Why did RFK let the FBI wiretap MLK?

Robert Kennedy signed off on the FBI wiretapping the civil rights leader in the 60s.

President John F. Kennedy and Attorney General Robert Kennedy were strong supporters of the civil rights movement and, publicly, of Martin Luther King. So why did they and the FBI wiretap him?

It started with communism.

The FBI began in 1908 as the Bureau of Investigation, to fight interstate crimes and support local law enforcement. When J. Edgar Hoover took the reins in 1924, he transformed it into the most effective law enforcement machine anywhere.

Hoover's tenure wasn't just a chapter in the Bureau's history, however. He took over the agency when he was only 29 years old and ruled it for 48 years until he died in 1972. During most of that time, America was in the midst of a cold war with the Soviets.

The threat of communist infiltration within the U.S. government and cultural institutions was real. Hoover’s crusade against communism was beneficial for the country’s national security, but it veered into the realm of obsession. He wanted to purge the nation of what he saw as an ideological cancer.

We can’t ignore that the FBI's enormous surveillance ability collected damaging information on politicians and powerful people across the country. And Hoover used these secret files to stay FBI director. Everyone, including presidents, was fearful of being targeted.

One of Hoover’s top targets was Stanley Levison, a lawyer from New York. Levinson was one of the American Communist Party’s top financiers during the 50s.

In 1956, the FBI believed Levison dropped his financial support for the party but continued his work through “mass organization activity.” It was the same year Levison met a young Martin Luther King and became one of his best friends and advisors. Levison negotiated one of King’s book contracts, prepared his tax returns, and even co-wrote a draft of King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech.  

And in 1962, when the Kennedys learned of that relationship and Levison’s past, they sent King – now a national leader – numerous warnings through various messengers. When those were ignored, Robert Kennedy approved the FBI wiretapping Levison’s office. Robert Kennedy later also agreed to wiretapping King’s home and office.

Now, ironically, throughout all of the wiretaps and informants and everything else, there’s absolutely nothing to imply that Martin Luther King sympathized at all with communism. In fact, he called it an “alien philosophy” contrary to the civil rights movement.

But soon, the FBI wouldn’t be focusing on communist ties. They’d be focusing on sex. 

The bureau expanded its electronic surveillance to King’s hotel rooms, and had at least two of his employees working as informants. They tracked his flights and monitored other associates as well.

And they learned about a lot of sex. MLK was married and a reverend, but the FBI made numerous recordings of him having affairs, multiple sex partners and even of him arranging orgies. 

As this surveillance continued, Hoover’s personal animosity towards King grew. And the FBI’s role morphed from gathering information to discrediting and harassing the civil rights leader.

I’m digging into a lot of the history surrounding MLK, the FBI, and the turmoil of that time. Stay tuned to learn even more about King and the thorny questions we have to wrestle with about brilliant, world-changing leaders who are nowhere close to perfect themselves.

-Ken