Malcolm X’s family files $100M lawsuit alleging government conspiracy in his assassination
The estate of Malcolm X has filed a $100 million lawsuit against the U.S. government, the FBI, CIA and NYPD.
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Nearly 60 years after the assassination of civil rights leader Malcolm X, his family is demanding justice.
The estate of Malcolm X has filed a $100 million lawsuit against the U.S. government, the FBI, CIA and NYPD, alleging these agencies conspired in his death and engaged in a decades-long cover-up.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the family, accused these agencies of orchestrating the events leading to Malcolm X’s assassination on Feb. 21, 1965, at the Audubon Ballroom in New York City. “The government’s fingerprints are all over the assassination of Malcolm X,” Crump said during a news conference Friday.
The lawsuit claims that federal and local authorities knew of credible threats to Malcolm X’s life but failed to intervene. Instead, they allegedly reduced his security by arresting his security team days before the assassination and removing officers from the ballroom where he was killed. Malcolm X was shot 21 times in front of his wife and daughters.
Attorneys say new testimony from witnesses, including Mustafa Hassan, has shed light on the case. “Mustafa Hassan was present the day Malcolm X was assassinated. He is heavily displayed in these photographs. Why would it be that for almost 57 years, no one ever heard from him, never spoke to him, never took a statement from him?" said attorney Ray Hamlin.
Malcolm X’s daughter, Dr. Ilyasah Shabazz, spoke about the lasting trauma her family has endured. “It’s this photo over here where we see my mother, who was a registered nurse, care for her husband, loosen his tie,” she said, pointing to an image from that tragic day. “She turned this place, which represented trauma and tragedy, into a place of triumph. We seek justice for the assassination of our father so that the truth will be recorded in history.”
The lawsuit details nine causes of action, including excessive use of force, failure to protect, conspiracy, fraudulent concealment and wrongful death. It also alleges that undercover federal agents were present in the ballroom but took no action to stop the assassination.
Crump called on government officials to address the allegations. “We pray that the mayor of New York City and the attorney general of the United States will read this complaint and learn all the dastardly deeds that were done by their predecessors,” he said.
The family’s legal team hopes this lawsuit is seen as a fight for justice, not just for Malcolm X and his family, but also for all those wronged by systemic failures.
