This session marks the second UAP-focused hearing by Congress, aiming to bring greater transparency to government research on UAPs and address the Department of Defense’s (DoD) reluctance to declassify information. The hearing will include testimony from witnesses Navy Rear Admiral Dr. Tim Gallaudet, former DoD official Luis Elizondo, former NASA Associate Administrator Michael Gold, and journalist Michael Shellenberger.

This page will archive these proceedings, related documents, and transcripts, providing a comprehensive resource on government transparency efforts around UAPs.

Stream The Hearing

Witness Testimony and Bios Submitted

Mr. Luis Elizondo; Former Department of Defense Official

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Mr. Luis Elizondo; Former Department of Defense Official Testimony Addendum #1

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Dr. Tim Gallaudet, Ph.D.; Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy (Ret.) Ocean STL Consulting, LLC

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Mr. Michael Gold; Member of NASA UAP Independent Study Team

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Mr. Michael Shellenberger; Founder, Public

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Document Archive

Immaculate Constellation Document

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Congressman Tim Burchett Submitted Documents To The Hearing Record

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Official Attendance Sheet – November 13, 2024

Hearing Memo – November 7, 2024

Hearing Notice – November 6, 2024

The post “Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena: Exposing the Truth” Hearing – November 13, 2024 first appeared on The Black Vault.

The President of the United States has available certain powers that may be exercised in the event that the nation is threatened by crisis, exigency, or emergency circumstances (other than natural disasters, war, or near-war situations). Such powers may be stated explicitly or implied by the Constitution, assumed by the Chief Executive to be permissible constitutionally, or inferred from or specified by statute. Through legislation, Congress has made a great many delegations of authority in this regard over the past 200 years.

There are, however, limits and restraints upon the President in his exercise of emergency powers. With the exception of the habeas corpus clause, the Constitution makes no allowance for the suspension of any of its provisions during a national emergency. Disputes over the constitutionality or legality of the exercise of emergency powers are judicially reviewable. Indeed, both the judiciary and Congress, as co-equal branches, can restrain the executive regarding emergency powers. So can public opinion. Furthermore, since 1976, the President has been subject to certain procedural formalities in utilizing some statutorily delegated emergency authority. The National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601-1651) eliminated or modified some statutory grants of emergency authority, required the President to declare formally the existence of a national emergency and to specify what statutory authority, activated by the declaration, would be used, and provided Congress a means to countermand the President’s declaration and the activated authority being sought. The development of this regulatory statute and subsequent declarations of national emergency are reviewed in this report, which is updated as events require.

Document Archive

National Emergency Powers, Updated September 18, 2001 [25 Pages, 0.3MB]

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The post National Emergency Powers, Updated September 18, 2001 first appeared on The Black Vault.

The world is abuzz that the United States Senate, namely the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence chaired by Senator Marco Rubio, is interested in a public UFO report created by the Intelligence Community (IC). In addition, the Department of Defense (DOD) recently announced a UAP Task Force, or UAPTF, which aims to investigate unidentified objects as they encroach on military installations. The effort is an exciting push towards transparency related to an issue that has intrigued the masses for decades, and one that is often encapsulated in secrecy and conspiracy allegations. However, this is not the first time Congressional interest into UFOs has happened. In fact, it’s happened before in a nearly identical fashion. Can this unfolding saga end the same way? Advocates for UFO disclosure sure hope not.

The Original UFO Research Programs

Back in 1947, the U.S. military had begun the first first of a trifecta of UFO related research programs. Beginning with Project Sign, then Project Grudge, then ending with Project Blue Book in 1969, the trio of projects collectively investigated 12,618 UFO cases within the twenty-two years they operated, and found only 701 remained “unidentified.”

Although those statistics are wildly contested, and rightfully so, that did not stop then House Minority Leader representing the State of Michigan, Gerald Ford, from pressing for answers about the UFO phenomena.

Congressional Interest

On March 28, 1966, a letter was sent by Ford to the House Committees on Armed Services and Science and Astronautics. He highly recommended that either committee investigate UFOs and come up with answers.

“No doubt you have noted the recent flurry of newspaper stories about unidentified flying objects (UFO’s). I have taken a special interest in these accounts because many of the latest reported sightings have been in my home state of Michigan,” Ford opened his letter. He went on to state, “In the firm belief that the American public deserves a better explanation than that thus far given by the Air Force, I strongly recommend that there be a committee investigation of the UFO phenomena.”

Then, just days later on April 3, 1966, Ford issued a statement about the mockery he endured after pushing for UFO transparency, largely due to the stigma surrounding the issue.

The Stigma

“As I had expected, some persons have ridiculed my call for a congressional investigation of unidentified flying objects (UFO’s). These people are a fraction of those who have given me their reaction to my proposal,” Ford wrote. “Those who scoff at the idea of a congressional investigation of UFO’s apparently are unaware that the House Armed Services Committee has scheduled a closed-door hearing on the matter Tuesday…”

As Ford indicated in his statement, the House Committee on Armed Services took action just as he promised. The committee met on April 5, 1966, at 10:35 a.m. Present with the committee, was Dr. J. Allen Hynek, chief scientific consultant to Project Blue Book, along with Major Hector Quintanilla, the active chief officer for Project Blue Book. In addition, multiple statements, documents and newspaper articles were entered into the record, in addition to numerous UFO reports by police officers, military personnel and the letter referenced above written by Ford.

After hearing the testimony, and seeing the evidence from the result of more than 10,000 cases by the time the hearing took place, the committee concluded that a report needed to be generated. “It is the opinion of the committee that the present Air Force program dealing with UFO sightings has been well organized, although resources assigned to it (only one officer, a sergeant, and secretary) have been quite limited,” the committee concluded. They went on to recommend that the Air Force negotiate contracts to select universities to analyze the data with scientific teams, and to investigate any promising cases.

A Public UFO Report

The report was to be made available to the public, as recommended by the committee. “The reports Project Blue Book should be given wide unsolicited circulation among prominent Members of the Congress and other public persons as a further aid to public understanding of the scientific approach being taken by the Air Force in attacking the UFO problem.”

Within weeks, Ford had achieved his goal of getting a report and scientific analysis of the UFO data available at the time. In an April 21, 1966, press release, Ford said, “The Air Force has informed me it is arranging for a study by high-caliber scientists of some of the UFO sightings which have never been explained. The report will definitely be made public, the Air Force has assured me.”

Ford also stated he would have preferred a full hearing with witnesses in front of the committee, but said that he felt this was a “step in the right direction” having a scientific analysis of the data.

On October 7, 1966, the Air Force released their press statement that the University of Colorado would conduct the independent study on UFOs. The director of that effort was Dr. Edward Condon, who’s name would help identify his committee and later the report they generated.

The Condon Committee

The Condon Committee evaluated the threat potential behind UFOs, and whether or not they were a national security threat.

For two years, they studied the evidence. And their conclusion was that there was no threat, nor was there a reason to continue UFO investigations. This entire effort resulted in the official close of Project Blue Book in the end of 1969 (and formally closed in January of 1970), and the Condon Report has been cited for decades as the reason UFOs were not taken seriously thereafter.

From Project Blue Book To AATIP

Is history repeating itself? Although still contested on whether the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP) was truly a “UFO Study” similar to Project Blue Book, let us assume for a moment it was, and it continues to this day disguised as the UAPTF.

– The studies conducted by AATIP reflect those done decades ago by Project Blue Book.

– The military witnesses from the 2004 USS Nimitz encounters; the 2015 USS Roosevelt encounters and others interviewed by the AATIP, reflect those military encounters that were brought up in the 1966 Congressional hearing on UFOs as investigated under Project Blue Book.

– The stigma surrounding the topic in the 1960s, which resulted in Ford receiving ridicule for pushing for a UFO hearing, echoes that of the “stigma” often referred to by Luis Elizondo, the man who says he led the AATIP effort from within the Pentagon.

– The 1966 enlistment of the University of Colorado, along with a scientific team to create a public report based on UFO data, is nearly identical to the unfolding saga that present day Congress is pushing for a public report from the IC.

So what next? Will the end to this unfolding saga conclude in the same way it did in the 1960s?

The efforts to achieve Congressional interest in the UFO topic should be commended and applauded. Decades have passed since such an achievement, and there is no taking away from the fact the general public wants to know the truth.

Yet, what many are forgetting, is the U.S. government has a history of not wanting to give that truth. At least, not all of it. This is evidenced by reams of still classified information on the UFO topic, which has yet to be fully revealed to the public. Despite current interest by Congress, they will heavily rely on the very institution that has spearheaded the secrecy surrounding UFOs: the IC itself.

So, will history repeat itself? Will a Condon Committee Report-like document be presented to Congress, that will then be utilized for decades to come on why there is NOT a reason to investigate UFOs or take them seriously?

Only time will tell on how this next chapter will play out, and whether the public report on UFOs will prove to be beneficial to the public understanding on the topic. Or, if history does repeat itself, it may just prove to be the next crutch for secrecy that will be utilized for the next 50 years, just like the last one was.

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The post The Road to a Congressional UFO Hearing, 1960’s Style first appeared on The Black Vault.

Hearings Before and Special Reports Made by Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives on Subjects Affecting the Naval and Military Establishments, 1966 [1,572 Pages, 114MB]

The post Hearings Before and Special Reports Made by Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives on Subjects Affecting the Naval and Military Establishments, 1966 first appeared on The Black Vault.

Directing certain committees to continue their ongoing investigations as part of the existing House of Representatives inquiry into whether sufficient grounds exist for the House of Representatives to exercise its Constitutional power to impeach Donald John Trump, President of the United States of America, and for other purposes.

Document Archive

House Democrat Impeachment Resolution, October 29, 2019 [8 Pages, 0.1MB]

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The post House Democrat Resolution to Impeach President Donald J. Trump, October 29, 2019 first appeared on The Black Vault.

The following documents have been released by the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Joint Staff.  They include all correspondence between members of Congress, and their office.

Document Archive

Congressional Correspondence Logs

Congressional Correspondence Log, 2007 and 2009 [1,011 Pages, 199.6MB]

Congressional Correspondence Log, 2012 [368 Pages, 69.8MB]

All Congressional Correspondence Letters

Incoming congressional correspondence (all Members) February 2009 – July 2009 – Document Release 1 [361 Pages, 192.8MB]

Incoming congressional correspondence (all Members) February 2009 – July 2009 – Document Release 2 [265 Pages, 141.8MB]

Incoming congressional correspondence (all Members) February 2009 – July 2009 – Document Release 3 [147 Pages, 79.7MB]

The post Congressional Correspondence with the Office of the Secretary of Defense first appeared on The Black Vault.

Each year, government agencies submit an annual “Congressional Budget Justification” book that outlines the programs and projects for that agency, and justifies the budget that they are requesting.

For some agencies, they are easy to obtain. For others? Not so much.

Below is a growing archive of different agencies, and their respective years.

Declassified Documents

National Reconnaissance Office (NRO)

 National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) Congressional Budget Justification – 2018 – Denied IN FULL, I appealed and lost. This is the entire case file for the FOIA case and appeal [45  Pages, 3.4MB]
 National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) Congressional Budget Justification – 2015-2016 – Denied IN FULL, I appealed and lost. This is the entire case file for the FOIA case and appeal [22  Pages, 2.3MB]
 National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) Congressional Budget Justification – 2014 [536 Pages, 61.0MB]
 National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) Congressional Budget Justification – 2013 [258 Pages, 39.2MB]
 National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) Congressional Budget Justification – 2010 [118 Pages, 4.8MB] – The 2010 document was received by Steven Aftergood of the Federation of American Scientists (FAS). In 2016, I requested a Mandatory Declassification Review (MDR) of the extensive redactions, but was denied. The only record they will release, is the one released in 2010. I requested the case processing notes, which are available  here [118 Pages, 4.8MB].
 National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) Congressional Budget Justification – 1996 – Denied IN FULL, I appealed and lost. This is the entire case file for the FOIA case and appeal [44 Pages, 3.7MB]

The post Congressional Budget Justification Documents, All Agencies first appeared on The Black Vault.

The following documents have been received under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and contain the “Congressional Correspondence Logs” for all communications between Congress, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Each log outlines who the correspondence was with, the date, and topic of the letter.

Declassified Documents

2014-2015

 FBI Congressional Correspondence Log – 2014-2015 Release #1 July 2017 [350 Pages, 187MB ]
 FBI Congressional Correspondence Log – 2014-2015 Release #2  November 2017 [5 Pages, 0.9MB ]

2013

 FBI Congressional Correspondence Log – 2013 Release #1 November 2014 [286 Pages, 110MB ]
 FBI Congressional Correspondence Log – 2013 Release #2 January 2016 [5 Pages, 0.2MB ]
 FBI Congressional Correspondence Log – 2013 Release #3 April 2017 [5 Pages, 1.2MB ]
 FBI Congressional Correspondence Log – 2013 Release #4, November 2017 [5 Pages, 0.8MB ]

The post Congressional Correspondence with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) first appeared on The Black Vault.

According to the HUD/OIG website:

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Inspector General is one of the original 12 Inspectors General authorized under the Inspector General Act of 1978.

Over the years, we have forged a strong alliance with HUD personnel in recommending ways to improve departmental operations and in prosecuting program abuses. We strive to make a difference in HUD’s performance and accountability.

We are committed to our statutory mission of detecting and preventing fraud, waste, and abuse and promoting the effectiveness and efficiency of government operations. While organizationally we are located within the Department, we operate independently with separate budgetary authority.

This independence allows for clear and objective reporting to the Secretary and the Congress. Our activities seek to:

• Promote efficiency and effectiveness in programs and operations;
• Detect and deter fraud and abuse;
• Investigate allegations of misconduct by HUD employees; and
• Review and make recommendations regarding existing and proposed legislation and regulations affecting HUD.

The Executive Office and the Offices of Audit, Investigation, Counsel, and Management and Technology are located in Headquarters. Also, the Offices of Audit and Investigation have staff located in eight regions and numerous field offices.

Below, you will find HUD OIG Responses to Congressional Requests for a list of Closed Investigations not Disclosed to the Public, 2015-2016.

Document Archive

 HUD OIG Responses to a Congressional Request for a list of Closed Investigations not Disclosed to the Public, 2015-2016 [121 Pages, 1.4MB]

https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/hud/Congressional_data_call_rev_Redacted.pdf

The post HUD OIG Responses to a Congressional Request for a list of Closed Investigations not Disclosed to the Public, 2015-2016 first appeared on The Black Vault.

In a letter dated August 9, 2011, the Honorable Peter King, Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, U.S. House of Representatives, cited concerns involving “ongoing leaks of classified information regarding sensitive military operations.” Chairman King referenced an August 6, 2011, New York Times op-ed column that claims, “Administration officials may have provided filmmakers with details of the raid that successfully killed Usama Bin Laden (UBL).” According to this article, filmmakers Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal received “top-level access to the most classified mission in history.” Chairman King requested that Department of Defense (DoD) and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Inspectors General explore related matters and respond to the following questions:

• “What consultations, if any, occurred between members of the Executive Office of the President, and Department of Defense and/or CIA officials, regarding the advisability of providing Hollywood executives with access to covert military operators and clandestine CIA officers to discuss the UBL raid?”
• “Will a copy of this film be submitted to the military and CIA for prepublication review, to determine if special operations tactics, techniques and procedures, or Agency intelligence sources and methods, would be revealed by its release?”
• “How was the attendance of filmmakers at a meeting with special operators and Agency officers at CIA Headquarters balanced against those officers’ duties to maintain their covers? How will cover concerns be addressed going forward?”
• “What steps did the Administration take to ensure that no special operations tactics, techniques, and procedures were compromised during those meetings?”

This report responds to specific questions posed by Chairman King. In conducting this project, we focused exclusively on DoD equities and interests. Additionally, we reviewed applicable laws, regulations, DoD Directives and Instructions; reviewed and analyzed numerous documents and emails obtained from DoD components; and interviewed numerous personnel from DoD components.

The Investigation

 Congressionally Requested Action on Released Department of Defense Information to the Media, June 14, 2013 [19 Pages, 1.5MB]

https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/ig/DODIG-2013-092.pdf

The post Congressionally Requested Action on Released Department of Defense Information to the Media, June 14, 2013 first appeared on The Black Vault.

Each log outlines who the correspondence was with, the date, and topic of the letter.

Declassified Congressional Correspondence Logs

 Congressional Correspondence with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Calendar Year 2013 [6 Pages, 0.6MB]

Background on the CIA

The Central Intelligence Agency was created in 1947 with the signing of the National Security Act by President Harry S. Truman. The act also created a Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) to serve as head of the United States intelligence community; act as the principal adviser to the President for intelligence matters related to the national security; and serve as head of the Central Intelligence Agency. The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 amended the National Security Act to provide for a Director of National Intelligence who would assume some of the roles formerly fulfilled by the DCI, with a separate Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

The Director of the Central Intelligence Agency serves as the head of the Central Intelligence Agency and reports to the Director of National Intelligence. The CIA director’s responsibilities include:

• Collecting intelligence through human sources and by other appropriate means, except that he shall have no police, subpoena, or law enforcement powers or internal security functions;
• Correlating and evaluating intelligence related to the national security and providing appropriate dissemination of such intelligence;
• Providing overall direction for and coordination of the collection of national intelligence outside the United States through human sources by elements of the Intelligence Community authorized to undertake such collection and, in coordination with other departments, agencies, or elements of the United States Government which are authorized to undertake such collection, ensuring that the most effective use is made of resources and that appropriate account is taken of the risks to the United States and those involved in such collection; and
• Performing such other functions and duties related to intelligence affecting the national security as the President or the Director of National Intelligence may direct.

The function of the Central Intelligence Agency is to assist the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency in carrying out the responsibilities outlined above.

To accomplish its mission, the CIA engages in research, development, and deployment of high-leverage technology for intelligence purposes. As a separate agency, CIA serves as an independent source of analysis on topics of concern and also works closely with the other organizations in the Intelligence Community to ensure that the intelligence consumer—whether Washington policymaker or battlefield commander—receives the best intelligence possible.

As changing global realities have reordered the national security agenda, CIA has met these challenges by:

• Creating special, multidisciplinary centers to address such high-priority issues such as nonproliferation, counterterrorism, counterintelligence, international organized crime and narcotics trafficking, environment, and arms control intelligence.
• Forging stronger partnerships between the several intelligence collection disciplines and all-source analysis.
• Taking an active part in Intelligence Community analytical efforts and producing all-source analysis on the full range of topics that affect national security.
• Contributing to the effectiveness of the overall Intelligence Community by managing services of common concern in imagery analysis and open-source collection and participating in partnerships with other intelligence agencies in the areas of research and development and technical collection.

By emphasizing adaptability in its approach to intelligence collection, the CIA can tailor its support to key intelligence consumers and help them meet their needs as they face the issues of the post-Cold War World.

The post Congressional Correspondence with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) first appeared on The Black Vault.

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a law that gives you the right to access information from the federal government. It is often described as the law that keeps citizens in the know about their government. Federal agencies are required to disclose any information requested under the FOIA unless it falls under one of nine exemptions which protect interests such as personal privacy, national security, and law enforcement. 

The FOIA also requires agencies to proactively post online certain categories of information, including frequently requested records. As Congress, the President, and the Supreme Court have all recognized, the FOIA is a vital part of our democracy.

President Obama and Attorney General Holder have directed agencies to apply a presumption of openness in responding to FOIA requests. Attorney General Holder emphasized that the President has called on agencies to work in a spirit of cooperation with FOIA requesters. The Office of Information Policy at the Department of Justice oversees agency compliance with these directives and encourages all agencies to fully comply with both the letter and the spirit of the FOIA.

Although it works, the system is not working to the full potential and intent of the law. So on June 2, 2015, a hearing was held by some of the nation’s top experts (non-government) on the act.

HEARING PURPOSE:

• To examine the use of FOIA requests as a tool for government transparency and explore barriers to accessing public documents from the user’s perspective.
• The Committee will hear from witnesses that use FOIA in news reporting, academic research, and to conduct government oversight.

HEARING BACKGROUND:

• Enacted in 1966, FOIA is a transparency tool for individuals to ensure government accountability. Under FOIA, requesters may ask federal agencies for information about any matter.
• An agency has 20 business days to respond to a request (and an additional ten days for unusual circumstances) and must release non-exempt records to the requester.
• In Fiscal Year 2014, the federal government received 714,231 FOIA requests.
• The backlog of FOIA cases that had not been processed within the statutory time limit increased by 67 percent to a total of 159,741 backlogged cases.

Part 1:

Part 2:

The post Ensuring Transparency through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Congressional Hearings – 06/02/2015 first appeared on The Black Vault.

From 2007-2010, Pelosi served as Speaker of the House, having been elected as the first woman in American history to serve as Speaker. She first made history in November 2002 when House Democrats elected her the first woman to lead a major political party. Pelosi served as Democratic Leader from 2003 to 2007 and previously served as House Democratic Whip in 2002.

The following documents have been released on her correspondence with various agencies.

Speakers’ requests for travel on military aircraft, 2004-2008 [163 Pages, 30.4 MB]

Speaker Pelosi’s requests for own military air travel, 2009-2010 [26 Pages, 20.6 MB]

Speaker’s waiver requests for dependent’s travel on military aircraft, 2007-2009 [22 Pages, 7.5 MB]

Speaker Nancy Pelosi and e-mails on travel on military aircraft, July 2008-December 2008, File #1 [45 Pages, 18 MB]

Speaker Nancy Pelosi and e-mails on travel on military aircraft, July 2008-December 2008, File #2 [39 Pages, 16 MB]

DoD Notifications to Speaker Pelosi or Members of Congress of FOIA Requests 2009-2010 [258 Pages, 60.1 MB]

The post House Speaker Nancy Pelosi first appeared on The Black Vault.