And I talked with1137the liaison, Danny Coulson. He is a fairly legendary figure in1138FBI circles, who was the liaison between the House Select1139Committee on Assassinations and the Justice Department. And he1140concurred with my assessment, which is that is a very easy1141thing to do, to release just the material that they got from1142witnesses to the crime, from suspects and who were interviewed,1143and take out the stuff that was likely, frankly, I believe,1144probably sent to the--for the very purpose of keeping that1145Committee from fully investigating, which is the smear stuff on1146Dr. King. Those are almost exclusively located within files1147under the FBI classification code with 100 and 105 under1148section E of the final report.1149    You just say to the Legislative Archive, expedite the1150release of all of the material on the assassination, the staff1151interviews, staff reports, executive session testimony from1152people who actually have information on the assassination. But1153let us not--we could take our time. We could do a much more1154deliberative process, however long it takes, with these 100 and1155105 files and make sure we are not putting out--doing, again,1156J. Edgar Hoover's dirty work for him. There is a way to do1157that.1158    Mr. Burlison. Thank you.1159    Mrs. Luna. Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. Wexler.1160    Without objection, pursuant to rule 9(c), the minority and1161majority shall have 10 additional minutes each for extending1162questions.1163    Ms. Crockett. No objection.1164    Mrs. Luna. Without objection, so ordered.1165    So, I recently had the National Archives create an AI1166search tool to assist with researchers being able to go through1167all of these documents so you could type in a keyword and be1168able to find something. So, I was doing some of my own1169research, and I came across an interesting lead in regards to a1170conspiracy with the assassination and the murder pertaining to1171MLK. So, here is I guess the series number, and I will be1172entering it into the archives.1173    Ms. Crockett. No objection.1174    Mrs. Luna. And specifically to this, the reason why I am1175bringing this up is Dr. King, there was famously a hearing1176where the King family was awarded, I think it was, you know, a1177nominal--I think it was like $1 or something for basically1178admission that there was a conspiracy to assassinate Dr. King.1179Based on what I am reading here, the FBI did investigate and1180followup with three specific witnesses, but I do not know that1181the DOJ ever followed up after that. And for whatever reason,1182whether it was racially motivated or not, this investigation,1183which I think is a pretty important thing based on what I am1184seeing in these documents, was not, I guess, closed out fully.1185Can you please speak to that settlement and then also to how1186the lack of transparency surrounding the murder of Dr. King1187impacted public's trust in government?1188    Dr. King. Thank you, Madam Chairwoman. It is quite a1189privilege. Let me first thank you for making it easier for1190people to access that number--the file number where we can get1191the information. We really appreciate that.1192    Also, I wanted to mention an individual's humanity does not1193diminish their impact on the world because I have heard little1194subtle thoughts about that. But as human beings, we want the1195world to be a better place.1196    Also, the King family really appreciated the 45th1197Administration and now the 47th Administration in focusing on1198what really happened without all of the other issues and things1199that people want to hear, the salacious things. We are very1200grateful for the way that this administration is handling that.1201    And so just as a member of a family--and many of you, I1202imagine, never had a family member gunned down and shot down.1203That is my uncle. Then my father, choked and thrown in a1204swimming pool mysteriously, my father. My grandmother, playing1205the organ and shot down playing the Lord's Prayer in church.1206So, many of you have never experienced that.1207    And at the same time, from the time I was born to today,1208you know, in those years in the 1950s and the 1960s, knowing1209that every conversation is recorded. Somebody's following you1210and watching you.1211    And so, I think the transparency, although there were a lot1212of pages that my family is still trying to go through as well,1213that is a lot. But I think transparency and truth are so1214important.1215    You know, this is a time when our Nation feels deeply1216divided, and this moment offers an invitation to unity, to1217prayer, renewed commitment to those ideals that bind us1218together. So, as someone--like I say, I could not even get a1219telephone call from a little guy who said, can we go get an ice1220cream cone without wondering who is listening to that phone1221call. So, I think this is helpful, and I want to say thank you.1222    Mrs. Luna. Thank you, Dr. King.1223    And Mr. Wexler, to I guess then address the elephant in the1224room, to follow on to Dr. King's response there, do you believe1225the elements within the U.S. Government plotted to murder1226Martin Luther King, or are people justified in their skepticism1227in wanting answers specifically to that? It is not my objective1228to peddle conspiracy theories, but it does seem evident, based1229on what we are seeing with the declassified documents, that1230there was a targeted campaign by the Federal Government against1231a civil rights leader. And it also to me, based on what we are1232seeing, for example, in that one document that I showed you1233guys, that I do not believe that there is adequate followup in1234some of these very serious leads pertaining to a conspiracy to1235assassinate Dr. King.1236    Mr. Wexler. A couple of things. So, the answer to those1237questions might seem counterintuitive. I cannot eliminate the1238possibility that there was elements of the government connected1239to the assassination of Martin Luther King. My book does not1240argue that that was the main source of what ultimately killed1241him. What I cannot do because I know of at least two instances1242in 1968 that are virtually indisputable where the government1243knew in advance of two individuals, one a civil rights figure,1244one somebody who we probably would not particularly like, and1245they----1246    Mrs. Luna. Who is the person we would not like?1247    Mr. Wexler. He was one of the chief terrorists for the1248White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan of Mississippi. And in both1249instances, the other person was Fred Hampton, and people1250probably find him controversial in some cases. From Chicago,1251there was a movie recently made about him. In both instances--1252and again, I may have serious problems with what the former1253chief terrorist for the White Knights of Ku Klux Klan was up to1254in 1968, but the government should not be setting you up to be1255shot. And in both instances, that is essentially what happened.1256They did not do the shooting themselves, but they basically put1257out the information and the red meat to people who--in law1258enforcement who were basically itching to do something.1259    Mrs. Luna. So, you do think that it is possible that the1260Federal Government either had former knowledge and/or pushed1261people in the right direction in order to commit the1262assassination of Dr. King?1263    Mr. Wexler. So, a key part of my book is that they were1264told in advance of what I believe was the plot that was1265eventually successful. They seemed to have----1266    Mrs. Luna. On Dr. King?1267    Mr. Wexler. On Martin Luther King. I do not know if it was1268a matter of incompetence that they did not take it seriously.1269That is absolutely possible in the U.S. Government. But I also1270know they had informants that they tried to protect. They did1271not take things seriously. And I know that J. Edgar Hoover1272probably was not unhappy with what happened on April 4. So, I1273cannot eliminate it. The files, though, that we are looking1274for, that I am sort of asking from the House Select Committee1275on Assassinations, they may be able to clarify that.1276    And to your second question, because of the way Hoover1277behaved, because of the way the FBI behaved in the 1960s,1278because of the doubts we have about the JFK assassination, I1279think--and because of what the Black community especially1280experienced for decades, murders going unsolved over and over1281and over again--I can maybe talk about the Civil Rights Cold1282Case Records Review Board eventually--you are absolutely1283justified in at least asking the question, did the government1284have a role? So, we should do everything we can to clarify that1285one way or the other.1286    Mrs. Luna. So, just so you know, I actually just instructed1287the staff, so we will be following up with the National1288Archives and trying to obtain those HSCI documents that you are1289talking about, obviously not releasing information that was1290illegally obtained to smear Dr. King but to look at1291specifically the elements of the investigation and abuses of1292authority and power. So, we will be obtaining those. We have1293been pretty successful, just so you know and so investigators1294and the King family knows as well.1295    Dr. King, I have about 2 minutes and 29 seconds left in my1296time remaining before I go to Representative Burchett and then1297the hearing will end, so I would like to give that time to you1298to share with the American people or to maybe ask anything of1299us that you feel pertinent to this investigation.1300    Dr. King. I like to remember 1963, the night before1301Mother's Day. And my mother had prepared everything, and our1302home was bombed. And I remember my daddy going out, standing on1303a car, Reverend A.D. King. That was in Birmingham, Alabama.1304``If you have to hit somebody, hit me, but I would rather you1305go home and pray. My family and I are okay.'' And those were1306the first years I was old enough to begin to understand that1307there were people from other communities who were stirring up1308anarchy.1309    And the way I met those people, the people who lived in the1310community, went home, and they went home and prayed. And there1311were strangers from outside of our community there who were1312throwing bricks and turning over cars and things. And Daddy1313talked about people--everybody does not want peace. Everybody1314does not want love.1315    I cannot speak to whether it was a conspiracy or not. I am1316not here--just to give you my own experiences. But I have1317discovered that if we want peace and unity, Reverend Dr. Martin1318Luther King said, ``We must learn to live together as1319brothers,'' and all that, as sisters, ``and not perish together1320as fools.'' I am reminded of my mother, who was a Democrat, and1321then later in these years, I have been a Democrat, an1322independent, and a Republican. And I used to work when I was a1323State legislator with the Republicans. And they would be, you1324are a Democrat. You cannot talk to them. Why can I not talk to1325you? I did not know.1326    But there are people in America today who still want peace,1327who still want unity, who still want love. And I can only urge1328you, we are one blood, one human race. We all bleed the same.1329Thank you, President Trump. That is true. I want us to come1330together without fear, without hatred, without division. And I1331remember my mother's words. She was so grateful and so tearful1332when President Trump put their house that had been bombed on1333the registry, and she thanked him. Well, Ms. Naomi, you are a1334Democrat, do not thank him.1335    I think I want to stop there. But if we choose love over1336hatred, truth over secrecy, and faith over fear, then the1337sacrifices of those who came before us, including my uncle, my1338father, will not have been in vain. Then my living shall not be1339in vain. Your living will not be in vain as you work together.1340Thank you.1341    Mrs. Luna. Thank you, Dr. King. And----1342    Ms. Crockett. I am going to do mine.1343    Mrs. Luna. Okay.1344    Ms. Crockett. I am going to do some of my 10----1345    Mrs. Luna. Okay. You are fine. You are fine.1346    Ms. Crockett. Well, wait a minute. Tim, you need to get1347somewhere? Because I will let you go. You need to go somewhere?1348    Mr. Burchett. Did you want to say something? Do you want to1349followup?1350    Ms. Crockett. Well, I am going to have to stay till the end1351anyway. Go ahead.1352    Mr. Burchett. I cannot hear what she is saying.1353    Mrs. Luna. She has 10 minutes of questioning, but you can1354go first is what she is saying before she does hers.1355    Mr. Burchett. Oh, Okay. Okay.1356    Mrs. Luna. I now recognize Tim Burchett for 5 minutes.1357    Mr. Burchett. Yes, it says 10 minutes. Do not give me that.1358I will have an altar call up here. Yes. You know why they do1359not let politicians--if you can find me some one-armed deacons,1360I would be a pastor, but I do not trust them with two hands.1361    Thank you all for being here. I guess I am one of those on1362the edge of the conspiracy theorist. And I was at Brushy1363Mountain Prison. I saw James Earl Ray when I was a young man,1364about 16. We used to minister to the guy who was on death row,1365since been electrocuted in Tennessee. And I was always1366reminded--I have read some books by the mob, and they always1367have a scapegoat, and it is always a loner, kind of a nut. I1368think some things need to be said. Ray was a two-bit criminal,1369and they caught him in London, England. I mean, what I1370understand, he did not have two nickels to rub together in13711968.1372    I remember we were going to Clarksville, Tennessee, and I1373heard it on the radio. I remember it because they said they1374were talking about President Kennedy and RFK, and then Martin1375Luther King had been shot. And it did not register with me. I1376was four years old, but I can remember. But I have since1377studied it. And it is always a loner. It is always a nut. It1378just seems to me it is just too dadgum convenient. And the mob1379will tell you that is what they do. When they kill somebody,1380they always have a scapegoat.1381    And I remember what a pastor friend of mine, who has never1382voted for me, by the way, in Knoxville--and I am naming a post1383office after him anyway, but it is because he is my dear1384friend. And he was in Memphis. He worked for Dr. King. I guess1385he was 17 or 18 years old. And I always remember--I was mayor1386of Knox County. I went to the NAACP dinner that night, big1387fundraiser, and, you know, they had me sitting at the head1388table. And I asked Middlebrook where he was sitting, and he1389said, they got me over here. And I said, well, Kelly and I, my1390wife and I, we are going to sit with you. And he said, why is1391that? And I said because you run with the one that brung you.1392And I said, these kids are standing on your shoulders. They1393think civil rights is something on the History Channel or1394something.1395    And we would always have Middlebrook come eat dinner with1396us, lunch with the young kids in my office at Calhoun's. And I1397remember my dear friend Colonel Julian said, ``Preacher, how1398many times were you arrested in Memphis?'' And he said,1399``Colonel, I think about 37.'' And, you know, you just think1400how things have changed and how, you know, we talk about how1401bad they are. I will tell you what, in Knoxville, Tennessee,1402east Tennessee, things are pretty good. Things are pretty good.1403We are moving in a better direction, I feel like.1404    But I do feel like I do not--and is it true that some1405members of the King family talked to James Earl Ray, and they1406do not think that he pulled the trigger? Is that accurate,1407ma'am?1408    Dr. King. My cousin, Dexter Scott King, is deceased.1409    Mr. Burchett. Yes, ma'am.1410    Dr. King. But during his lifetime, he was involved in some1411of those discussions. I was not personally. But yes, I was1412aware of that, yes.1413    Mr. Burchett. And Dexter was Dr. King's----1414    Dr. King. King's son, yes.1415    Mr. Burchett. His boy, yes, ma'am.1416    Dr. King. Yes.1417    Mr. Burchett. Okay. Yes. And I remembered very well when1418James Earl Ray escaped from Brushy because Dr. King's daddy,1419who was also a preacher, was in Tennessee at that time, just1420totally out of--and they caught him. They caught James Earl Ray1421just down the road. It was something. He did not get very far.1422He was not that great of a criminal. He sure was not that good1423of an escape artist.1424    But I am wondering, ma'am, why are certain pieces of the1425surveillance--why do you feel like they are still under seal1426until 2027? And something I worry about, anytime the--I do not1427trust the government, and I am part of the government. And I do1428not mind telling you that. But anytime we have our hands on1429something, you know, whether it be Epstein files or whatever, I1430have a hard time believing it. I have a hard time believing1431anything these knuckleheads come in here and tell me, whether1432we are in a skiff or anywhere else. They are so1433compartmentalized, and they are so--you know, maybe they are1434telling the truth, but it is the truth as they know it. And1435they are looking down the barrel of a .22, and they need to be1436looking down a trash can because I think it is that big. And I1437am sorry I talk too much, but please.1438    Dr. King. May I answer it in this way? And I am only1439speaking not for the whole family----1440    Mr. Burchett. Yes, ma'am.1441    Dr. King [continuing]. And certainly in a very unofficial,1442personal capacity. There are so many people that are in those1443reports, and I think that has been said, who are gone on1444beyond. And so, since you cannot find them, and you cannot1445verify, it would not necessarily make sense to have so much of1446that, that we forget the purpose. And the purpose is to come1447together in truth and unity.1448    Mr. Burchett. Yes.1449    Dr. King. So, that is just my thought. I cannot say that is1450why, but that is what I think.1451    Mr. Burchett. Okay. And I have run over. Let me ask the1452Ranking Member if I could just go a little bit. Now, I will1453tell you this. I saw a lady walking down the hall from a far1454distance, and she was wearing bright pink. And I said, where is1455she going? And then she got closer. And I was about to say,1456Jasmine, we are supposed to be in Committee. And then she got1457closer, and I realized it was not Jasmine. So, if somebody1458comes up to you and says, this idiot Burchett just--you know.1459But anyway, she was lovely and dressed classy like you do, so I1460wanted to say that for the record, and then ask you if I could1461have a little more time.1462    Mrs. Luna. Yes.1463    Mr. Burchett. Okay, great.1464    Let me ask you, Mr. Wexler, and then maybe you, sir, what1465are your thoughts on that?1466    Mr. Wexler. My thoughts on why the files are sealed? It is1467a little bit of speculation, but I will give you a twofold1468answer. One, it was self-serving for the FBI. There was a time1469when, you know, the public was really outraged when we found1470out that they were doing this stuff. And it is kind of, and1471should be----1472    Mr. Burchett. Yes. Let me stop you right there----1473    Mr. Wexler [continuing]. Deeply embarrassing----1474    Mr. Burchett [continuing]. Real quick. I remember when we1475were doing something on JFK--and Representative Luna is great1476about bringing this stuff in. We had a doctor that was in the1477emergency room with JFK, and he said--he even had a diagram.1478And he showed the bullet--two different bullets coming from two1479different directions in the diagram. Now, ten years ago, that1480had been ABC, NBC, everybody would have blown it up. But that1481is just what they do. They delay, delay, delay. And what Dr.1482King said, I think, that these people die, and then there is1483nothing out there, and then all we got is vapor. But sorry, go1484ahead, sir.1485    Mr. Wexler. And then my second would be is that, you know--1486--1487    Mr. Burchett. And this place ought to be filled up with1488angry people right now. Angry Congresswomen and men ought to be1489ticked off. I am sorry.1490    Mr. Wexler. And the second, I do think there is an element1491where, as it gets later on in time to what I believe Dr. King1492was getting at, where you start to say that you are releasing1493information that never should have been collected in the first1494place----1495    Mr. Burchett. I got you.1496    Mr. Wexler [continuing]. That you do not even know it is--1497if it is true. And again, I could speak to you--if somebody1498asked me about what happened to somebody named Reverend Ed1499King, which was just outrageous, and I could explain that----1500    Mr. Burchett. Yes.1501    Mr. Wexler [continuing]. In a further question. And maybe,1502you know, you start to realize, now we should not release this1503stuff because we should never have taken and collected it and1504put out this nonsense in the first place.1505    Mr. Burchett. It does not have anything to do with what is1506going on or what went on.1507    Yes, sir?1508    Mr. Hamadanchy. Yes, I mean, I think the primary concern is1509that it was illegally obtained and should never have been1510obtained. And I think just generally, we should be careful1511about releasing surveillance, even if it was lawfully obtained.1512    Mr. Burchett. I mean, even if it was legal----1513    Mr. Hamadanchy. Yes.1514    Mr. Burchett [continuing]. It does not make--I mean,1515slavery technically was legal in this country, but it is the1516most horrid thing that we ever did.1517    Mr. Hamadanchy. I would say, for instance, the legal1518standard for obtaining metadata is lower. We would obviously1519support raising that. But if someone collected your metadata1520and they did it illegally, you would not want that released to1521the public, even though it was collected unlawfully.1522    Mr. Burchett. Okay. I am out of time, but I do think this1523was a cover up. And I remember, Dr. Middlebrook told me, he1524said that they--and I am a gun guy, and that shot he made, had1525one foot on a toilet and one foot in a bathtub, and he leaned1526over to make the shot. And the next day, they had cut all the1527brush out from that flophouse that Ray was in, in front of it.1528And I have talked to so many people from Memphis I served in1529the legislature with, and they just think it has been covered1530up, and I do not know if we will ever know on this side of1531eternity.1532    But I want to thank you all. I am sorry I rattled.1533    Dr. King, thank you, ma'am. I appreciate your walk with1534Jesus, and I appreciate your kind words that we had.1535    Thank you all for being here. Sorry.1536    Ms. Crockett. You are good to go.1537    I just want to add to the record--this was submitted to us.1538To the Members of the Committee on Oversight and Government1539Reform, we are here to answer the question, what do the1540declassified MLK records reveal, and why do they matter? These1541documents are significant because of what they reveal to the1542American people about the Federal Bureau of Investigation.1543    I submit that there are three facts that the American1544people need to know to contextualize these records. First, the1545FBI is the main actor within this historical drama, not Dr.1546King. The modern Freedom of Information and Privacy Act was1547signed into law so the American people could petition for U.S.1548Executive branch agency records to hold our government1549accountable to the rule of law. When President Johnson signed1550FOIA into law, he stated, ``This legislation springs from one1551of our most essential principles. A democracy works best when1552the people have all the information that the security of the1553Nation permits.'' Americans should always read executive branch1554agency records with an eye toward government malfeasance. Dr.1555King is not the one on trial here. Rather, it is the actions of1556the FBI.1557    Second, the American people need to know that the1558declassified and classified MLK records reveal the extreme1559measures the FBI undertook to destroy a private citizen due to1560political and ideological differences. As both the U.S. House1561Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the U.S. Senate1562Select Committee to Study Governmental Operations, with respect1563to intelligence activities revealed, the campaign to1564investigate King was not based on criminal activity or1565legitimate national security concerns.1566    Division 5 of the FBI, under the guidance of Special Agent1567William Sullivan, concluded early in the investigation that1568allegations of communist infiltration and collaboration were1569unfounded. Surveillance persisted because of FBI Director J.1570Edgar Hoover's personal animosity for King because King's1571politics of freedom, justice, and equality for all, regardless1572of race, ran counter to Hoover's politics. The FBI unleashed a1573deliberate campaign to undermine a Black freedom movement under1574the guise of national security. The investigation against King1575was not conducted in good faith. Much of the information1576contained in the files falls under the legal doctrine of fruit1577of the poisonous tree.1578    In 1975, Deputy Associate Director James Adams testified1579before a U.S. Senate Select Committee to Study Governmental1580Operations with respect to intelligence activities, stating,1581``There were approximately 25 incidents of actions taken to1582discredit Dr. King. I see no statutory basis or no basis of1583justification for the activity. The FBI was not gathering1584information for prosecution or other legal ends.'' As Sullivan1585noted in an FBI memo two days after King's ``I have a dream''1586address, the Bureau considered it unrealistic to limit their1587investigation to legalistic proof of, or definitely conclusive1588evidence that would stand up in testimony in court or before1589congressional committees. Instead, the FBI turned to wiretaps,1590bugs, and clandestine monitoring to obtain or create personal1591information the Bureau believed would discredit Dr. King. These1592actions were extralegal by design and violated the Constitution1593the FBI claimed to defend.1594    The American people need to understand that the information1595the FBI claims to have uncovered was intended to coerce Dr.1596King and to discredit him in the eyes of his wife, faith1597communities, and the general American public. If such data was1598not strong enough to stand up to scrutiny in a court of law1599when it was obtained, we should seriously consider how it will1600be unleashed and weaponized in a court of public opinion.1601    Finally, the American people need to know that the1602declassified and classified records have living victims. While1603Dr. King was the immediate target, the FBI's dragnet ensnared1604so many more. The victims of this story are not abstractions.1605They are living people who were denied privacy, dignity, and1606justice. This includes the King children, two of whom are still1607living. Since the King's family home telephone was wiretapped,1608it is very likely that the voices, laughter, and cries of these1609innocent children were heard, recorded, and documented by the1610Federal Government simply because their father led a nonviolent1611protest movement to push America to be true to its founding1612documents.1613    We must always center the voices and rights of those1614harmed. If we are serious about democratic accountability, no1615matter which party is in power, then the disclosure of1616executive branch agency records, such as those that are being1617discussed this morning, must be accompanied by truth telling.1618The American people must have all the information necessary to1619maintain a functioning, deliberate democracy in which those who1620govern are accountable to the governed. If not, this historical1621saga we are discussing today will continue to haunt us in the1622form of unchecked government power. Thank you.1623    This was a statement from Lerone Martin, director of the1624MLK Research and Education Institute at Stanford University.1625    I then have a couple of UCs, and we can wrap. I ask for1626unanimous consent to enter into the record an NBC News article1627titled, ``Trump is Turning Dr. King's Dream Into a Nightmare.1628Did Civil Rights Martyrs Die in Vain?''1629    Mrs. Luna. Without objection.1630    Ms. Crockett. I ask for unanimous consent to enter into the1631record a New York Times article titled, ``The Many Political1632Interpretations of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Legacy.''1633    Mrs. Luna. Without objection.1634    Ms. Crockett. The next one is a Times article titled,1635``With MLK Files Released, Trump Plays Fire With a Legacy Whose1636Importance He Doesn't Fully Grasp.''1637    Mrs. Luna. Without objection.1638    Ms. Crockett. There is another one where it says, ``Trump1639Says DEI Civil Rights Policies Hurt White People. Do They?''1640    Mrs. Luna. Without objection.1641    Ms. Crockett. This one is from the ACLU. It says, ``Trump's1642Attempt to Roll Back Key Civil Rights Enforcement Tool.''1643    Mrs. Luna. Without objection.1644    Ms. Crockett. CNN article, ``Judge Deals Blow to Trump1645Justice Department's Use of Civil Rights Act to Clean Voter1646Rolls.''1647    Mrs. Luna. Without objection.1648    Ms. Crockett. And the final one is from the Southern1649Poverty Law Center, and it is titled, ``Trump Executive Action1650on Voting Explained.''1651    Mrs. Luna. Without objection.1652    Ms. Crockett. And with that, I will yield.1653    Mrs. Luna. In closing, I want to thank our witnesses once1654again for their testimony today. I now yield to Ranking Member1655Crockett for closing remarks.1656    Ms. Crockett. I yield back.1657    Mrs. Luna. I now recognize myself for closing remarks.1658    With that, and without objection, all Members will have1659five legislative days within which to submit materials and1660additional written questions for the witnesses, which will be1661forwarded to the witnesses.1662    If there is no further business, without objection, this1663Subcommittee stands adjourned.1664    [Whereupon, at 12:22 p.m., the Task Force was adjourned.]16651666                                 [all]