Malcolm X’s daughters accuse the CIA, FBI and NYPD of hiding knowledge of murder

Three daughters of Malcolm The legal action, filed Friday, is the latest chapter in the long-running fallout from the 1965 assassination of the black empowerment leader.

Malcolm X, born Malcolm Little, was shot dead in February 1965 while speaking at an event in New York’s Harlem neighborhood. The murder, which occurred just after the 39-year-old took the stage, has raised countless questions over the years, but few answers.

The lawsuit alleges that a “corrupt, unlawful and unconstitutional” relationship between law enforcement agencies and the “ruthless killers” facilitated the killing. It alleges that links between the government and the killers were hidden, protected and facilitated by government agents for years. The lawsuit further accuses the agencies of failing to prevent the killing despite several critical missteps.

According to the filing, the NYPD coordinated with federal law enforcement to arrest Malcolm X’s security detail just days before the assassination. It also alleges that the NYPD deliberately removed officers from the ballroom where Malcolm X spoke. Additionally, the lawsuit states that undercover federal agents were present at the scene but did not intervene during the attack.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represented the family, spoke at a news conference Friday and summarized the family’s position. “We believe they all conspired to assassinate Malcolm X, one of the greatest opinion leaders of the 20th century,” Crump said. He expressed hope that the lawsuit would encourage law enforcement officers to confront the historic wrongs, saying, “We hope that they will read this lawsuit and learn about all the dastardly actions of their predecessors and seek to right these historic wrongs.” to make.”

Neither the CIA nor the FBI have commented on the lawsuit, and the NYPD has previously stated that it does not comment on pending litigation.

A prominent figure in the civil rights and Black empowerment movements, Malcolm X was closely monitored by federal intelligence agencies throughout his career for his outspoken activism. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, he initially gained national attention as a spokesperson for the Nation of Islam before breaking away and adopting a more mainstream civil rights position.

After his murder, three men were arrested and convicted of the murder. However, in 2020, Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance announced a long-speculated review of the investigation. The review led to the acquittal of two of the three convicted men – Muhammad Aziz and Khalil Islam – after it was revealed that key evidence had been withheld by prosecutors, the FBI and the NYPD. A third man, Mujahid Abdul Halim, remained convicted.

The investigation did not identify the actual killer or reveal any further conspiracy between the attackers and law enforcement. However, it did emphasize that authorities were aware that the Nation of Islam had targeted Malcolm X, as they had bombed his house just a week before his assassination. It also revealed that undercover officers were present at the scene of the attack, a fact that was not disclosed until the lawsuit was filed Friday. In addition, NYPD records revealed that a New York Daily News reporter had been tipped off about the murder shortly before it occurred.

The lawsuit filed by Malcolm “They did not know who killed Malcolm stopped the cover-up,” the lawsuit said. reads. “The damage to the Shabazz family is unimaginable, immense and irreparable.”