美国国家公共电台 NPR--Malcolm X's family will file a $100 million lawsuit alleging a coverup of his death

Malcolm X's family will file a $100 million lawsuit¹ alleging² a coverup of his death

Transcript³

The family of slain⁴ civil rights leader Malcolm X says they will file a wrongful death lawsuit against the FBI, NYPD and other government agencies over the handling of his 1965 assassination⁵.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

The family of Malcolm X says it plans to file a $100 million wrongful death suit against the New York Police Department, the FBI and other government agencies. The family members say they believe officials conspired⁶ to kill the civil rights leader, then covered it up. Samantha Max of member station WNYC is on the line. She was with the family yesterday on the 58th anniversary of the assassination of Malcolm X. Good morning, Samantha.

SAMANTHA MAX, BYLINE⁷: Hi, Leila.

FADEL: So you were with the family. Can you give us the details of what they say they believe happened?

MAX: So the family believes that government officials, all the way up to the head of the FBI at the time, actually wanted Malcolm X dead and played a role in his assassination. They also believe that officials concealed⁸ evidence in the investigation⁹ into his murder and allowed two men to be wrongfully convicted for the killing¹⁰. So the family has brought in the attorney Ben Crump. You might have heard his name because he's represented loved ones in several high-profile cases of people killed by police, including George Floyd. Crump filed paperwork yesterday alerting dozens of government officials and agencies that the family is getting ready to sue. And I should say that those agencies either couldn't be reached or declined to comment.

FADEL: As I mentioned, yesterday marked 58 years since Malcolm X was assassinated¹¹. So why now? Why the - file this lawsuit all these years later?

MAX: So in 2021, two men who were convicted of murdering Malcolm X and spent decades in prison were exonerated¹². That came after the Manhattan District Attorney's Office worked with the Innocence¹³ Project and other attorneys to review their convictions. And they found that the FBI and the NYPD had withheld¹⁴ evidence that could have cleared these men of wrongdoing. So a judge ended up throwing out the convictions. And last fall, New York City agreed to pay them each $13 million.

FADEL: Where does the criminal case stand with those exonerations?

MAX: So another man, Mujahid Halim, had confessed to the killing at trial, and he's long maintained that the others were innocent. So he spent more than 40 years in prison and has been out on parole since 2010. In an affidavit¹⁵, he said that he and some other men had planned the killing because they thought that Malcolm X was a hypocrite who wasn't loyal to the leader of the Nation of Islam.

FADEL: But the family thinks it's bigger than that. They think it's part of a larger government conspiracy¹⁶. Is this lawsuit a bid for accountability here?

MAX: I mean, part of it is definitely just personal. They want money for the trauma¹⁷ that they've endured. Two of Malcolm X's daughters who just announced this lawsuit were actually at the Audubon Ballroom¹⁸ where - when their father was shot during his speech. The press conference yesterday was in that same room.

But it's definitely about more than that. They also want answers. Historians, investigative journalists, attorneys and even government officials have, for years and years, been raising questions about this case. But as the family's attorney said, much of it has just been speculation¹⁹ up to this point. So if you file a lawsuit, you can go through the discovery process. That means you can get all kinds of records and documents. And their attorneys would also have the opportunity to interview officials in the case, at least the ones who, all these years later, are still alive. And they say that would bring some transparency, not just for the family, but also for the public.

FADEL: So they want to know. That's WNYC's Samantha Max. Thanks for your reporting on this, Sam.

MAX: Thanks for having me.

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1 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。

2 alleging   

断言，宣称，辩解( allege的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• His reputation was blemished by a newspaper article alleging he'd evaded his taxes. 由于报上一篇文章声称他曾逃税，他的名誉受到损害。
• This our Peeress declined as unnecessary, alleging that her cousin Thornhill's recommendation would be sufficient. 那位贵人不肯，还说不必，只要有她老表唐希尔保荐就够了。

3 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

4 slain   

杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词)

参考例句：

• The soldiers slain in the battle were burried that night. 在那天夜晚埋葬了在战斗中牺牲了的战士。
• His boy was dead, slain by the hand of the false Amulius. 他的儿子被奸诈的阿缪利乌斯杀死了。

5 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。

6 conspired   

密谋( conspire的过去式和过去分词 )； 搞阴谋； （事件等）巧合； 共同导致

参考例句：

• They conspired to bring about the meeting of the two people. 他们共同促成了两人的会面。
• Bad weather and car trouble conspired to ruin our vacation. 恶劣的气候连同汽车故障断送了我们的假日。

7 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

8 concealed   

a.隐藏的，隐蔽的

参考例句：

• The paintings were concealed beneath a thick layer of plaster. 那些画被隐藏在厚厚的灰泥层下面。
• I think he had a gun concealed about his person. 我认为他当时身上藏有一支枪。

9 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

10 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

11 assassinated   

v.暗杀( assassinate的过去式和过去分词 )；中伤；诋毁；破坏

参考例句：

• The prime minister was assassinated by extremists. 首相遭极端分子暗杀。
• Then, just two days later, President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. 跟着在两天以后，肯尼迪总统在达拉斯被人暗杀。 来自辞典例句

12 exonerated   

v.使免罪，免除( exonerate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The police report exonerated Lewis from all charges of corruption. 警方的报告免除了对刘易斯贪污的所有指控。
• An investigation exonerated the school from any blame. 一项调查证明该学校没有任何过失。 来自辞典例句

13 innocence   

n.无罪；天真；无害

参考例句：

• There was a touching air of innocence about the boy.这个男孩有一种令人感动的天真神情。
• The accused man proved his innocence of the crime.被告人经证实无罪。

14 withheld   

withhold过去式及过去分词

参考例句：

• I withheld payment until they had fulfilled the contract. 他们履行合同后，我才付款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• There was no school play because the principal withheld his consent. 由于校长没同意，学校里没有举行比赛。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 affidavit   

n.宣誓书

参考例句：

• I gave an affidavit to the judge about the accident I witnessed.我向法官提交了一份关于我目击的事故的证词。
• The affidavit was formally read to the court.书面证词正式向出席法庭的人宣读了。

16 conspiracy   

n.阴谋，密谋，共谋

参考例句：

• The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.这些人被裁决犯有阴谋杀人罪。
• He claimed that it was all a conspiracy against him.他声称这一切都是一场针对他的阴谋。

17 trauma   

n.外伤，精神创伤

参考例句：

• Counselling is helping him work through this trauma.心理辅导正帮助他面对痛苦。
• The phobia may have its root in a childhood trauma.恐惧症可能源于童年时期的创伤。

18 ballroom   

n.舞厅

参考例句：

• The boss of the ballroom excused them the fee.舞厅老板给他们免费。
• I go ballroom dancing twice a week.我一个星期跳两次交际舞。

19 speculation   

n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机

参考例句：

• Her mind is occupied with speculation.她的头脑忙于思考。
• There is widespread speculation that he is going to resign.人们普遍推测他要辞职。