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57
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/Dave Fravor.md
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@ -7,9 +7,32 @@ alias:
- Dave Fravor
- David Fravor
- Commander David Fravor
summary: "Commander Dave Fravor is a retired U.S."
- Commander Dave Fravor
summary: "Retired Navy commander and commanding officer of Strike Fighter Squadron 41 who led the November 14, 2004 Nimitz Tic Tac intercept and testified to a House Oversight subcommittee on July 26, 2023."
relations:
- type: director_of
with: "[[Strike Fighter Squadron 41]]"
role: "commanding officer, Black Aces, assigned to Carrier Air Wing 11 aboard USS Nimitz in 2004; his own testimony"
start: 2004
fn: 3
- type: member_of
with: "[[USS Nimitz]]"
role: "Carrier Air Wing 11 squadron commander, strike group workup off Southern California, November 2004"
start: 2004-11-14
fn: 3
- type: employed_by
with: "[[United States Navy]]"
role: "enlisted Marine, Naval Academy graduate, flew 18 years, retired commander; his testimony"
fn: 2
- type: member_of
with: "[[Americans for Safe Aerospace]]"
role: "listed as advisor on the organization's website, October 3, 2026"
start: 2026-10-03
fn: 6
updated: 2026-10-03
created: 2026-10-03
---
Commander [[Dave Fravor]] is a retired U.S. Navy pilot who is best known as the lead eyewitness in the 2004 [[Tic Tac]] involving the [[USS Nimitz]] Carrier Strike Group. His credible testimony and detailed account of the encounter have been instrumental in bringing the issue of [[Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena]] (UAP) to the attention of the public and the U.S. Congress.[^1]
Commander [[Dave Fravor]] is a retired [[U.S. Navy]] pilot who is best known as the lead eyewitness in the 2004 [[Tic Tac]] involving the [[USS Nimitz]] Carrier Strike Group. His account of the encounter has been part of the public discussion of [[Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena]] (UAP) in Congress.[^1]
### Naval Career
@ -17,15 +40,41 @@ A graduate of the prestigious Top Gun naval flight school, Commander Fravor was
### The Tic Tac Encounter
On November 14, 2004, while on a routine training mission off the coast of San Diego, Commander Fravor and his WSO, Commander Jim Slaight, were diverted to investigate a series of anomalous radar contacts that had been tracked by the [[USS Princeton]]. Fravor, along with a second F/A-18 piloted by Lieutenant Commander [[Alex Dietrich]], witnessed a white, oblong craft, later nicknamed the "Tic Tac," maneuvering erratically over a disturbance in the ocean.[^1]
On November 14, 2004, while on a routine training mission off the coast of [[San Diego]], Commander Fravor and his WSO, Commander Jim Slaight, were diverted to investigate a series of anomalous radar contacts that had been tracked by the [[USS Princeton]]. Fravor, along with a second F/A-18 piloted by Lieutenant Commander [[Alex Dietrich]], witnessed a white, oblong craft, later nicknamed the "Tic Tac," maneuvering erratically over a disturbance in the ocean.[^1]
Fravor descended to engage the object, which responded by mirroring his movements before accelerating at a speed he described as "like nothing I've ever seen." The object vanished in an instant, only to reappear on radar sixty miles away at the squadron's pre-arranged rendezvous point. Fravor's detailed and unwavering account of the incident, corroborated by the other pilots and the radar data, provided a solid foundation for the subsequent investigation by the [[Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program]] (AATIP).[^1]
### Service record and the 2004 report, in his own words
At the July 26, 2023 hearing of the Subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs of the [[House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform]], Fravor described his background to Representative [[Nick Langworthy]]: "I was an enlisted [[United States Marine Corps|Marine]], [[United States Naval Academy|Naval Academy]] graduate, [[United States Navy|Navy]], flew for 18 years. Got a Master's from [[University of Houston]] and I have worked in the private sector for the last ... 17 years. I do a lot of defense work."[^2] In his written statement he said that in 2004 "I was a commanding officer of [[Strike Fighter Squadron 41]], the world-famous Black Aces," tasked to [[Carrier Air Wing 11|Carrier Airwing 11]] aboard [[USS Nimitz]], and that the planned two-versus-two training with the cruiser [[USS Princeton]] as control "was going to be suspended and we are going to proceed with real-world tasking."[^3]
He testified that the controller said the objects "had been observed for over 2 weeks coming down from over 80,000 feet, rapidly descending to 20,000 feet, hanging out for hours and then going straight back up"; that all four aircrew saw "whitewater" and "a white Tic Tac object with a longitudinal axis pointing north south"; that the object "suddenly shifted its longitudinal axis, aligned it with my aircraft, and began to climb"; and that after it accelerated away the controller reported it "at your CAP point roughly 60 miles away in less than a minute."[^3] Of the video he said his own crew "got the video that you see, that 90-second video," and "What you do not see is the radar tape that was never released, and we do not know where it is at, of the act of jamming that the object put on an APG-73 radar."[^3]
On reporting after the event, he told Chairman [[Glenn Grothman]]: "None. We had a standard debrief where the backseaters went down to our carrier intel center ... No one else talked to us and I was in the top 20 in the battle group. No one came. That captain was aware. The admiral was aware. Nothing was done."[^3] His statement: "the incident was never investigated. None of my crew were ever questioned. The tapes were never taken ... It was not until 2009, until [[Jay Stratton]] had contacted me to investigate."[^3] He said [[Alex Dietrich]], "the other pilot," later contacted him; that he then spoke with [[Luis Elizondo]]; and that "a few weeks after that" Elizondo "had left the [[Pentagon]] in protest and joined forces with [[Tom DeLonge]], [[Christopher Mellon|Chris Mellon]], [[Steve Justice]] and others to form [[To The Stars Academy of Arts & Science|To the Stars Academy]]."[^3] He credited [[Leslie Kean]], [[Ralph Blumenthal]] and [[Helene Cooper]] with the 2017 [[The New York Times|New York Times]] articles.[^3]
### Answers on the object and on the water
Asked by Representative [[Tim Burchett]] about the whitewater, Fravor said: "We did not see an object. There was something there to cause the whitewater and when we turned around it was gone," and "We actually joked that the Tic Tac was communicating with something when we came back."[^3] To Representative Langworthy he agreed that he had described "a 40-foot flying Tic Tac shaped object" ("That is correct ... it is a giant flying propane tank"), said "The Princeton tracked it. The Nimitz tracked it. The E2 tracked it. We never saw it on our radars," that the other aircraft's radar was jammed "as soon as it tried to lock it," that there was "no IR plume," and that he knew of no adversary with the capability.[^3] He said "the Tic Tac object we engaged in 2004 was far superior to anything that we had on time, have today, or looking to develop in the next 10 years," and called for oversight "from those people that the citizens of this great country elected."[^3]
### Navy statement and the three videos
In September 2019 Navy spokesman [[Joseph Gradisher]] told [[The Black Vault]] that "The Navy considers the phenomena contained/depicted in those three videos as unidentified" and that the term "Unidentified Aerial Phenomena" was used because it "provides the basic descriptor for the sightings/observations of unauthorized/unidentified aircraft/objects that have been observed entering/operating in the airspace of various military-controlled training ranges." [[Fox News]] reported that the first video was taken on November 14, 2004, "shot by the F-18's gun camera," and that the three videos ("FLIR1," "Gimbal" and "GoFast") were "originally released to the [[New York Times]] and to The Stars Academy of Arts & Science (TTSA)."[^4] The Black Vault's compiled case file on the incident states that a second sortie carried the targeting pod, that the pod video runs about one minute sixteen seconds, and that it was recorded by Lt. Cmdr. [[Chad Underwood]]; and it describes the object as about 40 to 46 feet in length, with footnoted sources of its own.[^5]
### Role in Disclosure
In the years following the incident, Commander Fravor was hesitant to speak publicly about his experience due to the stigma surrounding the UAP topic. However, he was eventually debriefed by [[Luis Elizondo]] and [[Christopher Mellon]] and agreed to share his story. His testimony was featured in the groundbreaking 2017 New York Times article that revealed the existence of AATIP, and he has since become a key figure in the UAP disclosure movement.[^1]
He has provided briefings to members of Congress and their staff, and he testified under oath at a historic public hearing on UAP in July 2023. His credibility as a highly trained and respected naval aviator has been a crucial factor in legitimizing the UAP issue as a serious national security concern.[^1]
He has provided briefings to members of Congress and their staff, and he testified under oath at a historic public hearing on UAP in July 2023.
### Advisory role
The website of [[Americans for Safe Aerospace]] lists "David Fravor (retired Navy commander)" among its advisors; [[Ryan Graves]], its founder, testified at the same hearing.[^6]
### Footnotes
[^1]: Elizondo, Luis. *Imminent*. William Morrow, 2024.
[^2]: Same, questioning by Representative Langworthy.
[^3]: House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, Subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs, "Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena: Implications on National Security, Public Safety, and Government Transparency," July 26, 2023, Serial No. 118-53, statement of Commander David Fravor and questioning. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CHRG-118hhrg53022/html/CHRG-118hhrg53022.htm
[^4]: "UFO videos are footage of real 'unidentified' objects, US Navy acknowledges," Fox News, September 2019, quoting Joseph Gradisher to The Black Vault. https://www.foxnews.com/tech/ufo-videos-real-navy-acknowledges.print
[^5]: The Black Vault, "The Vault Files: The Tic Tac Incident, November 14, 2004." https://www.theblackvault.com/casefiles/the-vault-files-the-tic-tac-incident-november-14-2004/ . The case-file prose is the compiler's; the FOIA documents it reproduces were not individually opened.
[^6]: Americans for Safe Aerospace, website advisor list. https://www.safeaerospace.org

81
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/David Grusch.md
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@ -3,21 +3,96 @@ category: "UFO & Anomalous Phenomena"
tags:
- Person
- UFO
alias:
- David Grusch
- David C. Grusch
- David Charles Grusch
- Dave Grusch
summary: "In 2023, Grusch went public with his allegations, testifying under oath before the House Oversight Committee's National Security Subcommittee."
born: 1987
location: "Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania"
relations:
- type: employed_by
with: "[[National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency]]"
role: "GS-15 civilian, co-lead for UAP and trans-medium object analysis, 2021 to 2023; his sworn statement"
start: 2021
end: 2023
fn: 2
- type: member_of
with: "[[UAP Task Force]]"
role: "National Reconnaissance Office reservist representative, 2019 to 2021; his sworn statement"
start: 2019
end: 2021
fn: 2
- type: employed_by
with: "[[United States Air Force]]"
role: "intelligence officer, 14 years, rank of Major, active duty, Air National Guard and Reserve; his sworn statement"
fn: 2
- type: employed_by
with: "[[Eric Burlison]]"
role: "special advisor on the Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets, announced March 27, 2025"
start: 2025-03-27
fn: 9
- type: employed_by
with: "[[Sol Foundation]]"
start: 2023-05
role: "chief operating officer, per his own résumé submitted to the House Committee on Oversight; described by Garry Nolan in September 2023 as senior founding advisor and 'a founder'"
fn: 3
- type: represented
with: "[[I. Charles McCullough III]]"
reverse: true
start: 2022-05
role: "McCullough, of the Compass Rose Legal Group, filed a disclosure of urgent concern and complaint of reprisal with the Intelligence Community Inspector General on Grusch's behalf in May 2022"
fn: 8
updated: 2026-10-03
created: 2026-10-03
---
[[David Grusch]] is a former intelligence officer from the [[National Reconnaissance Office]] (NRO) and the [[National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency]] (NGA) who served as the NRO's representative on the [[UAP Task Force]]. He is a key whistleblower who has provided Congress and the Intelligence Community Inspector General with extensive classified information about deeply covert programs that he says have retrieved intact and partially intact craft of non-human origin.[^1]
### Whistleblower Testimony
In 2023, Grusch went public with his allegations, testifying under oath before the [[House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform|House Oversight Committee]]'s National Security Subcommittee. He stated that he was informed of a multi-decade UAP crash retrieval and reverse-engineering program during the course of his official duties. He claimed that the U.S. government is in possession of non-human technology and "biologics" from the occupants of these craft.[^1]
In 2023, Grusch went public with his allegations, testifying under oath before the [[House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform|House Oversight Committee]]'s National Security Subcommittee. He stated that he was informed of a multi-decade UAP crash retrieval and reverse-engineering program during the course of his official duties. He claimed that the [[U.S. government]] is in possession of non-human technology and "biologics" from the occupants of these craft.[^1]
Grusch's testimony was a watershed moment in the UAP disclosure movement. As a high-ranking intelligence officer with an impeccable record, his claims have been taken very seriously by Congress and have led to a new level of scrutiny on the so-called "Legacy Program." He has provided hours of classified testimony to congressional committees and the Inspector General, and his allegations have been a major driver of the recent UAP disclosure legislation.[^1]
Elizondo wrote that Grusch has provided hours of classified testimony to congressional committees and the Inspector General about the so-called "[[Legacy Program]]."[^1]
### Sworn statement of July 26, 2023
At the hearing of the Subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs of the [[House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform]], Grusch said: "I was an intelligence officer for 14 years both in the [[United States Air Force|U.S. Air Force]], both active-duty Air National Guard and Reserve at the rank of Major and most recently from 2021 to 2025, excuse me, 2023, at the [[National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency|National Geospatial Intelligence Agency]], NGA, at the GS-15 civilian level, which is the military equivalent of a full bird colonel." He described himself as "my agency's co-lead in unidentified anomalous phenomena and trans medium object analysis" reporting to the [[UAP Task Force]] and then to the [[All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office]]; said he "became a whistleblower through a PPD-19 urgent concern filing in May 2022 with the intelligence community inspector general"; and said that, in his [[National Reconnaissance Office]] reservist capacity, "I was a member of the UAP Task Force from 2019 to 2021," and that "in 2019, the UAP Task Force Director asked me to identify all special access programs and controlled access programs."[^2] He said: "I was informed in the course of my official duties of a multi-decade UAP crash retrieval and reverse engineering program to which I was denied access to those additional read-ons when I requested it," and "my testimony is based on information I have been given by individuals with a long-standing track record of legitimacy and service to this country."[^2] He also said "I have suffered retaliation for my decision."[^2]
The record of the same hearing includes, as a document submitted by Representative [[Anna Paulina Luna]], the [[NewsNation]] article "We are not alone: The UFO whistleblower speaks," and, submitted by Representative [[Tim Burchett]], a statement for the record by [[George Knapp]] and a Defense Intelligence Reference Document titled "Advanced Space Propulsion Based on Vacuum (Spacetime Metric) Engineering."[^2]
### Sol Foundation
The résumé that David Grusch filed with the [[House Committee on Oversight and Accountability]] for its July 26, 2023 hearing lists, as its first entry under experience, "May 2023-Present, Chief Operating Officer (COO), The Sol Foundation," with the description "Managing day-to-day operations for a 501c3 federally recognized non-profit. The premier center for research in the natural and social sciences, engineering, and the humanities, but also extends activities to advisory and policy work for the U.S. government/public outreach," and lists "Non-Profit Leadership" among his key competencies. The same document lists "November 2021-April 2023, Senior GEOINT Capabilities Requirements Officer, [[National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency]] (NGA), [[Colorado Springs]], CO (GS-15, Colonel Equiv.)," and describes him as the NGA lead for unidentified anomalous phenomena and trans-medium anomaly issues who "executed new program of record responsive to direct tasking by the Congressional Intelligence Committees."[^3]
[[The Debrief]] reported that the existence of the [[Sol Foundation]] first became apparent through that résumé and related documents in early August 2023, and that the foundation was then described as "pending recognition as a 501c3 federal non-profit." [[Garry Nolan]] said in September 2023 that Grusch's title had since become "Senior Founding Advisor," that the earlier title "seemed the right thing at the time," and that Grusch "is a founder of the Sol Foundation."[^4] The foundation's [[Internal Revenue Service|IRS]] ruling date as a 501(c)(3) is June 2024, and its 2024 Form 990 does not list Grusch among its officers or directors; the foundation's website, read October 3, 2026, does not list him among its executive leadership or advisory board either.[^5][^6] On November 18, 2023 Grusch joined the foundation's first symposium in [[Palo Alto, California]] by video from Washington and said, "This is why we have the Sol Foundation. We need to basically create a parallel track of research and independent discovery that aren't necessarily dependent on the U.S. government to provide us all the answers."[^7]
His attorney, [[I. Charles McCullough III]], senior partner of the [[Compass Rose Legal Group]] and the first Inspector General of the Intelligence Community, was named as the Sol Foundation's legal counsel in 2023.[^8][^4]
### Congressional adviser, 2025
A March 27, 2025 press release from the office of Representative [[Eric Burlison]] announced Grusch as a "Special Advisor" on the Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets. It described his career as 14 years in the Air Force, reaching the rank of Major, with a combat tour in [[Afghanistan]] "supporting counter-illicit finance, drug, and arms-trafficking operations with [[Joint Special Operations Command]] (JSOC) and [[International Security Assistance Force|ISAF]]," later work as a senior intelligence officer at NGA and the NRO, representation of the NRO on the UAP Task Force from 2019 to 2021, and a 2022 complaint to the Intelligence Community Inspector General "found 'credible and urgent' for reporting to the Congressional intelligence committees."[^9] Grusch is quoted: "I will use all my expertise to support Rep. Burlison and help the US Congress restore full oversight while enabling the Legislative Branch's ability to investigate and hold those accountable who have broken the law and lied not only to our Congress, but also to the [[White House|Executive Office of the President]], [[Director of National Intelligence]], and [[Department of Justice]]."[^9]
### NewsNation and Skywatcher
[[Nexstar Media Group]]'s November 14, 2023 announcement of [[Ross Coulthart]] as a NewsNation special correspondent stated that he "will continue to provide reporting on UFO whistleblower David Grusch."[^10] NewsNation wrote in January 2025 that "In June 2023, NewsNation was the first television network to present an interview with Grusch."[^11] Grusch is listed among those interviewed or referenced in the Part I video of [[Sky Watcher]], alongside [[Alex Klokus]], [[Jake Barber]], [[Garry Nolan]], Col. [[Karl Nell]] and [[Fred Baker]].[^12] NewsNation's full special on Barber stated that Grusch and [[Luis Elizondo]] "say they've been told about it, they believe it exists, but they weren't a part of it themselves," and that Barber, "however, is different. He says he was part of that covert program."[^13]
### Retaliation and Impact
Since coming forward, Grusch has faced a campaign of retaliation and character assassination, which he has reported to the Inspector General. Despite this, his testimony has had a profound impact on the UAP conversation, emboldening other whistleblowers to come forward and forcing the U.S. government to confront the issue of UAP secrecy in a way that it never has before.[^1]
Since coming forward, Grusch has faced a campaign of retaliation and character assassination, which he has reported to the Inspector General.[^1]
### Footnotes
[^1]: Elizondo, Luis. *Imminent*. William Morrow, 2024.
[^2]: House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, Subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs, hearing of July 26, 2023, Serial No. 118-53, statement of David Grusch and list of submitted documents. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CHRG-118hhrg53022/html/CHRG-118hhrg53022.htm
[^3]: "David C. Grusch" résumé, House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, hearing of July 26, 2023. https://docs.house.gov/meetings/GO/GO06/20230726/116282/HHRG-118-GO06-Bio-GruschD-20230726.pdf
[^4]: Micah Hanks, "The Sol Foundation: How a New Think Tank of Academics is Applying 'Cutting-Edge Research' to the UAP Mystery," *The Debrief*, September 12, 2023. https://thedebrief.org/the-sol-foundation-how-a-new-think-tank-of-academics-is-applying-cutting-edge-research-the-uap-mystery/
[^5]: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, EIN 93-3649160, and IRS Form 990 for 2024, Part VII. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/933649160/202543269349300004/full
[^6]: The Sol Foundation, home page, "People" section, https://thesolfoundation.org/ , read October 3, 2026.
[^7]: Micah Hanks, *The Debrief*, February 12, 2024. https://thedebrief.org/the-sol-foundation-academias-new-uap-think-tank-releases-videos-of-lectures-from-its-inaugural-symposium/
[^8]: Leslie Kean and Ralph Blumenthal, "Intelligence Officials Say U.S. Has Retrieved Non-Human Craft," *The Debrief*, June 5, 2023. https://thedebrief.org/intelligence-officials-say-u-s-has-retrieved-non-human-craft/
[^9]: Office of Representative Eric Burlison, "Rep. Burlison Welcomes Former U.S. Air Force Officer David Grusch as Special Advisor," March 27, 2025. https://burlison.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-burlison-welcomes-former-us-air-force-officer-david-grusch-special-advisor
[^10]: Nexstar Media Group, "NewsNation Signs Award-Winning Journalist Ross Coulthart as a Special Correspondent for the Network," November 14, 2023. https://www.nexstar.tv/newsnation-signs-ross-coulthart-as-special-correspondent/
[^11]: NewsNation, "UAP whistleblower says UFO retrieval program exists: NewsNation exclusive," January 16, 2025. https://www.newsnationnow.com/space/ufo/uap-whistleblower-ufo-retrieval-program/
[^12]: Skywatcher, "Media," retrieved October 3, 2026. https://skywatcher.ai/media
[^13]: Ross Coulthart, "Whistleblower reveals UAP retrieval program; object caught on video," NewsNation, updated January 27, 2025. https://www.newsnationnow.com/space/ufo/hfr-uap-recovery-video-egg-shaped-object-exclusive/

38
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/Helene Cooper.md Normal file
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@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
---
category: "Journalists"
tags:
- Person
- Journalist
- UFO
- NewYorkTimes
alias:
- Helene Cooper
- Cooper, Helene
summary: "Helene Cooper, a New York Times Pentagon correspondent and co-author of the paper's December 16, 2017 report on the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program, was assigned to work with Leslie Kean and Ralph Blumenthal."
location: "Washington, D.C."
relations:
- type: employed_by
with: "[[New York Times]]"
role: "assistant editorial page editor (2004), diplomatic correspondent (2006), White House correspondent (2009), Pentagon correspondent"
start: 2004
fn: 1
- type: participant_in
with: "[[December 2017 New York Times AATIP Report]]"
role: "co-author; the Times's Pentagon correspondent assigned to Kean and Blumenthal"
start: 2017-12-16
fn: 2
created: 2026-10-03
updated: 2026-10-03
---
[[Helene Cooper]] was born in [[Monrovia]], [[Liberia]], on April 22, 1966. She joined the *[[New York Times]]* in 2004 as assistant editorial page editor, became diplomatic correspondent in 2006 and [[White House]] correspondent in 2009, and later became a [[Pentagon]] correspondent. In 2015 she was part of the Times team that won the [[Pulitzer Prize]] for international reporting for coverage of the Ebola epidemic in Liberia, and she won the [[George Polk Award]] for health reporting and the [[Overseas Press Club]] Award that year. She wrote the memoir *[[The House at Sugar Beach]]* ([[Simon & Schuster|Simon and Schuster]], 2008) and *[[Madame President]]: The Extraordinary Story of [[Ellen Johnson Sirleaf]]* (2017).[^1]
### The December 2017 report
[[Gideon Lewis-Kraus]] wrote in *[[The New Yorker]]* that after a meeting with representatives of the Times's Washington bureau the paper agreed to the story brought by [[Leslie Kean]] and [[Ralph Blumenthal]] and "assigned a veteran Pentagon correspondent, Helene Cooper, to work with Kean and Blumenthal."[^2] Her name appears first in the byline of "Glowing Auras and 'Black Money': The Pentagon's Mysterious U.F.O. Program," published December 16, 2017; the article reported that the [[Department of Defense]] "has never before acknowledged the existence of the program, which it says it shut down in 2012."[^3] The Pentagon officials quoted in the article included spokesman [[Thomas Crosson]], who said the program ended because other priorities "merited funding."[^3] [[Keith Kloor]] of *[[The Intercept]]* wrote in 2019 that Cooper had described [[Luis Elizondo]] on the Times podcast *[[The Daily]]* as a "spooky, secretive guy."[^4] The sequence of who met whom before the Times assigned her is set out in [[December 2017 New York Times AATIP Report]].
### Footnotes
[^1]: "Helene Cooper." Simon & Schuster author page. https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Helene-Cooper/18871279
[^2]: Lewis-Kraus, Gideon. "How the Pentagon Started Taking U.F.O.s Seriously." *The New Yorker,* May 10, 2021. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/05/10/how-the-pentagon-started-taking-ufos-seriously
[^3]: Cooper, Helene, Ralph Blumenthal and Leslie Kean. "Glowing Auras and 'Black Money': The Pentagon's Mysterious U.F.O. Program." *The New York Times,* December 16, 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/16/us/politics/pentagon-program-ufo-harry-reid.html (full text read through the Internet Archive capture, https://web.archive.org/web/2023id_/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/16/us/politics/pentagon-program-ufo-harry-reid.html).
[^4]: Kloor, Keith. "The Media Loves This UFO Expert Who Says He Worked for an Obscure Pentagon Program. Did He?" *The Intercept,* June 1, 2019. https://theintercept.com/2019/06/01/ufo-unidentified-history-channel-luis-elizondo-pentagon/

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10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/Jake Barber.md Normal file
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@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
---
category: "UFO & Anomalous Phenomena"
tags:
- Person
- UAP
- Whistleblower
- AirForce
- Contractor
- Psionics
alias:
- Jake Barber
- Jacob Barber
- Jacob "Jake" Barber
- Jake Barber (whistleblower)
summary: "Former Air Force airman and self-described contractor helicopter pilot who told NewsNation in January 2025 that he recovered non-human craft for a covert program, and who founded the Skywatcher group."
relations:
- type: employed_by
with: "[[United States Air Force]]"
role: "airman and aerospace mechanic in the late 1990s, per NewsNation's review of his records"
start: 1990s
fn: 1
- type: founded
with: "[[Sky Watcher]]"
role: "founder, per NewsNation"
start: 2024-11
fn: 2
- type: subject_of
with: "[[Department of Defense]]"
role: "NewsNation reported on February 24, 2025 that the department confirmed it was investigating his claims"
start: 2025-02-24
fn: 3
- type: briefed
with: "[[Marco Rubio]]"
role: "NewsNation reported it confirmed that Barber met staffers for Senator Rubio in fall 2024"
start: 2024-09
fn: 1
created: 2026-10-03
updated: 2026-10-03
---
Jacob "Jake" Barber is a former [[United States Air Force]] airman who told [[NewsNation]] in January 2025 that he had spent about 30 years working "in both an official and unofficial capacity for the [[United States]] government and its partners in the intelligence community," that he had been contracted as a helicopter pilot on a team that retrieved crashed aircraft at "an undisclosed testing facility in the desert," and that some of what the team recovered was of non-human origin.[^1] He is the founder of [[Sky Watcher]].[^2]
### Service record as reported
NewsNation reporter [[Ross Coulthart]] stated that the network "checked Barber's records and confirmed that he was an airman in the [[U.S. Air Force]] who worked as an aerospace mechanic in the late 1990s," and wrote that he "was also recruited into [[Air Force Special Operations Command|Air Force Special Operations]], known as 'combat control.'"[^1] The report credits him with a [[North Atlantic Treaty Organization|NATO]] top-secret clearance from service in [[Bosnia and Herzegovina|Bosnia]] and an award for heroism, and says NewsNation "spoke with three former special operations soldiers who corroborated Barber's credentials," one of whom, Col. [[John Blitch]], NewsNation wrote, "believes Barber's claim wholeheartedly."[^1] [[Don Paul Bales]], described as a Special Forces veteran who worked on Barber's team, was also quoted.[^1] In the broadcast Barber said that after [[September 11 attacks|September 11, 2001]] "I left the Air Force and was sent out to [[California]] at that time to begin establishing my cover basis as an independent contractor."[^1] NewsNation reported on February 24, 2025 that Barber "went on to work in a nonofficial capacity for the [[Department of Defense|Defense Department]] and the intelligence community."[^4] Barber has not named the contracting company; he said that he reached its head of security in spring 2024 and was "basically told to 'forget it,'" in NewsNation's wording.[^1]
### Claims made to NewsNation, January 2025
Barber told Coulthart that on one night operation, flying under night vision goggles with a 150 to 200 foot line, he saw "a white egg" of "metallic, pearly white" surface "about the size of an SUV," with "no engine" and "no thermal signature," and that "ranking members of the [[UAP Task Force]]" had confirmed to him "over the last couple of years" that "what we were working with that night was, in fact, NHI (nonhuman intelligence)."[^1] He also said he "was never told the craft wasn't human," in NewsNation's paraphrase, and was certain on the basis of "the reaction of my leadership structure."[^1] He described a second object type, "a flying disc with what looked like eight delineated sections," which he called an "eightgon."[^1] He said that as he approached one site he felt "an intense hybrid of sadness and happiness and beauty and song," "a very feminine energy," and "a frequency that I was connected with."[^1]
He said the operation had been requested by a unit he called "the Psionics," people with a "predisposition for extratemporal abilities and sensitivities," and that "in the program, there was certainly a desire to explore the idea that perhaps UAP could be summoned, could be communicated with, could be controlled and could be persuaded to land."[^1] Bales told NewsNation "I've had the pleasure of meeting multiple psionic assets."[^1] Barber said his team "transported what we called 'mystery boxes' all the time," was authorized to use "lethal force" to protect shipments, and became ill after one mission: "I lost every hair on my body," "I also lost the skin on my arms," and "I ended up developing a severe heart murmur."[^1] [[Garry Nolan]] of [[Stanford University]], whom Coulthart had introduced to Barber in 2024, reviewed "decades of Barber's medical records" and said "the acute injuries were obviously severe" and that "the first thing that came to mind was (Barber) was exposed to some kind of radiation."[^1]
Barber also described a later assignment to recover "high-value targets" that were [[Panasonic]] Toughbooks holding "sensor data, video that was illegally captured," found with the hard drives missing and then located "in a sealed steel container 25 feet underwater," followed by an operation where "it was clear that shots had been fired," after which he believed his former employer, "or someone pretending to be them," intended to kill him.[^1] He said he and his team went to [[Washington, D.C.]] in spring 2024, met the company's director of security, and later met staffers for Senator [[Marco Rubio]] in fall 2024, which NewsNation "confirmed."[^1] Barber said, "I feel I was able to fill in gaps that have been there for a long time that no other whistleblower has been able to do."[^1]
NewsNation separately obtained and aired video it described as showing "a view from the belly of a helicopter retrieving one of those mysterious eggs"; the network wrote that it "was told that the video was sent to the organization responsible for monitoring UAPs."[^5] Defense Department spokesperson [[Sue Gough]] stated that the department "has not discovered any verifiable information to substantiate claims that any programs regarding the possession or reverse-engineering of extraterrestrial materials have existed."[^6] The [[All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office]] (AARO) told NewsNation it was "aware of the claim."[^6] On February 24, 2025 NewsNation reported that the department confirmed it was investigating, and Coulthart said that AARO director [[Jon Kosloski]] "has indicated his office is talking with whistleblowers like Barber" while cautioning he was limited in what he could say.[^4] [[Jason Colavito]] wrote on January 19, 2025 that "many said" the video appeared to show an aerostat or balloon tethered to a helicopter, and that the [[Pentagon]] had told [[Steven Greenstreet]] of the [[New York Post]] that AARO was aware of the video and "did not assess anything non-human about it."[^3] Barber, in Colavito's account, rests his claims on the UAP Task Force that preceded AARO.[^3]
### Later statements
On January 24, 2025 Barber told Coulthart's "[[Reality Check (NewsNation)|Reality Check]]," as quoted by the writer Jimmy of [[UAP Files]], "I believe the US Government, in the next 12 months, will use me and my team as a peaceful non-judgmental path forward to disclosure."[^7] The Skywatcher team's August 2024 operation, as Barber described it to NewsNation, ended with a "psionic" saying "Get me out of here" and the overwatch, [[Fred Baker]], seeing "a classic lenticular-shape disk."[^1] Colavito's blog reported on January 19, 2025 that Greenstreet had reported that Barber "launched his own UFO organization, Skywatcher, in November."[^3] Skywatcher later released two videos and stopped posting in December 2025; Coulthart reported in 2026 that Skywatcher "appears" to have been dissolved and that its experts were working with the Defense Department at [[White Sands Missile Range]], on the basis of unnamed sources.[^8]
### Footnotes
[^1]: Ross Coulthart, "Whistleblower reveals UAP retrieval program; object caught on video" (full special article), NewsNation, updated January 27, 2025. https://www.newsnationnow.com/space/ufo/hfr-uap-recovery-video-egg-shaped-object-exclusive/ . Sole source for the passages so cited, which are Barber's own statements and NewsNation's account of its verification.
[^2]: Michael Ramsey, "Skywatcher video of 'summoned' UFOs coming soon: Ross Coulthart," NewsNation, updated April 7, 2025. https://www.newsnationnow.com/space/ufo/summoned-ufos-video-ross-coulthart/
[^3]: Jason Colavito, "In Brief: NewsNation Offers a New UFO 'Crash Retrieval' Story," January 19, 2025. https://www.jasoncolavito.com/blog/in-brief-newsnation-offers-a-new-ufo-crash-retrieval-story . Colavito reports Greenstreet's New York Post reporting at second hand; the Post article was not located. Sole source for the passages so cited.
[^4]: Michael Ramsey, "UFO whistleblower Jake Barber's claims being investigated by Pentagon," NewsNation, updated February 24, 2025. https://www.newsnationnow.com/space/ufo/pentagon-investigates-ufo-claims/
[^5]: Ross Coulthart, "UAP recovery video shows 'egg-shaped' object: Exclusive," NewsNation, updated January 18, 2025. https://www.newsnationnow.com/space/ufo/uap-recovery-video-shows-egg-shaped-object-exclusive/
[^6]: "UAP whistleblower says UFO retrieval program exists: NewsNation exclusive," NewsNation, January 16, 2025. https://www.newsnationnow.com/space/ufo/uap-whistleblower-ufo-retrieval-program/
[^7]: Jimmy, "Skywatcher: The Disclosure Team That Disappeared - I Tracked Their Helicopter," UAP Files, August 12, 2026. https://uapf.substack.com/p/skywatcher-the-disclosure-team-that . Sole source for the quotation as dated.
[^8]: Ross Coulthart, "Is the Trump administration running a covert UFO program?," NewsNation Reality Check, about August 2026. https://www.newsnationnow.com/podcasts-newsnation/reality-check/trump-administration-covert-ufo-program/amp/

38
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/James Forrestal.md
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@ -49,6 +49,30 @@ relations:
start: 1949-05-22
role: "board of investigation into his death under Rear Admiral M. D. Willcutts; proceedings approved July 13, 1949; digitized by Princeton from the Forrestal Papers (Box 94, Folder 11)"
fn: 2
- type: subject_of
with: "[[Morton D. Willcutts]]"
start: 1949-05-22
end: 1949-07-13
role: "Rear Admiral, Medical Officer in Command, National Naval Medical Center; signed the precept of May 22, 1949 convening the board and approved the proceedings in revision on July 13, 1949"
fn: 2
- type: subject_of
with: "[[A. A. Marsteller]]"
start: 1949-05-23
end: 1949-07-13
role: "Captain Aolpfar A. Marsteller, Medical Corps (retired, on active duty), senior member of the board of investigation"
fn: 2
- type: subject_of
with: "[[George N. Raines]]"
start: 1949-04-02
end: 1949-05-18
role: "Captain, Chief of Neuropsychiatry, Bethesda; Forrestal's attending psychiatrist from admission at about 1700 on April 2 until he left Washington on May 18; testified to the board on May 24 and again at pp. 56 to 60 of the record"
fn: 2
- type: subject_of
with: "[[John Nardini]]"
start: 1949-05-18
end: 1949-05-22
role: "Commander, Medical Corps; took over the case from Raines on May 18 and testified at pp. 14 to 18"
fn: 2
created: 2026-10-02
updated: 2026-10-03
---
@ -67,7 +91,7 @@ Forrestal resigned on March 28, 1949 and was succeeded by [[Louis Johnson]].[^1]
The two dates of death sit side by side in the sources. The Navy's board of investigation, convened by precept dated May 22, 1949, found that the body was found on a ledge outside room 384 of Building One of the National Naval Medical Center at 1:50 a.m. and pronounced dead at 1:55 a.m., "Sunday, May 22, 1949."[^2] The Mudd finding aid's biographical note states that Forrestal "committed suicide on May 23, 1949" at the National Naval Medical Center lists among its sources [[Walter H. Waggoner]]'s [[New York Times]] article of May 23, 1949; the same finding aid reproduces Truman's statement that Forrestal "was as truly a casualty of the war as if he had died on the firing line."[^1] The Eisenhower briefing document in the Majestic-12 file gives May 22, 1949.[^3]
The Associated Press dispatch of May 22, 1949, printed in the [[Kennebec Journal]] of [[Augusta, Maine]] on May 23, reported that Forrestal, 57, "committed suicide today" and was found dead on a third-floor ledge, the roof of the passageway of the third floor, below the sixteenth-floor window at Bethesda. It quoted the official hospital statement that he took his life "at 2 a.m. (1 a.m. est)" by climbing out of the window adjacent to his room, and stated that a nurse on the seventh floor heard the falling body. The board of investigation gives 1:50 a.m. for the finding of the body (see above); the wire gives "2 a.m." in its own words and attributes it to the hospital statement. The same dispatch reported a bathrobe cord knotted tightly about his neck, said that he wore a dressing gown with the sash wrapped around his neck and that his wristwatch was still running, and said the AP could not tell whether he had contemplated attaching the cord to a radiator and leaping or hanging himself. It reported that a book, "An Anthology of World Poetry," lay open on his radiator to the poem "Chorus from Ajax," with the lines "When reason's day sets rayless, joyless, quenched in cold decay, better to die and sleep" (the dispatch's dashes rendered here as commas) Per Rear Admiral [[Leslie Stone]], the hospital commandant, and the official statement, as the AP reported them, Forrestal had declined his usual sedative that evening, left his room by a door onto the corridor, avoiding the second room of the suite where a doctor was on duty, crossed to the diet kitchen and knotted the cord about his throat; the windows of the room had been enclosed with heavy wire screening. The AP reported that he had entered the hospital seven weeks earlier with "nervous exhaustion resulting from overwork," had been described as greatly improved and permitted visitors and free use of the telephone, and had been visited by Truman on May 6 according to the [[White House]]; that Willcutts ordered a Navy board of inquiry; and that the board was to determine "among other things" why Forrestal was left unattended long enough to reach the window.[^5]
[[Associated Press|The Associated Press]] dispatch of May 22, 1949, printed in the [[Kennebec Journal]] of [[Augusta, Maine]] on May 23, reported that Forrestal, 57, "committed suicide today" and was found dead on a third-floor ledge, the roof of the passageway of the third floor, below the sixteenth-floor window at Bethesda. It quoted the official hospital statement that he took his life "at 2 a.m. (1 a.m. est)" by climbing out of the window adjacent to his room, and stated that a nurse on the seventh floor heard the falling body. The board of investigation gives 1:50 a.m. for the finding of the body (see above); the wire gives "2 a.m." in its own words and attributes it to the hospital statement. The same dispatch reported a bathrobe cord knotted tightly about his neck, said that he wore a dressing gown with the sash wrapped around his neck and that his wristwatch was still running, and said the AP could not tell whether he had contemplated attaching the cord to a radiator and leaping or hanging himself. It reported that a book, "An Anthology of World Poetry," lay open on his radiator to the poem "Chorus from Ajax," with the lines "When reason's day sets rayless, joyless, quenched in cold decay, better to die and sleep" (the dispatch's dashes rendered here as commas) Per Rear Admiral [[Leslie Stone]], the hospital commandant, and the official statement, as the AP reported them, Forrestal had declined his usual sedative that evening, left his room by a door onto the corridor, avoiding the second room of the suite where a doctor was on duty, crossed to the diet kitchen and knotted the cord about his throat; the windows of the room had been enclosed with heavy wire screening. The AP reported that he had entered the hospital seven weeks earlier with "nervous exhaustion resulting from overwork," had been described as greatly improved and permitted visitors and free use of the telephone, and had been visited by Truman on May 6 according to the [[White House]]; that Willcutts ordered a Navy board of inquiry; and that the board was to determine "among other things" why Forrestal was left unattended long enough to reach the window.[^5]
The AP dispatch of October 11, 1949, printed in the Cumberland News of [[Cumberland, Maryland]] on October 12 under the headline "Navy Cleared In Forrestal Death," reported that the Navy court of inquiry found the death "was not caused in any manner by the intent, fault, negligence or inefficiency of any person or persons in the naval service or connected therewith." It stated that Forrestal was admitted on April 2 with "operational fatigue" according to Navy doctors, that the findings were released by Navy Secretary [[Francis P. Matthews]] without explanation of a delay of more than four months, and that a five-man board convened on May 23 on Willcutts's orders and concluded its hearings on May 30, after which the report was drawn.[^6] The Mudd Library scan records that the board reconvened and revised its finding on July 13, 1949 (see below); the AP report states that the hearings concluded on May 30 and does not mention the July session.
@ -75,11 +99,15 @@ The AP dispatch of October 11, 1949, printed in the Cumberland News of [[Cumberl
The Mudd Library finding aid for the Rogow Papers on Forrestal states that files on the 1949 board of investigation, "popularly called the 'Willcutts Report,'" are online on the Mudd Library website under the title "Admiral M.D. Willcutts Report on the Death of James V. Forrestal."[^7] The Forrestal Papers finding aid lists a folder, "Willcutts Report on Forrestal's Death" (Box 94, Folder 11), with a digitized scan of 65 images, which includes a [[Judge Advocate General of the Navy|Judge Advocate General's]] cover letter of April 6, 2004 to a [[David Martin (Chantilly)|David Martin]] of [[Chantilly, Virginia]], replying to a [[Freedom of Information Act]] request of March 5, 2004. The letter encloses a copy of the Board of Investigation (309 pages, of which 100 were charged free) and states that exhibit 1 (photographs of the body), exhibit 4 and exhibit 5 (photographs of injuries) were withheld under the privacy exemption of 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(6).[^2]
The precept of May 22, 1949, signed by Rear Admiral M. D. Willcutts, Medical Officer in Command of the National Naval Medical Center, named Captain [[A. A. Marsteller]], Medical Corps (retired, on active duty), as senior member, Captains [[Vincent Hernandez]] and [[Harold J. Cokely]], Commander [[William W. Ayres]] and Lieutenant Commander [[James D. Wharton]] as members and Lieutenant [[Robert F. Hooper]] as recorder. The board met on Monday, May 23 at 11:15 a.m. with closed doors, examined the body at the morgue, viewed rooms 1618 and 1620 (the room and the diet kitchen on the sixteenth floor of the tower) and the roof where the body landed, and took testimony beginning May 24.[^2] A photographer's mate testified to taking ten photographs of the body, and a hospital corpsman chief to eleven photographs of the room and building, among them one of a rug with broken glass about two feet from the end of the bed in room 1618.[^2]
The precept of May 22, 1949, signed by Rear Admiral M. D. Willcutts, Medical Officer in Command of the National Naval Medical Center, named Captain [[A. A. Marsteller]] (typed in the precept as Aolpfar A. Marsteller), Medical Corps (retired, on active duty), as senior member, Captains [[Vincent Hernandez]] and [[Harold J. Cokely]], Commander [[William W. Ayres]] and Lieutenant Commander [[James D. Wharton]] as members and Lieutenant [[Robert F. Hooper]] as recorder. The board met on Monday, May 23 at 11:45 a.m. with closed doors, examined the body at the morgue, viewed rooms 1618 and 1620 (the room and the diet kitchen on the sixteenth floor of the tower) and the roof where the body landed, and took testimony beginning May 24.[^2] Aviation photographer's mate first class Harley F. Cope Jr. of the Naval Medical School testified to taking ten photographs of the body, exhibits 1A through 1J, between three and three-fifteen, of "somebody who had fallen from the sixteenth floor to the outside of the third deck." Hospital corpsman chief John Edward McClain, an instructor in medical photography, testified to eleven photographs of the room, the diet kitchen and the outside of the building, exhibits 2A through 2K. He described the fifth as "a rug with some broken glass on it, taken approximately two feet from the end of the bed" in room 1618, adding that the bed could not be photographed "because the glass wouldn't show"; he said that the window screen opened only to a limited distance, that one picture was taken standing on a chair in the diet kitchen with a man pushing the screen back "for finger prints," and that the body landed on a roof "like in proportion to the second floor" below a ledge of the third floor. The board's record notes that the body landed "on the roof of the second deck, on a level with the third deck, striking first a ledge of the fourth deck."[^2]
Captain Raines testified that Forrestal was admitted at about five in the afternoon on Saturday, April 2, 1949. He described a flight on March 31 with Admiral [[John Gingrich]] to [[Stuart, Florida]], a meeting at Robert Lovett's house with Lovett and [[Artemus Gates]], and the arrival of Eberstadt with [[William C. Menninger]] at Hobe Sound; Raines said that Forrestal had told Menninger he tried to hang himself with a belt, that he and Menninger doubted it, that Forrestal had named sleeping pills and hanging as the two means he would use, and that Forrestal had once sent him a concealed razor blade. Raines said Forrestal's stated means had not included a window, and referred to the bathrobe cord.[^2] The Charlotte News editor's note reproduces parts of the same colloquy.[^4]
The record's index lists the later witnesses, with transcript pages: Captain Raines (pp. 5 to 14 and 56 to 60), Commander John Nardini (14 to 18), Commander David Hightower (18 to 23), Commander Robert Reynolds Deen (23 to 28), Captain Stephen Smith (29 to 33), hospitalman second class William Eliades (34 to 36), Lieutenant (junior grade) Willie Ray Barnett of the Medical Service Corps (36 and 37), hospitalman chief John Lawrence Mego (37 and 38), Rear Admiral Leslie Stone (38 and 39), Captain Bartholomew W. Hogan (39), Lieutenant (junior grade) Francis Whitney Westneat (40 and 41), junior hospital apprentice Robert Wayne Harrison (43 to 46) and hospital apprentice Edward William Price (47 and 48), with further nurse, apprentice and officer witnesses to p. 55. The file read ends at transcript p. 29, the first page of Smith's testimony, so the testimony of the corpsmen at pp. 34 to 48, including Harrison and Price, is not in it; the passage Hugh Turley quoted below could not be checked against the page.[^2]
The board's finding of facts states that Forrestal died "on or about May 22, 1949" of "injuries, multiple, extreme, received incident to a fall from a high point in the tower," that his behavior in the hospital "was indicative of a mental depression," that treatment and precautions accorded with accepted psychiatric practice, and that the death was not caused by "the intent, fault, negligence or inefficiency" of any person in the naval service. The Secretary of the Navy returned the record in an endorsement stating that "on or about" was ambiguous and "ill advised," since it might imply that Forrestal could have fallen before midnight without the staff knowing; the board reconvened on July 13, 1949 and changed the finding to "about 1:50 a.m. on May 22, 1949," and Willcutts approved the proceedings in revision the same day. Letters in the folder from [[Winfred Overholser]], [[John C. Whitehorn]] and [[Edward A. Strecker]] to the Judge Advocate General state their agreement with the findings.[^2]
Commander Hightower, testified (pp. 19 to 21 of the record) that on Friday night, May 20, he checked with the corpsman at about nine o'clock and was told Forrestal was sleeping, that Forrestal slept through that night without medication, and that on Saturday morning he visited with a friend from New York, a "Mister Strieffler," whom Raines had said on Thursday night would visit.[^2]
Captain Raines testified that Forrestal was admitted at about five in the afternoon on Saturday, April 2, 1949. He described a flight on March 31 with Admiral [[John Gingrich]] to [[Stuart, Florida]], a meeting at Robert Lovett's house with Lovett and [[Artemus Gates]], and the arrival of Eberstadt with [[William C. Menninger]] at Hobe Sound; Raines said (pp. 5 to 6) that he took the call from the Surgeon General at about noon on Thursday, March 31, landed at Stuart at about eight in the evening, remained "completely out of the picture" because Forrestal had chosen Menninger as his physician, and accepted him as a patient on April 2; he also said (p. 10) that Forrestal had told Menninger he tried to hang himself with a belt, that he and Menninger doubted it, that Forrestal had named sleeping pills and hanging as the two means he would use, and that Forrestal had once sent him a concealed razor blade. Raines said Forrestal's stated means had not included a window, and referred to the bathrobe cord.[^2] The Charlotte News editor's note reproduces parts of the same colloquy.[^4]
The board's finding of facts (five numbered findings, the first placing the body "on the ledge outside of room three eighty-four of building one" at 1:50 a.m. and pronouncing death at 1:55 a.m., "Sunday, May 22, 1949") states that Forrestal died "on or about May 22, 1949" of "injuries, multiple, extreme, received incident to a fall from a high point in the tower," that his behavior in the hospital "was indicative of a mental depression," that treatment and precautions accorded with accepted psychiatric practice, and that the death was not caused by "the intent, fault, negligence or inefficiency" of any person in the naval service. The Secretary of the Navy returned the record in an endorsement stating that "on or about" was ambiguous and "ill advised," since it might imply that Forrestal could have fallen before midnight without the staff knowing; the board reconvened on July 13, 1949 and changed the finding to "about 1:50 a.m. on May 22, 1949," and Willcutts approved the proceedings in revision the same day. Letters in the folder from [[Winfred Overholser]], [[John C. Whitehorn]] and [[Edward A. Strecker]] to the Judge Advocate General state their agreement with the findings.[^2]
[[Hugh Turley]], writing for the [[Hyattsville Life and Times]], stated in 2009 that the [[History News Network]] announced the report's availability in 2004, and that the report offers "new evidence of a struggle in Forrestal's room" in the form of broken glass found on the bed and photographed on the floor. Turley wrote that the transcribed testimony of a corpsman, asked when he last saw Forrestal, was "one forty-five, sir," that Forrestal "was in his bed sleeping," and that the corpsman was in the room; he wrote that the report says nothing of the book of poetry, that the board "did not comment on why the sash" of Forrestal's dressing gown "was around his neck," and that the report "did not conclude Forrestal committed suicide." Turley's article reports that the historians [[Keith W. Olson]] and [[Martin J. Sherwin]] were invited to comment: Olson said "the need for such a study is obvious," and Sherwin wrote "I have always thought Forrestal committed suicide, but this is not because I investigated the manner of his death." Turley's own inference, in the article, is that the report indicates assassination.[^8]
@ -90,7 +118,7 @@ The Eisenhower briefing document, dated November 18, 1952, lists Secretary James
### Footnotes
[^1]: Princeton University Library, "James V. Forrestal Papers, 1907-1958 (mostly 1940-1949)," MC051, collection creator biography, collection history, immediate source of acquisition and series 1 folder list, https://findingaids.princeton.edu/catalog/MC051.xml (EAD export, opened 2026-10-03).
[^2]: "Willcutts Report on Forrestal's Death," Forrestal Papers, Box 94, Folder 11, Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library, digitized at Princeton Figgy (IIIF manifest https://figgy.princeton.edu/concern/scanned_resources/97bd9b5d-cc16-4f8c-94bf-0763b7228def/manifest), finding aid entry https://findingaids.princeton.edu/catalog/MC051_c04531. Page images (Judge Advocate General letter of April 6, 2004; precept of May 22, 1949; findings; endorsements of June and July 1949; testimony) read directly for the precept and findings pages and by machine OCR for the remainder; names in the testimony transcribed from OCR and not individually verified against the images.
[^2]: "Willcutts Report on Forrestal's Death," Forrestal Papers, Box 94, Folder 11, Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library, digitized at Princeton Figgy (IIIF manifest https://figgy.princeton.edu/concern/scanned_resources/97bd9b5d-cc16-4f8c-94bf-0763b7228def/manifest), finding aid entry https://findingaids.princeton.edu/catalog/MC051_c04531. Page images (Judge Advocate General letter of April 6, 2004; precept of May 22, 1949; findings; endorsements of June and July 1949; testimony) read directly for the precept and findings pages and by machine OCR for the remainder; the precept, first-day record, the first witnesses (Cope, McClain, Raines and Hightower, transcript pp. 2 to 21) and the index were re-read from page images on October 3, 2026 and agree with the text above except that the board met at 11:45 a.m. (an earlier version of this page said 11:15); the PDF supplied by the vault owner has 66 pages and stops at transcript p. 29.
[^3]: FBI, "Majestic 12," file 65-81170, Part 01, pages reproducing the Eisenhower briefing document and the Truman memorandum, https://vault.fbi.gov/Majestic%2012/Majestic%2012%20Part%2001%20%28Final%29/at_download/file (Wayback copy used; page images not machine readable; wording cross-checked against the existing Majestic-12 page).
[^4]: Site editor's note on The Charlotte News, Monday, May 23, 1949, W. J. Cash site, https://www.wjcash.org/WJCash17/Charlotte.News.Articles/5-23-49.htm (a modern summary quoting the board testimony, not the 1949 page).
[^5]: "Forrestal Death Leap / Ex-Defense Sec'y Jumps from 16th Story Hospital Window," Associated Press, Washington, May 22 dateline, Kennebec Journal (Augusta, Maine), May 23, 1949, p. 1, https://www.newspapers.com/image/857767711/

52
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/James Fox (filmmaker).md Normal file
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@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
---
category: "UFO & Anomalous Phenomena"
tags:
- Person
- UAP
- Filmmaker
- Documentary
alias:
- James Fox
- James Fox (filmmaker)
- James Fox (documentary filmmaker)
- James Fox (director)
summary: "Documentary filmmaker who directed UFOs: 50 Years of Denial?, Out of the Blue, I Know What I Saw, The Phenomenon (2020), Moment of Contact (2022) and The Program (2024)."
relations:
- type: director_of
with: "[[The Phenomenon (2020 film)]]"
role: "director and producer; studio listed as CE3 LLC; released October 6, 2020"
start: 2020
fn: 1
- type: director_of
with: "[[The Program (2024 film)]]"
role: "director and producer with Lance Mungia; executive producers Jim Martin and Henry Marx of Lab 9 Films; sales by Verve Ventures"
start: 2024
fn: 2
created: 2026-10-03
updated: 2026-10-03
---
James Fox is an American documentary filmmaker whose features on unidentified flying objects include "Out of the Blue," broadcast on the [[Sci-Fi Channel]], "I Know What I Saw," broadcast on the [[History (TV channel)|History channel]], and "UFOs: 50 Years of Denial?"; an October 19, 2020 item on [[Open Minds]] by [[Alejandro Rojas]] describes him as executive producer and director of those films and calls "[[The Phenomenon]]" his "fourth UFO documentary."[^4] In a 2024 statement he said "I've been making films on the topic of UFOs (now referred to as UAP) since the early 1990s."[^2]
### The Phenomenon, 2020
[[Apple TV]] lists "The Phenomenon" (2020, 1 hour 40 minutes, narrated by [[Peter Coyote]], studio "CE3 LLC") with Fox as director and producer, [[Dan Farah]], [[Marc Barasch]], [[Hanson Tse]] and [[Tony Cataldo]] as producers, and appearances by [[Christopher Mellon]], [[Kim Arnold]] and [[George Knapp]].[^1] The Open Minds item quotes [[Harry Reid]] as saying "The Phenomenon makes the incredible credible."[^4]
### Moment of Contact, 2022
Apple TV lists "Moment of Contact" (2022, 1 hour 47 minutes), on the 1996 events at [[Varginha UFO incident|Varginha]], [[Brazil]], with Fox as director and interviews with [[Stanton Friedman]], [[Brazilian Air Force]] general José Carlos Pereira and the Brazilian researcher [[Ademar José Gevaerd]].[^5] A 2025 follow-up, "Moment of Contact: New Revelations of Alien Encounters," is listed in the same catalog.[^5]
### The Program, 2024
[[The Hollywood Reporter]] reported on September 25, 2024 that Fox directed "The Program," "exploring the unprecedented bipartisan congressional effort to uncover what intelligence agencies really know about UFOs, now referred to as UAP," narrated by Coyote, produced by Fox and [[Lance Mungia]], with [[Jim Martin]] and [[Henry Marx]] of [[Lab 9 Films]] as executive producers, and [[Verve Ventures]] "handling sales," with the film "set to screen for buyers."[^2] Interviewees named in that report were Christopher Mellon (described as the former deputy assistant secretary of defense for intelligence), [[Garry Nolan]] of [[Stanford University]], [[Jason Sands]] ("a master sergeant in the [[U.S. Air Force|United States Air Force]]"), [[Craig Lindsay]], [[Nick Pope]], Representatives [[Andre Carson]] and [[Tim Burchett]], Senator Harry Reid and [[Kirk McConnell]], formerly of the [[Senate Armed Services Committee]].[^2] [[The Oxford Eagle]] reported on December 10, 2024 that "The Program" would be released on December 16, 2024 on Apple TV, [[Amazon Prime Video|Amazon Prime]], [[Hulu]] and [[Vimeo]], with [[Percy Townes]], an [[University of Mississippi|Ole Miss]] alumnus, as associate producer.[^6]
In a December 18, 2024 interview Fox described attending a congressional hearing weeks earlier at which Rear Admiral [[Tim Gallaudet]] testified, said he had been "told" the plan "is to at least disclose the fact that we have definitive proof that we're not alone by 2030," and, in the interviewer's paraphrase, said his research indicated the Department of Energy oversees many unacknowledged special access programs.[^7] He also recounted a conversation with a general who said "we have overwhelming data" of "structured craft of unknown origin."[^7]
### Footnotes
[^1]: Apple TV, "The Phenomenon," credits and studio listing. https://tv.apple.com/gb/movie/the-phenomenon/umc.cmc.e8djkr1rhg7vubj9zgnv7b0a
[^2]: Mia Galuppo, "UFO Doc 'The Program' From James Fox (Exclusive)," The Hollywood Reporter, September 25, 2024. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/ufo-doc-the-program-james-fox-1236011733/
[^4]: Alejandro Rojas, "Rojas Report: Filmmaker James Fox on new documentary The Phenomenon," Open Minds, October 19, 2020. https://openminds.tv/rojas-report-filmmaker-james-fox-on-new-documentary-the-phenomenon/
[^5]: Apple TV, "Moment of Contact." https://tv.apple.com/movie/umc.cmc.eq4hi5uneea0v3a7e1sqrq9f
[^6]: Staff report, "Director James Fox, Ole Miss alumnus Percy Townes to release UFO documentary," The Oxford Eagle, December 10, 2024. https://oxfordeagle.com/?p=162243
[^7]: Higgypop, "Interview: James Fox's New Documentary 'The Program' Explores The 'Unprecedented' Push For Disclosure," December 18, 2024. https://www.higgypop.com/news/james-fox-interview/

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10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/Jeffrey Epstein.md
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@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ relations:
with: "[[Gratitude America]]"
start: 2012
role: "private charity; paid Leon Botstein 37,500 dollars a quarter in 2016"
fn: 69
fn: 70
- type: funded
with: "[[Harvard University]]"
start: 1998
@ -88,27 +88,27 @@ relations:
with: "[[World Transhumanist Association]]"
start: 2010
role: "20,000 dollars"
fn: 59
fn: 60
- type: funded
with: "[[Machine Intelligence Research Institute]]"
start: 2009
role: "50,000 dollars to the Singularity Institute through the C.O.U.Q. Foundation"
fn: 59
fn: 60
- type: appointed
with: "[[Darren Indyke]]"
start: 2019-08-08
role: "co-executor under the will"
fn: 120
fn: 121
- type: appointed
with: "[[Richard Kahn]]"
start: 2019-08-08
role: "co-executor under the will"
fn: 120
fn: 121
- type: appointed
with: "[[Boris Nikolic]]"
start: 2019-08-08
role: "backup executor under the will"
fn: 120
fn: 121
- type: investigated
with: "[[Palm Beach Police Department]]"
reverse: true
@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ relations:
start: 2019
end: 2019
role: "United States v. Epstein, 19 Cr. 490"
fn: 111
fn: 112
- type: represented
with: "[[Jay Lefkowitz]]"
reverse: true
@ -167,25 +167,25 @@ relations:
reverse: true
start: 2011
end: 2019
fn: 85
fn: 86
- type: represented
with: "[[Reid Weingarten]]"
reverse: true
start: 2019
end: 2019
fn: 112
fn: 113
- type: represented
with: "[[Marc Fernich]]"
reverse: true
start: 2019
end: 2019
fn: 112
fn: 113
- type: relative_of
with: "[[Mark Epstein]]"
role: "brother"
fn: 89
fn: 90
created: 2026-06-18
updated: 2026-09-25
updated: 2026-10-03
---
Jeffrey Epstein (January 20, 1953 to August 10, 2019) was an American financier and convicted sex offender who, with his companion [[Ghislaine Maxwell]], ran a sex-trafficking operation that recruited and abused dozens of underage girls across his residences in [[Manhattan]], [[Palm Beach, Florida|Palm Beach]], [[New Mexico]], the [[U.S. Virgin Islands]], and [[Paris]]. He built a social and financial network that encompassed technology billionaires ([[Peter Thiel]], [[Bill Gates]], [[Elon Musk]], [[Reid Hoffman]], [[Mark Zuckerberg]]), heads of state and politicians ([[Bill Clinton]], [[Ehud Barak]], [[Prince Andrew]], [[Donald Trump]]), diplomats and intelligence officials ([[William Burns]], [[Vitaly Churkin]]), financiers and executives ([[Leslie Wexner]], [[Leon Black]], [[Tom Pritzker]], [[Howard Lutnick]]), and prominent scientists ([[Martin Nowak]], [[Marvin Minsky]], [[George Church]], [[Stephen Hawking]]) brokered through the literary agent [[John Brockman]]. The source of his fortune was never satisfactorily explained, his long association with [[Robert Maxwell|Robert Maxwell's]] daughter raised documented intelligence questions, and his death in federal custody in 2019 was ruled a suicide over disputes that have not been resolved.[^1][^2][^3]
@ -290,125 +290,125 @@ From the late 1990s Epstein financed and embedded himself in elite science throu
Epstein cultivated scientists including Marvin Minsky of the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]], the geneticist George Church, the physicist [[Lawrence Krauss]], and the cognitive scientist Steven Pinker. He funded Minsky's April 2002 St. Thomas Common Sense Symposium and a December 2011 conference, and in March 2006, four months before his indictment, the "Confronting Gravity" conference in St. Thomas organized by Krauss, with about twenty physicists including Stephen Hawking and three Nobel laureates, and a barbecue on Little St. James.[^18][^57][^58]
After President [[Drew Faust]] barred further Epstein gifts no later than November 2008, donors Epstein introduced gave Harvard 9.5 million dollars between 2010 and 2015: 7.5 million dollars for Nowak's program (500,000 dollars from the [[Falconwood Foundation]] in 2010, and 7 million dollars from Leon Black, [[Debra Black]] and the [[Black Family Foundation]] in 2011, 2014 and 2015) and 2 million dollars from Black for Church. Epstein's accountant arranged gift letters permitting Nowak to spend the Black money on rent, and Harvard development staff thanked Epstein in December 2014 "for trying to expedite this gift." Epstein had been a trustee of the Black Family Foundation from 1997 until, according to Black's representative, July 2007; Black's representative told Harvard that "none of the funds were provided by Mr. Epstein." Black also gave 2 million dollars to Krauss's Origins Project at [[Arizona State University]] in 2014 and 2015, where one accounting entry listed Epstein's employer as "Leon D. Black, [[Jeffrey Epstein VI Foundation|Enhanced Education]]," and, by the account of internal [[MIT Media Lab]] emails, 5.5 million dollars to the Media Lab in 2014 at Epstein's direction.[^55][^59][^60][^61]
After President [[Drew Faust]] barred further Epstein gifts no later than November 2008, donors Epstein introduced gave Harvard 9.5 million dollars between 2010 and 2015: 7.5 million dollars for Nowak's program (500,000 dollars from the [[Falconwood Foundation]] in 2010, and 7 million dollars from Leon Black, [[Debra Black]] and the [[Black Family Foundation]] in 2011, 2014 and 2015) and 2 million dollars from Black for Church. Epstein's accountant arranged gift letters permitting Nowak to spend the Black money on rent, and Harvard development staff thanked Epstein in December 2014 "for trying to expedite this gift." Epstein had been a trustee of the Black Family Foundation from 1997 until, according to Black's representative, July 2007; Black's representative told Harvard that "none of the funds were provided by Mr. Epstein." On October 16, 2015, an itinerary sent to Epstein for a Cambridge visit listed a 2 p.m. meeting at Nowak's institute with the Harvard mathematician [[Shing-Tung Yau]]; on October 20, 2015, the physicist [[Andrew Strominger]] wrote to Epstein that a Black Hole Center with [[Avi Loeb]] "needs a 50 million endowment," and on February 17, 2016, Yau asked Epstein's assistant whether Epstein's friends would fund a black hole center, which "will take twenty million dollars."[^59] Black also gave 2 million dollars to Krauss's Origins Project at [[Arizona State University]] in 2014 and 2015, where one accounting entry listed Epstein's employer as "Leon D. Black, [[Jeffrey Epstein VI Foundation|Enhanced Education]]," and, by the account of internal [[MIT Media Lab]] emails, 5.5 million dollars to the Media Lab in 2014 at Epstein's direction.[^55][^60][^61][^62]
Epstein's interest in genetics and population converged with a stated ambition to spread his own DNA. The 2019 New York Times report documented that he told scientists of plans to impregnate women at Zorro Ranch to seed the human race with his genome, and that he was drawn to [[transhumanism]] and [[eugenics]]. In 2010, after his conviction, Epstein gave 20,000 dollars to the [[World Transhumanist Association]] (Humanity+), and in 2009 his C.O.U.Q. Foundation gave 50,000 dollars to the Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence, now the [[Machine Intelligence Research Institute]]. In 2014 he and Church formed an investment company, Georgarage, incorporated in Delaware by Darren Indyke, after Church sent Epstein a ten-stage, 10 million dollar investment plan that included "Supercentenarianstudy.com," reversing aging and "cold-resistant elephants." Epstein discussed Georgarage stakes in the xenotransplant company eGenesis, the gene-editing company Androcyte (where, its founder said, Epstein proposed becoming board chairman), and a California sequencing firm; no investment was completed. Androcyte's assets passed in 2017 to BetterHumans, which describes itself as "the world's first specifically-transhumanist bio-medical research organization." In 2013 Epstein's cells were sampled into Church's Personal Genome Project and cell lines were created, over staff objections to an attempt to expedite his sample. After his 2019 arrest, Church apologized for continued contact.[^18][^59][^62][^63]
Epstein's interest in genetics and population converged with a stated ambition to spread his own DNA. The 2019 New York Times report documented that he told scientists of plans to impregnate women at Zorro Ranch to seed the human race with his genome, and that he was drawn to [[transhumanism]] and [[eugenics]]. In 2010, after his conviction, Epstein gave 20,000 dollars to the [[World Transhumanist Association]] (Humanity+), and in 2009 his C.O.U.Q. Foundation gave 50,000 dollars to the Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence, now the [[Machine Intelligence Research Institute]]. In 2014 he and Church formed an investment company, Georgarage, incorporated in Delaware by Darren Indyke, after Church sent Epstein a ten-stage, 10 million dollar investment plan that included "Supercentenarianstudy.com," reversing aging and "cold-resistant elephants." Epstein discussed Georgarage stakes in the xenotransplant company eGenesis, the gene-editing company Androcyte (where, its founder said, Epstein proposed becoming board chairman), and a California sequencing firm; no investment was completed. Androcyte's assets passed in 2017 to BetterHumans, which describes itself as "the world's first specifically-transhumanist bio-medical research organization." In 2013 Epstein's cells were sampled into Church's Personal Genome Project and cell lines were created, over staff objections to an attempt to expedite his sample. After his 2019 arrest, Church apologized for continued contact.[^18][^60][^63][^64]
Epstein's publicists worked to attach his name to the institutions he funded. In mid-2013 his publicist asked Nowak's program for links because "a link on Harvard's network would be very helpful," and in 2014 obtained a "Friends" page on the program's website on which Epstein was the only entry, because "it would be very helpful in terms of Google results if his name were attached to a Harvard.edu url." In a 2012 email a person whose name is redacted in the Justice Department release told Epstein that press releases about Nowak's work had been placed with major outlets, with more planned on Church and others, in an effort to push "the bad stuff" off the first page of search results; Epstein replied that "ther[e] should be an article a day or every two days." In 2015 an Epstein foundation letter falsely told the [[John Templeton Foundation]] that Enhanced Education had funded Nowak's program since 2003, securing matching conditions for a 1.5 million dollar grant; Harvard's review found that Nowak and his administrator "provided false information."[^55][^62]
Epstein's publicists worked to attach his name to the institutions he funded. In mid-2013 his publicist asked Nowak's program for links because "a link on Harvard's network would be very helpful," and in 2014 obtained a "Friends" page on the program's website on which Epstein was the only entry, because "it would be very helpful in terms of Google results if his name were attached to a Harvard.edu url." In a 2012 email a person whose name is redacted in the Justice Department release told Epstein that press releases about Nowak's work had been placed with major outlets, with more planned on Church and others, in an effort to push "the bad stuff" off the first page of search results; Epstein replied that "ther[e] should be an article a day or every two days." In 2015 an Epstein foundation letter falsely told the [[John Templeton Foundation]] that Enhanced Education had funded Nowak's program since 2003, securing matching conditions for a 1.5 million dollar grant; Harvard's review found that Nowak and his administrator "provided false information."[^55][^63]
The MIT Media Lab director [[Joi Ito]] resigned on September 7, 2019 over revelations, reported by [[Ronan Farrow]], that the lab had concealed Epstein's donations. Farrow reported, citing internal documents and the former development associate [[Signe Swenson]], that Epstein was listed as "disqualified" in MIT's donor database and that the Media Lab recorded his gifts as anonymous. MIT's investigators at [[Goodwin Procter]] wrote that "neither Epstein nor his foundations was ever coded as 'disqualified,'" a code it said denotes dormant donors, while confirming that MIT's senior team (General Counsel R. Gregory Morgan, Vice President Jeffrey Newton and Treasurer Israel Ruiz) approved the anonymous-gift framework in June 2013: "We do not want his name appearing on any list of supporters or donors in any form."[^60][^64]
The MIT Media Lab director [[Joi Ito]] resigned on September 7, 2019 over revelations, reported by [[Ronan Farrow]], that the lab had concealed Epstein's donations. Farrow reported, citing internal documents and the former development associate [[Signe Swenson]], that Epstein was listed as "disqualified" in MIT's donor database and that the Media Lab recorded his gifts as anonymous. MIT's investigators at [[Goodwin Procter]] wrote that "neither Epstein nor his foundations was ever coded as 'disqualified,'" a code it said denotes dormant donors, while confirming that MIT's senior team (General Counsel R. Gregory Morgan, Vice President Jeffrey Newton and Treasurer Israel Ruiz) approved the anonymous-gift framework in June 2013: "We do not want his name appearing on any list of supporters or donors in any form."[^61][^65]
### The Post-Conviction Network
After the 2008 plea Epstein rebuilt his social and business standing and continued to broker access among the wealthy and powerful. On December 2, 2010, seventeen months after his release, he hosted a small dinner for Prince Andrew, who was staying at the Manhattan house; the publicist [[Peggy Siegal]] organized it and listed the guests as Andrew, [[Woody Allen]] and [[Soon-Yi Previn]], [[Katie Couric]] and [[George Stephanopoulos]], describing the house as "one [of] the largest single dwellings in New York."[^65]
After the 2008 plea Epstein rebuilt his social and business standing and continued to broker access among the wealthy and powerful. On December 2, 2010, seventeen months after his release, he hosted a small dinner for Prince Andrew, who was staying at the Manhattan house; the publicist [[Peggy Siegal]] organized it and listed the guests as Andrew, [[Woody Allen]] and [[Soon-Yi Previn]], [[Katie Couric]] and [[George Stephanopoulos]], describing the house as "one [of] the largest single dwellings in New York."[^66]
The [[Wall Street Journal]] reporting on his recovered calendars documented post-conviction meetings with [[Noam Chomsky]], [[Kathryn Ruemmler]], Tom Pritzker and William Burns. Burns met Epstein three times in 2014 while serving as [[Deputy Secretary of State]]; the [[Central Intelligence Agency]] spokeswoman [[Tammy Kupperman Thorp]] said in 2023 that Burns remembered "meeting Epstein once briefly in New York." Ruemmler, the [[Barack Obama]] administration's [[White House Counsel]] from 2011 to 2014, had more than three dozen appointments with Epstein between 2014 and 2019; Epstein's staff asked him twice whether young women should be kept out of the townhouse while she was there. On January 8, 2015 she wrote to Epstein: "John Brennan gave me the CIA Agency Medal (the CIA's highest award) this morning. How cool is that?" Ruemmler told the Journal: "I regret ever knowing Jeffrey Epstein." Chomsky had 270,000 dollars moved through Epstein's office.[^66][^67][^68]
The [[Wall Street Journal]] reporting on his recovered calendars documented post-conviction meetings with [[Noam Chomsky]], [[Kathryn Ruemmler]], Tom Pritzker and William Burns. Burns met Epstein three times in 2014 while serving as [[Deputy Secretary of State]]; the [[Central Intelligence Agency]] spokeswoman [[Tammy Kupperman Thorp]] said in 2023 that Burns remembered "meeting Epstein once briefly in New York." Ruemmler, the [[Barack Obama]] administration's [[White House Counsel]] from 2011 to 2014, had more than three dozen appointments with Epstein between 2014 and 2019; Epstein's staff asked him twice whether young women should be kept out of the townhouse while she was there. On January 8, 2015 she wrote to Epstein: "John Brennan gave me the CIA Agency Medal (the CIA's highest award) this morning. How cool is that?" Ruemmler told the Journal: "I regret ever knowing Jeffrey Epstein." Chomsky had 270,000 dollars moved through Epstein's office.[^67][^68][^69]
Epstein's charity [[Gratitude America]], whose operating account was at [[Deutsche Bank]] Trust Company Americas, paid the president of [[Bard College]], [[Leon Botstein]], in quarterly checks; one dated August 1, 2016, for 37,500 dollars payable to "Leon Botstein," bears the memo "3rd Quarterly Payment of 4." Deutsche Bank later produced the check images to federal prosecutors in New York. Bard said the 150,000 dollars was compensation for a year on the foundation's board as a music expert, and Botstein said he gave it to the college as part of a one million dollar gift that year: "I didn't benefit personally at all."[^69]
Epstein's charity [[Gratitude America]], whose operating account was at [[Deutsche Bank]] Trust Company Americas, paid the president of [[Bard College]], [[Leon Botstein]], in quarterly checks; one dated August 1, 2016, for 37,500 dollars payable to "Leon Botstein," bears the memo "3rd Quarterly Payment of 4." Deutsche Bank later produced the check images to federal prosecutors in New York. Bard said the 150,000 dollars was compensation for a year on the foundation's board as a music expert, and Botstein said he gave it to the college as part of a one million dollar gift that year: "I didn't benefit personally at all."[^70]
In an iMessage exchange of August 23, 2018 exported from a device whose owner's name is redacted, the contact saved as "Steve Bannon" wrote, "Do u have access that's not the front door," adding that "they have 24/7 surveillance on u," and, asked who was watching, "Don't know but real folks costing lot of coin." The account holder proposed meeting at "301 East 66," adding "I don't like he regency as it is totally wired" and "There is also a rear entrance on 67"; that evening he wrote, "Your girlfriend Ruemmler is coming over," proposed "a private screening of dharma for the power players. . . . Non of my fingerprints," referring to [[Errol Morris]]'s documentary on Bannon, and later wrote: "your girlfriend is outraged. . I suggested to her he pardon everyone, say this is not good for the country , and then fake the heart attack." [[Steve Bannon]] confirmed to the New York Times in 2021 that he had recorded more than 15 hours of interviews with Epstein for a documentary that was never released.[^70]
In an iMessage exchange of August 23, 2018 exported from a device whose owner's name is redacted, the contact saved as "Steve Bannon" wrote, "Do u have access that's not the front door," adding that "they have 24/7 surveillance on u," and, asked who was watching, "Don't know but real folks costing lot of coin." The account holder proposed meeting at "301 East 66," adding "I don't like he regency as it is totally wired" and "There is also a rear entrance on 67"; that evening he wrote, "Your girlfriend Ruemmler is coming over," proposed "a private screening of dharma for the power players. . . . Non of my fingerprints," referring to [[Errol Morris]]'s documentary on Bannon, and later wrote: "your girlfriend is outraged. . I suggested to her he pardon everyone, say this is not good for the country , and then fake the heart attack." [[Steve Bannon]] confirmed to the New York Times in 2021 that he had recorded more than 15 hours of interviews with Epstein for a documentary that was never released.[^71]
On August 8, 2016, in reply to Epstein's question "who attends," Pritzker sent him the membership of the [[Aspen Strategy Group]]: "Nye, Scowcroft and Nick Burns run it (Scowcroft being replaced by Condi). Members include Patraeus, Albright, Slaughter, Donalon (Obama NSA), Hadley (Bush NSA), Sullivan (NSA Hillary), Bill Burns (State #2), Kurt Campbell, Hoss Carwright (#2 Jt Chiefs), Harman, Ignatius, Sanger, Nunn, Reed, Sawers (MI6), Sherman (iran deal), Work (current #2 DoD). It seems to now be taking on an aura." [[John Sawers]] had been chief of MI6.[^71]
On August 8, 2016, in reply to Epstein's question "who attends," Pritzker sent him the membership of the [[Aspen Strategy Group]]: "Nye, Scowcroft and Nick Burns run it (Scowcroft being replaced by Condi). Members include Patraeus, Albright, Slaughter, Donalon (Obama [[NSA]]), Hadley (Bush NSA), Sullivan (NSA Hillary), Bill Burns (State #2), Kurt Campbell, Hoss Carwright (#2 Jt Chiefs), Harman, Ignatius, Sanger, Nunn, Reed, Sawers (MI6), Sherman (iran deal), Work (current #2 DoD). It seems to now be taking on an aura." [[John Sawers]] had been chief of MI6.[^72]
Justice Department releases record a dinner on August 2, 2015 at the Baume restaurant in [[Palo Alto]], which the organizers bought out, whose confirmed attendees were [[Ed Boyden]], Reid Hoffman, Mark Zuckerberg, [[Priscilla Chan]], Peter Thiel, Epstein, Elon Musk and Joi Ito. On August 12, 2010 a correspondent whose name is redacted asked Epstein for "suggestions for an old guy. super smart / well connected that wants to continue legacy of 'old school' secret society?"; on February 6, 2016 Epstein wrote to another redacted correspondent that "peter thiel LOVED the secret socieity idea. . he has done alot of work on the concept. all failed so far," and received the reply ":-) let's do it."[^72][^73]
Justice Department releases record a dinner on August 2, 2015 at the Baume restaurant in [[Palo Alto]], which the organizers bought out, whose confirmed attendees were [[Ed Boyden]], Reid Hoffman, Mark Zuckerberg, [[Priscilla Chan]], Peter Thiel, Epstein, Elon Musk and Joi Ito. On August 12, 2010 a correspondent whose name is redacted asked Epstein for "suggestions for an old guy. super smart / well connected that wants to continue legacy of 'old school' secret society?"; on February 6, 2016 Epstein wrote to another redacted correspondent that "peter thiel LOVED the secret socieity idea. . he has done alot of work on the concept. all failed so far," and received the reply ":-) let's do it."[^73][^74]
JPMorgan records produced in the Virgin Islands case show Epstein arranging introductions for [[Jes Staley]] to Ehud Barak, [[Peter Mandelson]] and Bill Gates, and referring Pritzker to the bank; in January 2008, months before Epstein's plea, Staley had his assistant arrange a meeting between Barak and JPMorgan executives through [[Jamie Dimon]]'s office. Epstein arranged two consulting arrangements for Larry Summers from 2013, a paid advisory seat with the Mongolian president's office worth up to 100,000 dollars a year and a Kazakhstan economic-policy engagement for which Epstein proposed "3-5 million per year"; Summers formed LHSummers Economic Consulting LLC two months after Epstein raised the idea, and an Epstein foundation paid 14,000 dollars for his 2014 first-class airfare to Kazakhstan.[^12][^39][^74]
JPMorgan records produced in the Virgin Islands case show Epstein arranging introductions for [[Jes Staley]] to Ehud Barak, [[Peter Mandelson]] and Bill Gates, and referring Pritzker to the bank; in January 2008, months before Epstein's plea, Staley had his assistant arrange a meeting between Barak and JPMorgan executives through [[Jamie Dimon]]'s office. Epstein arranged two consulting arrangements for Larry Summers from 2013, a paid advisory seat with the Mongolian president's office worth up to 100,000 dollars a year and a Kazakhstan economic-policy engagement for which Epstein proposed "3-5 million per year"; Summers formed LHSummers Economic Consulting LLC two months after Epstein raised the idea, and an Epstein foundation paid 14,000 dollars for his 2014 first-class airfare to Kazakhstan.[^12][^39][^75]
Howard Lutnick, who in 1998 bought 11 East 71st Street from an entity that had bought it from Epstein in 1996, signed an investment contract in the advertising company Adfin four days after a December 24, 2012 lunch on Little St. James, with Epstein signing for [[Southern Trust Company]]. A calendar alert of December 20, 2012 asked: "can Howard Lutnick do lunch Sat or Sun on JE's island?" In October 2025 Lutnick said he had cut ties with Epstein in 2005. An FBI Guardian complaint form dated April 23, 2021 and filed under the Epstein child-sex-trafficking case number records an October 2020 call from a caller describing himself as a former Cantor Fitzgerald compliance employee, who alleged money laundering by Lutnick through [[BGC Partners|BGC Financial]] and [[Cantor Fitzgerald]], claimed to hold documents linking Lutnick to Epstein and Maxwell, and alleged that "Epstein also sold Lutnick a house for $10 dollars through a trust fund." The FBI's own database query for Lutnick returned 26 results in New York case files, including a closed money-laundering case and a RICO real-estate control file, and three suspicious activity reports; the form notes that "queries were not conducted on Epstein and Maxwell due to the sensitive nature of the case." The caller's allegations are recorded in the form as his statements, without findings.[^75][^76]
Howard Lutnick, who in 1998 bought 11 East 71st Street from an entity that had bought it from Epstein in 1996, signed an investment contract in the advertising company Adfin four days after a December 24, 2012 lunch on Little St. James, with Epstein signing for [[Southern Trust Company]]. A calendar alert of December 20, 2012 asked: "can Howard Lutnick do lunch Sat or Sun on JE's island?" In October 2025 Lutnick said he had cut ties with Epstein in 2005. An FBI Guardian complaint form dated April 23, 2021 and filed under the Epstein child-sex-trafficking case number records an October 2020 call from a caller describing himself as a former Cantor Fitzgerald compliance employee, who alleged money laundering by Lutnick through [[BGC Partners|BGC Financial]] and [[Cantor Fitzgerald]], claimed to hold documents linking Lutnick to Epstein and Maxwell, and alleged that "Epstein also sold Lutnick a house for $10 dollars through a trust fund." The FBI's own database query for Lutnick returned 26 results in New York case files, including a closed money-laundering case and a RICO real-estate control file, and three suspicious activity reports; the form notes that "queries were not conducted on Epstein and Maxwell due to the sensitive nature of the case." The caller's allegations are recorded in the form as his statements, without findings.[^76][^77]
The political relationships were older and equally documented. Bill Clinton flew on the 727 more than two dozen times in the early 2000s, including a 2002 trip to Africa connected to the [[Clinton Foundation]], while denying any knowledge of Epstein's crimes or any visit to Little St. James. Prince Andrew, the [[Duke of York]], was photographed with Virginia Giuffre in 2001, settled her 2021 civil suit for a reported sum in 2022 without admitting liability, and was stripped of his royal and military titles between 2022 and 2025; an FBI New York email of June 8, 2020 asked about the status of the "MLAT request for Prince Andrew." Donald Trump socialized with Epstein in the 1990s and early 2000s before a falling out, a relationship documented in flight logs, contemporaneous quotes, and a disputed 2003 birthday letter.[^66][^77][^78]
The political relationships were older and equally documented. Bill Clinton flew on the 727 more than two dozen times in the early 2000s, including a 2002 trip to Africa connected to the [[Clinton Foundation]], while denying any knowledge of Epstein's crimes or any visit to Little St. James. Prince Andrew, the [[Duke of York]], was photographed with Virginia Giuffre in 2001, settled her 2021 civil suit for a reported sum in 2022 without admitting liability, and was stripped of his royal and military titles between 2022 and 2025; an FBI New York email of June 8, 2020 asked about the status of the "MLAT request for Prince Andrew." Donald Trump socialized with Epstein in the 1990s and early 2000s before a falling out, a relationship documented in flight logs, contemporaneous quotes, and a disputed 2003 birthday letter.[^67][^78][^79]
### Carbyne and Ehud Barak
Epstein invested in the Israeli emergency-response company Reporty Homeland Security, renamed Carbyne in 2018 and chaired by Ehud Barak, through SUM (E.B.) Limited Partnership, whose general partner was Ergo (E.B. 2014) Ltd. In February 2019 SUM held warrants to buy 61,251 more preferred shares for 3.5 million dollars, raising its stake "from about 13% to about 26.33%, on a fully diluted basis"; the exercise was funded by Southern Trust (2.4 million dollars) and [[NJF Capital]], formerly Montilla International Corporation (1.2 million dollars), and wired through [[Bank Leumi]]. When the bank's anti-money-laundering review asked for the "controlling person" of the limited partners, Indyke asked Epstein on March 14, 2019 whether he could confirm that Epstein was the controlling person of Southern Trust, and Epstein replied "Yes." Barak wrote to Epstein on March 11 that the disclosure demands reflected "the Israeli banks paranoia after they paid the penalties they've paid to the US authorities for past mistakes," adding: "According to our experience it was never leaked out of the banks. Just kept with them as an insurance policy."[^79]
Epstein invested in the Israeli emergency-response company Reporty Homeland Security, renamed Carbyne in 2018 and chaired by Ehud Barak, through SUM (E.B.) Limited Partnership, whose general partner was Ergo (E.B. 2014) Ltd. In February 2019 SUM held warrants to buy 61,251 more preferred shares for 3.5 million dollars, raising its stake "from about 13% to about 26.33%, on a fully diluted basis"; the exercise was funded by Southern Trust (2.4 million dollars) and [[NJF Capital]], formerly Montilla International Corporation (1.2 million dollars), and wired through [[Bank Leumi]]. When the bank's anti-money-laundering review asked for the "controlling person" of the limited partners, Indyke asked Epstein on March 14, 2019 whether he could confirm that Epstein was the controlling person of Southern Trust, and Epstein replied "Yes." Barak wrote to Epstein on March 11 that the disclosure demands reflected "the Israeli banks paranoia after they paid the penalties they've paid to the US authorities for past mistakes," adding: "According to our experience it was never leaked out of the banks. Just kept with them as an insurance policy."[^80]
On January 1, 2019, with Epstein copied, Barak sent [[Jabor Al Thani]] a presentation of Carbyne, "public safety company of which I'm the chairman and leading investor," for the security of the 2022 World Cup in [[Qatar]]: "We can work through a European company of your choice and minimize Israeli profile." Jabor Al Thani asked for help with "any anti-drone services or technologies" and named the country manager of a Qatari security services company as his contact; Barak made Carbyne's chief executive, [[Amir Elichai]], the point of contact. On May 21, 2018 Epstein had written to Peter Thiel: "FYI trae is meeting carbyne Ehud Barak co." In February 2019 [[Nicole Junkermann]], a co-investor, wrote to Epstein that "Carbyne invested 1.5 m (1m you and 0.5m me) net of fees is 3.9m your share, Ehud carry 1.5 m and my share 2m," in a message that also concerned a separate "China" matter which she asked whether Barak could help with.[^80][^81][^82]
On January 1, 2019, with Epstein copied, Barak sent [[Jabor Al Thani]] a presentation of Carbyne, "public safety company of which I'm the chairman and leading investor," for the security of the 2022 World Cup in [[Qatar]]: "We can work through a European company of your choice and minimize Israeli profile." Jabor Al Thani asked for help with "any anti-drone services or technologies" and named the country manager of a Qatari security services company as his contact; Barak made Carbyne's chief executive, [[Amir Elichai]], the point of contact. On May 21, 2018 Epstein had written to Peter Thiel: "FYI trae is meeting carbyne Ehud Barak co." In February 2019 [[Nicole Junkermann]], a co-investor, wrote to Epstein that "Carbyne invested 1.5 m (1m you and 0.5m me) net of fees is 3.9m your share, Ehud carry 1.5 m and my share 2m," in a message that also concerned a separate "China" matter which she asked whether Barak could help with.[^81][^82][^83]
On November 8, 2017, as reporting broke on the lawyer [[David Boies]]'s use of former Israeli intelligence operatives, Epstein wrote to Barak: "boies said he got to the mossad guys through you? true?" and then, "Did Boies ask you to help Obtain former mossad agents to do dirty investigations. ? this is getting a lot of press." Barak replied the next morning: "Call me.. [redacted] in Paris." Barak said in February 2026: "I regret meeting him."[^14][^16]
### Vitaly Churkin
Epstein's iMessage exchanges with Vitaly Churkin, Russia's Permanent Representative to the [[United Nations]], run from November 2015 to January 10, 2017. Epstein wrote in December 2015 "Oil now at the 36 $ level I suggested," and in February 2016 "Good work on Syria , markets will continue bad." He offered Churkin meals with Barak and Summers, introduced "my very close friend Tom Pritzker," and mentioned that "thorbjorn jagland will be staying with me," a reference to [[Thorbjørn Jagland]], then Secretary General of the [[Council of Europe]]. He arranged work for Churkin's son: "Any maxim help is confidential," then "First job confirmed to start day after Labor Day," and later "Maxim is scoring good grades . Thought u should know." On August 29, 2016 Epstein hosted a lunch for Barak, [[Tom Barrack]] and Churkin. Their last exchange arranged a lunch on January 10, 2017. Churkin died in New York on February 20, 2017; Epstein's office scheduled calls and a meeting with his son through August 2017.[^83]
Epstein's iMessage exchanges with Vitaly Churkin, Russia's Permanent Representative to the [[United Nations]], run from November 2015 to January 10, 2017. Epstein wrote in December 2015 "Oil now at the 36 $ level I suggested," and in February 2016 "Good work on Syria , markets will continue bad." He offered Churkin meals with Barak and Summers, introduced "my very close friend Tom Pritzker," and mentioned that "thorbjorn jagland will be staying with me," a reference to [[Thorbjørn Jagland]], then Secretary General of the [[Council of Europe]]. He arranged work for Churkin's son: "Any maxim help is confidential," then "First job confirmed to start day after Labor Day," and later "Maxim is scoring good grades . Thought u should know." On August 29, 2016 Epstein hosted a lunch for Barak, [[Tom Barrack]] and Churkin. Their last exchange arranged a lunch on January 10, 2017. Churkin died in New York on February 20, 2017; Epstein's office scheduled calls and a meeting with his son through August 2017.[^84]
### The Intelligence and Blackmail Question
The recurring claim that Epstein's operation served an intelligence or blackmail function rests on several documented strands and one contested central assertion. The documented strands include Ghislaine Maxwell's intelligence-linked paternity; Epstein's investment with Barak in Carbyne and his attempts to connect Barak with Peter Thiel over [[Palantir Technologies|Palantir]]; the instrumentation of his properties with cameras; and the 2019 search of the townhouse, which recovered a safe containing compact discs, cash, diamonds, and an expired foreign passport with Epstein's photograph under another name. The contested central assertion is the claim, attributed by Vicky Ward to a former senior [[White House]] official, that Acosta had told Trump transition vetters he was given to understand Epstein "belonged to intelligence" and to leave the case alone.[^50][^66]
The recurring claim that Epstein's operation served an intelligence or blackmail function rests on several documented strands and one contested central assertion. The documented strands include Ghislaine Maxwell's intelligence-linked paternity; Epstein's investment with Barak in Carbyne and his attempts to connect Barak with Peter Thiel over [[Palantir Technologies|Palantir]]; the instrumentation of his properties with cameras; and the 2019 search of the townhouse, which recovered a safe containing compact discs, cash, diamonds, and an expired foreign passport with Epstein's photograph under another name. The contested central assertion is the claim, attributed by Vicky Ward to a former senior [[White House]] official, that Acosta had told Trump transition vetters he was given to understand Epstein "belonged to intelligence" and to leave the case alone.[^50][^67]
Acosta denied the account in a voluntary transcribed interview with the House Oversight Committee on September 19, 2025, saying he had no knowledge of whether Epstein was connected to any intelligence service. The "belonged to intelligence" quote traces to a single anonymous source. William Barr, Attorney General at the time of Epstein's 2019 arrest and death, was asked about the account in an August 18, 2025 deposition before the committee and answered that he knew of it only from "what's ever been reported in articles over the years." He said he had "no reason to believe he was working for the CIA or any intelligence agency, and I'm dubious about claims like that," answered "No" when asked whether Epstein had been an employee, asset, or informant of any foreign service, and said that "if he was an American asset, as opposed to some businessman who shares stuff with the government, I would've heard about it from the intelligence agency." No declassified document confirms that Epstein worked for any agency of any country.[^50][^84]
Acosta denied the account in a voluntary transcribed interview with the House Oversight Committee on September 19, 2025, saying he had no knowledge of whether Epstein was connected to any intelligence service. The "belonged to intelligence" quote traces to a single anonymous source. William Barr, Attorney General at the time of Epstein's 2019 arrest and death, was asked about the account in an August 18, 2025 deposition before the committee and answered that he knew of it only from "what's ever been reported in articles over the years." He said he had "no reason to believe he was working for the CIA or any intelligence agency, and I'm dubious about claims like that," answered "No" when asked whether Epstein had been an employee, asset, or informant of any foreign service, and said that "if he was an American asset, as opposed to some businessman who shares stuff with the government, I would've heard about it from the intelligence agency." No declassified document confirms that Epstein worked for any agency of any country.[^50][^85]
In July 2011 Epstein, through his lawyer [[Martin Weinberg]], had Privacy Act requests pending with both the FBI and the CIA for whatever records the agencies held on him. Weinberg wrote to him on July 18, 2011: "we filled out fbi privacy waiver with VI address last year, we filed CIA [[Freedom of Information Act|FOIA]] - they have it - we need a separate privacy waiver signed in 2011 for them to fully process."[^85]
In July 2011 Epstein, through his lawyer [[Martin Weinberg]], had Privacy Act requests pending with both the FBI and the CIA for whatever records the agencies held on him. Weinberg wrote to him on July 18, 2011: "we filled out fbi privacy waiver with VI address last year, we filed CIA [[Freedom of Information Act|FOIA]] - they have it - we need a separate privacy waiver signed in 2011 for them to fully process."[^86]
The earliest known report to law enforcement came on August 29, 1996, when Maria Farmer reported to the [[New York City Police Department|NYPD]]'s Sixth Precinct (complaint No. 1996-0067241, recording that Epstein "did call her and stated he was going to burn victim's painting" and "has keys to victim's apartment") and then by telephone to the FBI. She alleges that she told the Bureau of the recording devices and monitoring equipment Epstein had shown her at the New York house and of a "modeling book" of apparently underage girls kept in his safe, which Maxwell said was used in connection with Victoria's Secret; that she had been assaulted at Epstein's house in [[New Albany, Ohio]], "part of or adjacent to Les Wexner's estate," and held there by "a local Sheriff and other persons connected with Wexner"; and that the FBI hung up on her mid-sentence. FBI agents interviewed her in 2006 during the Florida investigation. The Bureau's record of the 1996 report was released on December 23, 2025. In July 2023 she and Sarah Ransome filed a 600 million dollar Federal Tort Claims Act claim against the FBI, and in May 2025 she sued the United States (No. 1:25-cv-01709-RBW (D.D.C.)). Her complaint also records that in 1992 the [[United States Department of State|State Department]] leased Epstein a New York townhouse and sued him in 1996 after he sublet it at a profit, and that he relied in his defense on communications with an official of the Office of Foreign Missions; certain documents in that case were sealed.[^86][^87][^88]
The earliest known report to law enforcement came on August 29, 1996, when Maria Farmer reported to the [[New York City Police Department|NYPD]]'s Sixth Precinct (complaint No. 1996-0067241, recording that Epstein "did call her and stated he was going to burn victim's painting" and "has keys to victim's apartment") and then by telephone to the FBI. She alleges that she told the Bureau of the recording devices and monitoring equipment Epstein had shown her at the New York house and of a "modeling book" of apparently underage girls kept in his safe, which Maxwell said was used in connection with Victoria's Secret; that she had been assaulted at Epstein's house in [[New Albany, Ohio]], "part of or adjacent to Les Wexner's estate," and held there by "a local Sheriff and other persons connected with Wexner"; and that the FBI hung up on her mid-sentence. FBI agents interviewed her in 2006 during the Florida investigation. The Bureau's record of the 1996 report was released on December 23, 2025. In July 2023 she and Sarah Ransome filed a 600 million dollar Federal Tort Claims Act claim against the FBI, and in May 2025 she sued the United States (No. 1:25-cv-01709-RBW (D.D.C.)). Her complaint also records that in 1992 the [[United States Department of State|State Department]] leased Epstein a New York townhouse and sued him in 1996 after he sublet it at a profit, and that he relied in his defense on communications with an official of the Office of Foreign Missions; certain documents in that case were sealed.[^87][^88][^89]
Accounts from victims and household staff describing cameras in the properties, combined with the 2019 recovery of compact discs and the foreign passport from the townhouse safe, are the documented basis for the inference that the operation was instrumented to generate leverage. In December 2009, five months after his release, a correspondent signing "Gmax" wrote to Epstein: "If you call I'd start by saying what ever you saw was fake and part of a blackmail scheme." No recordings of guests have been produced publicly, and no service of any country has acknowledged a relationship with Epstein. What the cameras recorded, and where any recordings went, is not established in the public record.[^17][^50][^89][^90]
Accounts from victims and household staff describing cameras in the properties, combined with the 2019 recovery of compact discs and the foreign passport from the townhouse safe, are the documented basis for the inference that the operation was instrumented to generate leverage. In December 2009, five months after his release, a correspondent signing "Gmax" wrote to Epstein: "If you call I'd start by saying what ever you saw was fake and part of a blackmail scheme." No recordings of guests have been produced publicly, and no service of any country has acknowledged a relationship with Epstein. What the cameras recorded, and where any recordings went, is not established in the public record.[^17][^50][^90][^91]
### The Financial Structures and the Bank Settlements
Epstein's finances ran through entities chartered in the U.S. Virgin Islands, including Financial Trust Company, incorporated in St. Thomas on November 6, 1998, and Southern Trust Company, incorporated on November 18, 2011 as Financial Informatics, Inc. and renamed in September 2012, with assets of about 391 million dollars in 2015. Both obtained territorial tax benefits under the [[Economic Development Commission]] program: Financial Trust from 1999 under a certificate signed by Industrial Development Commission director [[Frandelle Gerard]], amended in 2012 over the signature of EDC chairman [[Albert Bryan]], who also signed Southern Trust's January 24, 2014 certificate. At the November 15, 2012 EDC hearing the company described its business under oath as "cutting edge consulting services" in "biomedical and financial informatics"; the Virgin Islands later alleged that Southern Trust obtained the benefits for a business it never conducted and existed to fund Epstein's criminal activity and properties. His banking ran through JPMorgan Chase, which kept him as a client until 2013, then Deutsche Bank, and also through [[BNY Mellon]]; the June 15, 2007 7.4 million dollar wire to Maxwell for her Sikorsky helicopter came from his Mellon Bank account.[^11][^12][^20][^91][^92]
Epstein's finances ran through entities chartered in the U.S. Virgin Islands, including Financial Trust Company, incorporated in St. Thomas on November 6, 1998, and Southern Trust Company, incorporated on November 18, 2011 as Financial Informatics, Inc. and renamed in September 2012, with assets of about 391 million dollars in 2015. Both obtained territorial tax benefits under the [[Economic Development Commission]] program: Financial Trust from 1999 under a certificate signed by Industrial Development Commission director [[Frandelle Gerard]], amended in 2012 over the signature of EDC chairman [[Albert Bryan]], who also signed Southern Trust's January 24, 2014 certificate. At the November 15, 2012 EDC hearing the company described its business under oath as "cutting edge consulting services" in "biomedical and financial informatics"; the Virgin Islands later alleged that Southern Trust obtained the benefits for a business it never conducted and existed to fund Epstein's criminal activity and properties. His banking ran through JPMorgan Chase, which kept him as a client until 2013, then Deutsche Bank, and also through [[BNY Mellon]]; the June 15, 2007 7.4 million dollar wire to Maxwell for her Sikorsky helicopter came from his Mellon Bank account.[^11][^12][^20][^92][^93]
Southern Trust reported about 184 million dollars in revenue from 2013 to 2017 with no visible clients and one information-technology employee. The territory's 2022 complaint stated that "virtually all" of its income came "from a single source," which paid it 158 million dollars from 2013 to 2017, 85 percent of its revenue. The [[Dechert]] review commissioned by [[Apollo Global Management]] found that Leon Black signed a service agreement with Southern Trust Company, Inc. on February 13, 2013 and paid Epstein 50 million dollars in 2013, 70 million in 2014, 30 million in 2015, nothing in 2016 and 8 million in 2017, a total of 158 million dollars, plus 30.5 million dollars in 2017 loans from BV70 LLC to Plan D LLC; Dechert found no evidence Black paid for anything but "legitimate advice." Senator [[Ron Wyden]]'s staff put Black's share at 166 million dollars, or 90 percent. Black's wires came from [[Bank of America]] accounts; the bank filed its first suspicious activity report on them on February 7, 2020, flagging 156 million dollars as having "no apparent economic, business or lawful purpose." Black's January 20, 2023 settlement with the territory recites that "Jeffrey Epstein used the money Black paid him to partially fund his operations in the Virgin Islands," while disclaiming any admission of liability. Financial Trust also bought 263,257 Apollo shares in the March 2011 initial public offering through a directed-share program; the shares passed to [[Southern Financial LLC]] in 2013.[^11][^12][^93][^94][^95]
Southern Trust reported about 184 million dollars in revenue from 2013 to 2017 with no visible clients and one information-technology employee. The territory's 2022 complaint stated that "virtually all" of its income came "from a single source," which paid it 158 million dollars from 2013 to 2017, 85 percent of its revenue. The [[Dechert]] review commissioned by [[Apollo Global Management]] found that Leon Black signed a service agreement with Southern Trust Company, Inc. on February 13, 2013 and paid Epstein 50 million dollars in 2013, 70 million in 2014, 30 million in 2015, nothing in 2016 and 8 million in 2017, a total of 158 million dollars, plus 30.5 million dollars in 2017 loans from BV70 LLC to Plan D LLC; Dechert found no evidence Black paid for anything but "legitimate advice." Senator [[Ron Wyden]]'s staff put Black's share at 166 million dollars, or 90 percent. Black's wires came from [[Bank of America]] accounts; the bank filed its first suspicious activity report on them on February 7, 2020, flagging 156 million dollars as having "no apparent economic, business or lawful purpose." Black's January 20, 2023 settlement with the territory recites that "Jeffrey Epstein used the money Black paid him to partially fund his operations in the Virgin Islands," while disclaiming any admission of liability. Financial Trust also bought 263,257 Apollo shares in the March 2011 initial public offering through a directed-share program; the shares passed to [[Southern Financial LLC]] in 2013.[^11][^12][^94][^95][^96]
Epstein received the working papers of Black's estate planning during the years of the Southern Trust payments. A "Checklist for Leon Black Estate Planning and Restructuring" dated October 2, 2013 covered the substitution of trust assets for a promissory note, financing against Black's art collection with "Preliminary meetings with Deutsche Bank taken," the decanting of family trusts, the restructuring of Black Family Partners and other family entities, and the creation of foundations for each of Black's children. On January 21, 2014 Ada Clapp of Black Family Partners, 445 Park Avenue, sent Epstein the updated version: "Attached is what I believe you are referring to by the 9 page list. I updated to show progress." On July 24, 2017 Barry J. Cohen forwarded to Epstein a privileged [[Sullivan & Cromwell]] memorandum on "Leon Black Estate Planning," addressed by the firm to Clapp, Cohen and Brad Wechsler, with the note: "Let us know what issues you have."[^96]
Epstein received the working papers of Black's estate planning during the years of the Southern Trust payments. A "Checklist for Leon Black Estate Planning and Restructuring" dated October 2, 2013 covered the substitution of trust assets for a promissory note, financing against Black's art collection with "Preliminary meetings with Deutsche Bank taken," the decanting of family trusts, the restructuring of Black Family Partners and other family entities, and the creation of foundations for each of Black's children. On January 21, 2014 Ada Clapp of Black Family Partners, 445 Park Avenue, sent Epstein the updated version: "Attached is what I believe you are referring to by the 9 page list. I updated to show progress." On July 24, 2017 Barry J. Cohen forwarded to Epstein a privileged [[Sullivan & Cromwell]] memorandum on "Leon Black Estate Planning," addressed by the firm to Clapp, Cohen and Brad Wechsler, with the note: "Let us know what issues you have."[^97]
A forensic accountant retained by the Virgin Islands identified 134 JPMorgan accounts owned by Epstein or related people and entities, including accounts for Maxwell, [[Richard Kahn]], Darren Indyke, [[Harry Beller]] and Nadia Marcinkova. In September 2009 his balances were 142,867,562 dollars on the bank's internal "Wall of Cash" list. He withdrew more than 7 million dollars in cash from JPMorgan accounts from 2002 to 2013. A March 18, 2004 JPMorgan memorandum to Dimon and others described Epstein as "a founding investor in Highbridge," the hedge fund [[Highbridge Capital Management]] that JPMorgan bought into that year. On July 20, 2011 Cutler wrote to Staley and [[Mary Erdoes]] that Epstein "should not be a client." After Epstein left the bank in 2013, Erdoes approved continued dealings with him on Black's business "as long as it was through the client accounts." JPMorgan filed seven suspicious activity reports on him totaling about 4.3 million dollars between 2002 and 2016, none covering May 2003 to September 2008; after his July 2019 arrest it filed reports on August 13, 2019 (469 wires, about 201 million dollars, including payments to women in Russia, Belarus and Turkmenistan through correspondent accounts at Russian banks including [[Sberbank]] and [[Alfa-Bank]]) and September 26, 2019 (4,725 wires, 1,081,819,653 dollars). Deutsche Bank retroactively reported more than 250 million dollars in Epstein wires after his arrest.[^12][^21][^39][^92][^97]
A forensic accountant retained by the Virgin Islands identified 134 JPMorgan accounts owned by Epstein or related people and entities, including accounts for Maxwell, [[Richard Kahn]], Darren Indyke, [[Harry Beller]] and Nadia Marcinkova. In September 2009 his balances were 142,867,562 dollars on the bank's internal "Wall of Cash" list. He withdrew more than 7 million dollars in cash from JPMorgan accounts from 2002 to 2013. A March 18, 2004 JPMorgan memorandum to Dimon and others described Epstein as "a founding investor in Highbridge," the hedge fund [[Highbridge Capital Management]] that JPMorgan bought into that year. On July 20, 2011 Cutler wrote to Staley and [[Mary Erdoes]] that Epstein "should not be a client." After Epstein left the bank in 2013, Erdoes approved continued dealings with him on Black's business "as long as it was through the client accounts." JPMorgan filed seven suspicious activity reports on him totaling about 4.3 million dollars between 2002 and 2016, none covering May 2003 to September 2008; after his July 2019 arrest it filed reports on August 13, 2019 (469 wires, about 201 million dollars, including payments to women in Russia, Belarus and Turkmenistan through correspondent accounts at Russian banks including [[Sberbank]] and [[Alfa-Bank]]) and September 26, 2019 (4,725 wires, 1,081,819,653 dollars). Deutsche Bank retroactively reported more than 250 million dollars in Epstein wires after his arrest.[^12][^21][^39][^93][^98]
After a July 22, 2019 New York Times article on Epstein's ties to Wall Street figures, JPMorgan's global head of financial crimes compliance wrote to two chief compliance officers: "Top of house requested that we expand our analysis to related parties and put together slides.... There is a highbridge angle and one dating back to Bear." The work became an internal review called "Project Jeep," whose 22-page summary of Epstein, Staley and Erdoes emails, circulated internally in October 2019, stated that "Jes Staley appears to have a close relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, regularly communicating with him and seeking advice from him including while Epstein is incarcerated," and that Epstein "appears to maintain a particularly close relationship with Prince Andrew" and "Lord Peter Mandelson, a senior member of the British Government," and "a close relationship with [[Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem|Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem]]," the chairman of [[DP World]]. The Virgin Islands argued in June 2023 that it would have asked Dimon whether the "top of house" order came from him, citing another bank email in which "top of the house ok for clients who are convicted felons" ran "to Cutler to Jaime Daimnon [sic]"; JPMorgan answered that the phrase referred to Cutler. Late-produced emails showed that the former Bear Stearns chairman Alan Greenberg had gone to Cutler "for an exception to the felony policy" for Epstein, and JPMorgan acknowledged that legacy Bear Stearns staff including Greenberg "may have attempted to speak with" Cutler about the policy, a decision "made by Mr. Cutler." At a January 7, 2011 meeting the head of the U.S. Private Bank, Catherine Keating, said that "no one on today's call was in favor of having retained him as a client. Seems it was all due to Jes's personal relationship"; twelve days later a JPMorgan Securities employee wrote to Epstein that "Ace would love to speak to Jeffrey." Dimon testified that the bank "did not need introductions to anybody." In August 2023 Judge [[Jed S. Rakoff]] denied the territory's request to compel production of all documents concerning "Project Jeep" or other investigations after Epstein's 2019 arrest.[^98]
After a July 22, 2019 New York Times article on Epstein's ties to Wall Street figures, JPMorgan's global head of financial crimes compliance wrote to two chief compliance officers: "Top of house requested that we expand our analysis to related parties and put together slides.... There is a highbridge angle and one dating back to Bear." The work became an internal review called "Project Jeep," whose 22-page summary of Epstein, Staley and Erdoes emails, circulated internally in October 2019, stated that "Jes Staley appears to have a close relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, regularly communicating with him and seeking advice from him including while Epstein is incarcerated," and that Epstein "appears to maintain a particularly close relationship with Prince Andrew" and "Lord Peter Mandelson, a senior member of the British Government," and "a close relationship with [[Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem|Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem]]," the chairman of [[DP World]]. The Virgin Islands argued in June 2023 that it would have asked Dimon whether the "top of house" order came from him, citing another bank email in which "top of the house ok for clients who are convicted felons" ran "to Cutler to Jaime Daimnon [sic]"; JPMorgan answered that the phrase referred to Cutler. Late-produced emails showed that the former Bear Stearns chairman Alan Greenberg had gone to Cutler "for an exception to the felony policy" for Epstein, and JPMorgan acknowledged that legacy Bear Stearns staff including Greenberg "may have attempted to speak with" Cutler about the policy, a decision "made by Mr. Cutler." At a January 7, 2011 meeting the head of the U.S. Private Bank, Catherine Keating, said that "no one on today's call was in favor of having retained him as a client. Seems it was all due to Jes's personal relationship"; twelve days later a JPMorgan Securities employee wrote to Epstein that "Ace would love to speak to Jeffrey." Dimon testified that the bank "did not need introductions to anybody." In August 2023 Judge [[Jed S. Rakoff]] denied the territory's request to compel production of all documents concerning "Project Jeep" or other investigations after Epstein's 2019 arrest.[^99]
Deutsche Bank informally designated Epstein an "Honorary PEP," or politically exposed person, "because of his connections to prominent political figures," and a January 2015 compliance escalation cited his relationships with "a prominent former U.S. politician and a member of a European royal family," whom the New York regulator did not name. In October 2008, while Epstein was serving his Florida sentence, Staley sent him the term sheet for "Micawber," a proposed JPMorgan and [[Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation|FDIC]] vehicle to borrow from the [[Federal Reserve]] during the financial crisis; the UK Upper Tribunal found Epstein was the only recipient not involved in the proposal. In a June 4, 2026 letter Wyden wrote that unsealed Justice Department files indicated Epstein "reached out to Russian government officials" to help Black with women with whom Black had settlements or nondisclosure agreements, and acted "as a middleman for Black to pay women"; Black's counsel called the inquiry an attempt to "unfairly harass" a private citizen.[^99][^100]
Deutsche Bank informally designated Epstein an "Honorary PEP," or politically exposed person, "because of his connections to prominent political figures," and a January 2015 compliance escalation cited his relationships with "a prominent former U.S. politician and a member of a European royal family," whom the New York regulator did not name. In October 2008, while Epstein was serving his Florida sentence, Staley sent him the term sheet for "Micawber," a proposed JPMorgan and [[Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation|FDIC]] vehicle to borrow from the [[Federal Reserve]] during the financial crisis; the UK Upper Tribunal found Epstein was the only recipient not involved in the proposal. In a June 4, 2026 letter Wyden wrote that unsealed Justice Department files indicated Epstein "reached out to Russian government officials" to help Black with women with whom Black had settlements or nondisclosure agreements, and acted "as a middleman for Black to pay women"; Black's counsel called the inquiry an attempt to "unfairly harass" a private citizen.[^100][^101]
The post-death litigation produced large settlements. In 2022 Epstein's estate agreed to pay the U.S. Virgin Islands more than 105 million dollars, plus the repayment of 80,576,236 dollars in tax benefits and half the proceeds of Little St. James. In 2023 JPMorgan paid 290 million dollars to victims and 75 million dollars to the Virgin Islands, and Deutsche Bank paid 75 million dollars to victims. Staley, who managed the Epstein banking relationship at JPMorgan before becoming chief executive of Barclays, was banned from senior UK financial roles and fined by the [[Financial Conduct Authority]] in a decision dated May 30, 2023 and published that October, which the Upper Tribunal upheld in June 2025 while reducing the penalty to 1,107,306.92 pounds; the ban took effect with the Authority's Final Notice of July 23, 2025. The [[Epstein Victims' Compensation Program]]'s administrator, [[Jordana Feldman]], announced in 2021 nearly 125 million dollars in payments to 150 eligible claimants; the co-executors' lawyers later put it at 121 million dollars to 136 claimants, and the estate separately settled with 58 women for about 48 million dollars.[^11][^20][^99][^101][^102][^103]
The post-death litigation produced large settlements. In 2022 Epstein's estate agreed to pay the U.S. Virgin Islands more than 105 million dollars, plus the repayment of 80,576,236 dollars in tax benefits and half the proceeds of Little St. James. In 2023 JPMorgan paid 290 million dollars to victims and 75 million dollars to the Virgin Islands, and Deutsche Bank paid 75 million dollars to victims. Staley, who managed the Epstein banking relationship at JPMorgan before becoming chief executive of Barclays, was banned from senior UK financial roles and fined by the [[Financial Conduct Authority]] in a decision dated May 30, 2023 and published that October, which the Upper Tribunal upheld in June 2025 while reducing the penalty to 1,107,306.92 pounds; the ban took effect with the Authority's Final Notice of July 23, 2025. The [[Epstein Victims' Compensation Program]]'s administrator, [[Jordana Feldman]], announced in 2021 nearly 125 million dollars in payments to 150 eligible claimants; the co-executors' lawyers later put it at 121 million dollars to 136 claimants, and the estate separately settled with 58 women for about 48 million dollars.[^11][^20][^100][^102][^103][^104]
### The Virgin Islands Government
According to JPMorgan's 2023 filings in the territory's suit against the bank, Epstein's local affairs were managed by [[Cecile de Jongh]], the office manager of Southern Trust and the wife of Governor [[John de Jongh]] (in office 2007 to 2015), who helped Epstein shape legislation affecting sex-offender monitoring and the Economic Development Commission benefits while Epstein-linked entities paid family expenses. On the day the commission's certificate for Southern Trust was dated, January 24, 2014, Cecile de Jongh asked Epstein to match 15,000 dollars for her husband's final State of the Territory reception and asked Richard Kahn to make out a check to the "Governor's Special Events Fund." The commission's general counsel from 2007 to 2014 was [[Stacey Plaskett]], later the territory's delegate to Congress, who acknowledged receiving about 30,000 dollars in campaign contributions from Epstein and his employees. Epstein's office also handled requests from the Mapp-Potter inaugural committee (10,000 dollars from Southern Trust, December 2014), a Mapp super PAC (75,000 dollars, September 2016), and the Bryan/Roach inaugural committee (25,000 dollars requested, December 2018; payment not shown).[^11][^104][^105]
According to JPMorgan's 2023 filings in the territory's suit against the bank, Epstein's local affairs were managed by [[Cecile de Jongh]], the office manager of Southern Trust and the wife of Governor [[John de Jongh]] (in office 2007 to 2015), who helped Epstein shape legislation affecting sex-offender monitoring and the Economic Development Commission benefits while Epstein-linked entities paid family expenses. On the day the commission's certificate for Southern Trust was dated, January 24, 2014, Cecile de Jongh asked Epstein to match 15,000 dollars for her husband's final State of the Territory reception and asked Richard Kahn to make out a check to the "Governor's Special Events Fund." The commission's general counsel from 2007 to 2014 was [[Stacey Plaskett]], later the territory's delegate to Congress, who acknowledged receiving about 30,000 dollars in campaign contributions from Epstein and his employees. Epstein's office also handled requests from the Mapp-Potter inaugural committee (10,000 dollars from Southern Trust, December 2014), a Mapp super PAC (75,000 dollars, September 2016), and the Bryan/Roach inaugural committee (25,000 dollars requested, December 2018; payment not shown).[^11][^105][^106]
The territory's later Attorney General, [[Denise George]], filed the 2020 suit against the estate and a 2022 suit against JPMorgan, and was removed by Governor Albert Bryan days after the bank suit was filed. According to FBI notes of an October 2, 2023 interview released in January 2026, George said Bryan asked her in 2019 to grant Epstein a waiver of the 21-day travel-notice rule, told her after Epstein's death "He's dead go for it," later pressed her to settle with the estate for 80 million dollars with the attorney [[Henry Smock]] as mediator, and said the estate "just wanted to clear people." Smock had assisted Epstein in the 1998 purchase of Little St. James and was counsel to the [[Virgin Islands Economic Development Authority|Economic Development Authority]] board; he later represented Bryan in a sealed 2023 divorce. Bryan's chief legal counsel, [[David Bornn]], a former employee of Epstein's attorney [[Erika Kellerhals]], called George to relay Kellerhals's question about what she was investigating. Bryan has said Epstein received no special privilege from his administration. The territory recovered about 180 million dollars after legal fees and, as of January 2026, had not filed the accounting of the money that a 2024 law requires.[^20][^106][^107]
The territory's later Attorney General, [[Denise George]], filed the 2020 suit against the estate and a 2022 suit against JPMorgan, and was removed by Governor Albert Bryan days after the bank suit was filed. According to FBI notes of an October 2, 2023 interview released in January 2026, George said Bryan asked her in 2019 to grant Epstein a waiver of the 21-day travel-notice rule, told her after Epstein's death "He's dead go for it," later pressed her to settle with the estate for 80 million dollars with the attorney [[Henry Smock]] as mediator, and said the estate "just wanted to clear people." Smock had assisted Epstein in the 1998 purchase of Little St. James and was counsel to the [[Virgin Islands Economic Development Authority|Economic Development Authority]] board; he later represented Bryan in a sealed 2023 divorce. Bryan's chief legal counsel, [[David Bornn]], a former employee of Epstein's attorney [[Erika Kellerhals]], called George to relay Kellerhals's question about what she was investigating. Bryan has said Epstein received no special privilege from his administration. The territory recovered about 180 million dollars after legal fees and, as of January 2026, had not filed the accounting of the money that a 2024 law requires.[^20][^107][^108]
### The 2019 Federal Charges
In the spring of 2019, months before the arrest, prosecutors in the Southern District of New York obtained the confidential discovery from Giuffre v. Maxwell by serving a grand jury subpoena on Giuffre's law firm, [[Boies Schiller Flexner]], under an April 9, 2019 order. On July 6, 2019, Epstein was arrested at [[Teterboro Airport]] in [[New Jersey]] as he returned from Paris, charged by the office under [[Geoffrey Berman]] with sex trafficking of minors and conspiracy. The case was assigned to the Public Corruption Unit, which typically handles cases involving public officials; Berman declined to explain the assignment. The prosecutors were [[Alex Rossmiller]], [[Alison Moe]], and [[Maurene Comey]].[^1][^108][^109]
In the spring of 2019, months before the arrest, prosecutors in the Southern District of New York obtained the confidential discovery from Giuffre v. Maxwell by serving a grand jury subpoena on Giuffre's law firm, [[Boies Schiller Flexner]], under an April 9, 2019 order. On July 6, 2019, Epstein was arrested at [[Teterboro Airport]] in [[New Jersey]] as he returned from Paris, charged by the office under [[Geoffrey Berman]] with sex trafficking of minors and conspiracy. The case was assigned to the Public Corruption Unit, which typically handles cases involving public officials; Berman declined to explain the assignment. The prosecutors were [[Alex Rossmiller]], [[Alison Moe]], and [[Maurene Comey]].[^1][^109][^110]
The safe in the townhouse held more than 70,000 dollars in cash, 48 loose diamonds, and an expired foreign passport with a photograph that "appears to depict the defendant, but lists a different name," issued within three years of an expired U.S. passport in Epstein's own name. The word "Austrian" entered the docket through the defense's July 16, 2019 letter, which said the passport "expired 32 years ago." The government replied that the passport "contains numerous ingress and egress stamps, including stamps that reflect use of the passport to enter France, Spain, the [[United Kingdom]], and Saudi Arabia in the 1980s." [[Marc Fernich]], Martin Weinberg, and [[Reid Weingarten]] answered that "Epstein was given the passport at issue by a friend," that "some Jewish-Americans were informally advised at the time to carry identification bearing a non-Jewish name when traveling internationally in case of hijacking," and that the stamps "predating his receipt of the document, do not reflect Mr. Epstein's entries or exits." Press reports described the passport as listing a residence in Saudi Arabia. The dispute was not resolved before Epstein's death.[^110][^111][^112]
The safe in the townhouse held more than 70,000 dollars in cash, 48 loose diamonds, and an expired foreign passport with a photograph that "appears to depict the defendant, but lists a different name," issued within three years of an expired U.S. passport in Epstein's own name. The word "Austrian" entered the docket through the defense's July 16, 2019 letter, which said the passport "expired 32 years ago." The government replied that the passport "contains numerous ingress and egress stamps, including stamps that reflect use of the passport to enter France, Spain, the [[United Kingdom]], and Saudi Arabia in the 1980s." [[Marc Fernich]], Martin Weinberg, and [[Reid Weingarten]] answered that "Epstein was given the passport at issue by a friend," that "some Jewish-Americans were informally advised at the time to carry identification bearing a non-Jewish name when traveling internationally in case of hijacking," and that the stamps "predating his receipt of the document, do not reflect Mr. Epstein's entries or exits." Press reports described the passport as listing a residence in Saudi Arabia. The dispute was not resolved before Epstein's death.[^111][^112][^113]
The government's July 16, 2019 detention supplement disclosed that on or about November 30, 2018, two days after the Miami Herald began its series, Epstein wired 100,000 dollars from a trust account he controlled to an individual named as a potential co-conspirator in the 2007 agreement and featured in the series, and that on or about December 3, 2018 he wired 250,000 dollars from the same account to a second potential co-conspirator protected by the agreement, an employee identified in the indictment as having scheduled victims' encounters with him. Both names were redacted with the court's consent. On July 18, 2019 Judge [[Richard M. Berman]], no relation to the U.S. Attorney, ordered him held without bail. On July 31, 2019 a Southern District prosecutor forwarded a New York magazine article on Epstein's finances to colleagues, asking: "Is our Office looking at Epstein for fraud-related offenses?"[^89][^111][^113]
The government's July 16, 2019 detention supplement disclosed that on or about November 30, 2018, two days after the Miami Herald began its series, Epstein wired 100,000 dollars from a trust account he controlled to an individual named as a potential co-conspirator in the 2007 agreement and featured in the series, and that on or about December 3, 2018 he wired 250,000 dollars from the same account to a second potential co-conspirator protected by the agreement, an employee identified in the indictment as having scheduled victims' encounters with him. Both names were redacted with the court's consent. On July 18, 2019 Judge [[Richard M. Berman]], no relation to the U.S. Attorney, ordered him held without bail. On July 31, 2019 a Southern District prosecutor forwarded a New York magazine article on Epstein's finances to colleagues, asking: "Is our Office looking at Epstein for fraud-related offenses?"[^90][^112][^114]
### The Detention at the Metropolitan Correctional Center
At the [[Metropolitan Correctional Center, New York]], Epstein's cellmate was [[Nicholas Tartaglione]], a former police officer held on capital murder charges; a later internal review stated that administrators housed them together because both had high-profile cases and Tartaglione, "a certified death penalty eligible inmate," was "less likely to assault or otherwise try to harm Mr. Epstein." At about 1:27 a.m. on July 23, 2019 officers found Epstein with "a piece of handmade orange cloth around his neck." When he became responsive he told a responding officer that he thought his cellmate "tried to kill him," that the cellmate had tried "to extort money from him," and that "this has been going on for a week," and that he had told only his lawyer. The psychologist who interviewed him that day recorded that he had not told her this. On July 31 he told the Special Investigative Services lieutenant that "he has never had any issues with Tartaglione," that he was "not threatened" by him and that he "feels safe"; Tartaglione told the same investigator that Epstein had once said "fourteen (14) is legal in most states and I don't understand what's the problem here." The investigation found "insufficient evidence" of an assault, an August 2 threat assessment was "inconclusive" as to whether Epstein harmed himself, fought his cellmate, or was assaulted, and the self-mutilation incident report was later expunged.[^114][^115]
At the [[Metropolitan Correctional Center, New York]], Epstein's cellmate was [[Nicholas Tartaglione]], a former police officer held on capital murder charges; a later internal review stated that administrators housed them together because both had high-profile cases and Tartaglione, "a certified death penalty eligible inmate," was "less likely to assault or otherwise try to harm Mr. Epstein." At about 1:27 a.m. on July 23, 2019 officers found Epstein with "a piece of handmade orange cloth around his neck." When he became responsive he told a responding officer that he thought his cellmate "tried to kill him," that the cellmate had tried "to extort money from him," and that "this has been going on for a week," and that he had told only his lawyer. The psychologist who interviewed him that day recorded that he had not told her this. On July 31 he told the Special Investigative Services lieutenant that "he has never had any issues with Tartaglione," that he was "not threatened" by him and that he "feels safe"; Tartaglione told the same investigator that Epstein had once said "fourteen (14) is legal in most states and I don't understand what's the problem here." The investigation found "insufficient evidence" of an assault, an August 2 threat assessment was "inconclusive" as to whether Epstein harmed himself, fought his cellmate, or was assaulted, and the self-mutilation incident report was later expunged.[^115][^116]
On July 30 a psychologist ordered that Epstein always have a cellmate. His next cellmate, according to the internal review, was an inmate held in protective housing who "was confirmed as proffering with the U.S. Attorney's Office." On August 8 Epstein signed a new will in a meeting with his lawyers, unknown to jail officials. On August 9 about 2,000 pages of the Giuffre v. Maxwell record were unsealed, including his 2016 deposition invoking the Fifth Amendment. That day his cellmate was transferred out and not replaced, and a unit manager let him place an unrecorded call on the legal line, supposedly to his mother, who had died in 2004; the Inspector General found he spoke for about 20 minutes with a woman identified as Individual 1, who declined to be interviewed and whose lawyer said she was in Belarus. One of Epstein's attorneys had earlier asked a senior officer "how Epstein could get an unmonitored call."[^108][^114][^115][^116]
On July 30 a psychologist ordered that Epstein always have a cellmate. His next cellmate, according to the internal review, was an inmate held in protective housing who "was confirmed as proffering with the U.S. Attorney's Office." On August 8 Epstein signed a new will in a meeting with his lawyers, unknown to jail officials. On August 9 about 2,000 pages of the Giuffre v. Maxwell record were unsealed, including his 2016 deposition invoking the Fifth Amendment. That day his cellmate was transferred out and not replaced, and a unit manager let him place an unrecorded call on the legal line, supposedly to his mother, who had died in 2004; the Inspector General found he spoke for about 20 minutes with a woman identified as Individual 1, who declined to be interviewed and whose lawyer said she was in Belarus. One of Epstein's attorneys had earlier asked a senior officer "how Epstein could get an unmonitored call."[^109][^115][^116][^117]
### The Death
On August 10, 2019, Epstein was found dead in his cell; nursing records log CPR compressions from 6:35 a.m. Dr. Kristin Roman performed the autopsy on August 11 and first listed the manner of death as "pending"; Chief Medical Examiner [[Barbara Sampson]] changed it to suicide by hanging days later. The guards [[Tova Noel]] and [[Michael Thomas]] had failed to perform required checks and admitted to falsifying records; they were charged in November 2019, entered deferred-prosecution agreements on May 25, 2021, and the charges were dismissed on December 13, 2021, while the Southern District declined to prosecute other staff who had also falsified records. The DVR recording system serving about half the jail's cameras, including those near the cell, failed on July 29 and 30, was discovered on August 8, and was not repaired; one camera on another system recorded the common area but not the cell door. The forensic pathologist [[Michael Baden]], retained by Epstein's brother [[Mark Epstein]], said the fractures of the hyoid bone and thyroid cartilage were more consistent with homicidal strangulation than hanging, while the Medical Examiner stood by the suicide ruling. The Inspector General's June 2023 report attributed the death to the guards' negligence and the jail's failures and "did not uncover evidence contradicting the FBI's determination regarding the absence of criminality." Prison officials cited the August 9 unsealing, "combined with a lack of significant interpersonal connections," among the factors contributing to his death.[^89][^114][^115][^116]
On August 10, 2019, Epstein was found dead in his cell; nursing records log CPR compressions from 6:35 a.m. Dr. Kristin Roman performed the autopsy on August 11 and first listed the manner of death as "pending"; Chief Medical Examiner [[Barbara Sampson]] changed it to suicide by hanging days later. The guards [[Tova Noel]] and [[Michael Thomas]] had failed to perform required checks and admitted to falsifying records; they were charged in November 2019, entered deferred-prosecution agreements on May 25, 2021, and the charges were dismissed on December 13, 2021, while the Southern District declined to prosecute other staff who had also falsified records. The DVR recording system serving about half the jail's cameras, including those near the cell, failed on July 29 and 30, was discovered on August 8, and was not repaired; one camera on another system recorded the common area but not the cell door. The forensic pathologist [[Michael Baden]], retained by Epstein's brother [[Mark Epstein]], said the fractures of the hyoid bone and thyroid cartilage were more consistent with homicidal strangulation than hanging, while the Medical Examiner stood by the suicide ruling. The Inspector General's June 2023 report attributed the death to the guards' negligence and the jail's failures and "did not uncover evidence contradicting the FBI's determination regarding the absence of criminality." Prison officials cited the August 9 unsealing, "combined with a lack of significant interpersonal connections," among the factors contributing to his death.[^90][^115][^116][^117]
Documents released in 2026 showed that JPMorgan filed a suspicious activity report on November 22, 2019 on twelve cash deposits by Noel, the largest 5,000 dollars on July 30, 2019; she was not asked about them in her 2021 interview. A search for "latest on epstein in jail" was run on her workstation at 5:42 and 5:52 a.m. on August 10; she said she did not recall it. On August 19, 2019, a jail employee told the FBI that an inmate said Bureau of Prisons after-action staff "were shredding boxes of paperwork"; the records do not show that the dumpster was searched. The Justice Department and FBI memorandum of July 7, 2025 reaffirmed suicide, citing "the August 19, 2019 autopsy findings" (the autopsy was on August 11) and describing Epstein as locked in "at around 10:40 pm" (the Inspector General dates lock-in to about 8 p.m.); its "full raw" video had been assembled in Adobe Premiere under a Windows account "MJCOLE~1," with close to three minutes missing. Maurene Comey was fired without stated cause on July 16, 2025, nine days after the memorandum.[^115][^116][^117][^118][^119]
Documents released in 2026 showed that JPMorgan filed a suspicious activity report on November 22, 2019 on twelve cash deposits by Noel, the largest 5,000 dollars on July 30, 2019; she was not asked about them in her 2021 interview. A search for "latest on epstein in jail" was run on her workstation at 5:42 and 5:52 a.m. on August 10; she said she did not recall it. On August 19, 2019, a jail employee told the FBI that an inmate said Bureau of Prisons after-action staff "were shredding boxes of paperwork"; the records do not show that the dumpster was searched. The Justice Department and FBI memorandum of July 7, 2025 reaffirmed suicide, citing "the August 19, 2019 autopsy findings" (the autopsy was on August 11) and describing Epstein as locked in "at around 10:40 pm" (the Inspector General dates lock-in to about 8 p.m.); its "full raw" video had been assembled in Adobe Premiere under a Windows account "MJCOLE~1," with close to three minutes missing. Maurene Comey was fired without stated cause on July 16, 2025, nine days after the memorandum.[^116][^117][^118][^119][^120]
### The Estate and the Executors
Epstein's will, signed on August 8, 2019, named Indyke and Kahn as executors and [[Boris Nikolic]], formerly chief science adviser to Bill Gates, as backup executor; Nikolic said he "was not consulted in these matters and I have no intent to fulfill these duties, whatsoever." The will left Nowak 5 million dollars, which Nowak said he has not received. The co-executors valued Epstein's Virgin Islands property at 577,672,654 dollars in the August 15, 2019 probate petition; the estate's February 2021 accounting showed about 240.8 million dollars and September 2026 filings 107.6 million dollars. The 1953 Trust, signed two days before his death, leaves 100 million dollars to [[Karyna Shuliak]], 50 million to Indyke and 25 million to Kahn, paid in that order.[^11][^74][^102][^120]
Epstein's will, signed on August 8, 2019, named Indyke and Kahn as executors and [[Boris Nikolic]], formerly chief science adviser to Bill Gates, as backup executor; Nikolic said he "was not consulted in these matters and I have no intent to fulfill these duties, whatsoever." The will left Nowak 5 million dollars, which Nowak said he has not received. The co-executors valued Epstein's Virgin Islands property at 577,672,654 dollars in the August 15, 2019 probate petition; the estate's February 2021 accounting showed about 240.8 million dollars and September 2026 filings 107.6 million dollars. The 1953 Trust, signed two days before his death, leaves 100 million dollars to [[Karyna Shuliak]], 50 million to Indyke and 25 million to Kahn, paid in that order.[^11][^75][^103][^121]
The territory alleged that Epstein entities paid Indyke more than 16 million dollars and Kahn more than 10 million dollars net from 2011 to 2019 through companies it called shells, and that the two held at least 140 bank accounts with Epstein. Indyke testified in March 2026 that Epstein's 40 million dollars invested in 2015 and 2016 in two funds of [[Valar Ventures]], co-founded by Peter Thiel, was worth about 172 million dollars. The estate agreed in February 2026 to pay up to 35 million dollars to settle a victims' class action against the co-executors (Doe 3 v. Indyke, No. 1:24-cv-01204), and in September 2026 federal prosecutors in Manhattan were reported to be investigating both men, who deny knowing of Epstein's crimes. Wyden's August 2026 report stated that federal prosecutors never questioned Indyke, Kahn or Beller, none of whom has been charged.[^11][^12][^102][^121][^122]
The territory alleged that Epstein entities paid Indyke more than 16 million dollars and Kahn more than 10 million dollars net from 2011 to 2019 through companies it called shells, and that the two held at least 140 bank accounts with Epstein. Indyke testified in March 2026 that Epstein's 40 million dollars invested in 2015 and 2016 in two funds of [[Valar Ventures]], co-founded by Peter Thiel, was worth about 172 million dollars. The estate agreed in February 2026 to pay up to 35 million dollars to settle a victims' class action against the co-executors (Doe 3 v. Indyke, No. 1:24-cv-01204), and in September 2026 federal prosecutors in Manhattan were reported to be investigating both men, who deny knowing of Epstein's crimes. Wyden's August 2026 report stated that federal prosecutors never questioned Indyke, Kahn or Beller, none of whom has been charged.[^11][^12][^103][^122][^123]
### Maxwell and the Giuffre Litigation After 2019
Ghislaine Maxwell was arrested in [[New Hampshire]] in July 2020 and convicted in December 2021 on five federal counts including sex trafficking of a minor, and sentenced to 20 years in June 2022. The Giuffre v. Maxwell summary judgment record ordered released in Brown v. Maxwell was unsealed on August 9, 2019; Maxwell's April 2016 deposition was unsealed on July 23, 2020, and further tranches followed through January 2024. On July 23, 2025 the Second Circuit vacated Preska's December 2019 and January 2020 unsealing orders. Virginia Giuffre died by suicide in Australia in April 2025; her memoir, [[Nobody's Girl]], was published posthumously in 2025. She died intestate, and in November 2025 the Supreme Court of Western Australia appointed [[Ian Torrington Blatchford]] interim administrator; his authority extends to the reopened Giuffre v. Maxwell docket, recaptioned in his name on September 3, 2026, to an arbitration involving Dershowitz, and to a defamation suit against the estate by [[Rina Oh]].[^22][^23][^108][^123][^124]
Ghislaine Maxwell was arrested in [[New Hampshire]] in July 2020 and convicted in December 2021 on five federal counts including sex trafficking of a minor, and sentenced to 20 years in June 2022. The Giuffre v. Maxwell summary judgment record ordered released in Brown v. Maxwell was unsealed on August 9, 2019; Maxwell's April 2016 deposition was unsealed on July 23, 2020, and further tranches followed through January 2024. On July 23, 2025 the Second Circuit vacated Preska's December 2019 and January 2020 unsealing orders. Virginia Giuffre died by suicide in Australia in April 2025; her memoir, [[Nobody's Girl]], was published posthumously in 2025. She died intestate, and in November 2025 the Supreme Court of Western Australia appointed [[Ian Torrington Blatchford]] interim administrator; his authority extends to the reopened Giuffre v. Maxwell docket, recaptioned in his name on September 3, 2026, to an arbitration involving Dershowitz, and to a defamation suit against the estate by [[Rina Oh]].[^22][^23][^109][^124][^125]
On July 18, 2025, Deputy Attorney General [[Todd Blanche]], formerly Trump's personal criminal attorney, entered an appearance in Maxwell's closed criminal case and moved to unseal the grand jury transcripts; Judge [[Paul Engelmayer]] denied the motion on August 11, 2025. Blanche interviewed Maxwell under limited immunity on July 24 and 25, 2025; she said Trump "was always very cordial and very kind to me" and that she did not know how he and Epstein met. On August 1 she was moved to the minimum-security [[Federal Prison Camp Bryan]], and Senator [[Sheldon Whitehouse]] wrote that the transfer "raises questions about whether she has been given special treatment in exchange for political favors."[^125][^126][^127]
On July 18, 2025, Deputy Attorney General [[Todd Blanche]], formerly Trump's personal criminal attorney, entered an appearance in Maxwell's closed criminal case and moved to unseal the grand jury transcripts; Judge [[Paul Engelmayer]] denied the motion on August 11, 2025. Blanche interviewed Maxwell under limited immunity on July 24 and 25, 2025; she said Trump "was always very cordial and very kind to me" and that she did not know how he and Epstein met. On August 1 she was moved to the minimum-security [[Federal Prison Camp Bryan]], and Senator [[Sheldon Whitehouse]] wrote that the transfer "raises questions about whether she has been given special treatment in exchange for political favors."[^126][^127][^128]
### The Epstein Files, 2025 and 2026
On February 27, 2025, Attorney General [[Pam Bondi]] released a "first phase" of [[Epstein Files|Epstein files]] that the department itself described as "largely" previously leaked, and on July 7, 2025, the department and the FBI issued an unsigned memorandum stating that their review "revealed no incriminating 'client list'" and that "no further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted." Senator [[Dick Durbin]] wrote on July 18 that, according to information his office received, FBI records staff reviewing some 100,000 Epstein records in March 2025 "were instructed to 'flag' any records in which President Trump was mentioned." Treasury Secretary [[Scott Bessent]] declined Wyden's March 11, June 16 and September 2, 2025 requests for the Treasury's Epstein suspicious-activity file and on January 22, 2026 said it had given the records to the House Oversight Committee instead.[^12][^117][^128][^129]
On February 27, 2025, Attorney General [[Pam Bondi]] released a "first phase" of [[Epstein Files|Epstein files]] that the department itself described as "largely" previously leaked, and on July 7, 2025, the department and the FBI issued an unsigned memorandum stating that their review "revealed no incriminating 'client list'" and that "no further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted." Senator [[Dick Durbin]] wrote on July 18 that, according to information his office received, FBI records staff reviewing some 100,000 Epstein records in March 2025 "were instructed to 'flag' any records in which President Trump was mentioned." Treasury Secretary [[Scott Bessent]] declined Wyden's March 11, June 16 and September 2, 2025 requests for the Treasury's Epstein suspicious-activity file and on January 22, 2026 said it had given the records to the House Oversight Committee instead.[^12][^118][^129][^130]
A separate strand concerned the 2003 "birthday book" assembled for Epstein's 50th birthday, which the [[The Wall Street Journal|Wall Street Journal]] reported in July 2025 contained a bawdy letter bearing Donald Trump's signature; Trump denied authorship and sued the paper, and the House Oversight Committee released the book on September 8, 2025 under an August 25 subpoena to the estate.[^77]
A separate strand concerned the 2003 "birthday book" assembled for Epstein's 50th birthday, which the [[The Wall Street Journal|Wall Street Journal]] reported in July 2025 contained a bawdy letter bearing Donald Trump's signature; Trump denied authorship and sued the paper, and the House Oversight Committee released the book on September 8, 2025 under an August 25 subpoena to the estate.[^78]
On November 14, 2025, at Trump's request, Bondi assigned [[Jay Clayton]] to investigate Epstein's dealings with Bill Clinton, Larry Summers, Reid Hoffman and JPMorgan Chase. Five days later Trump signed the [[Epstein Files Transparency Act]] (H.R. 4405, Pub. L. No. 119-38), which the House had passed 427 to 1 after a discharge petition by Thomas Massie and [[Ro Khanna]], and which permits withholding records that "would jeopardize an active federal investigation." The department missed the December 19, 2025 deadline, disclosed on December 24 that it had found more than a million additional documents, and on January 30, 2026 published the bulk of the material, bringing the total to nearly 3.5 million pages, including more than 2,000 videos and 180,000 images; its letter to Congress that day stated that about 200,000 pages had been withheld or redacted under privileges the statute does not list.[^28][^130][^131][^132][^133]
On November 14, 2025, at Trump's request, Bondi assigned [[Jay Clayton]] to investigate Epstein's dealings with Bill Clinton, Larry Summers, Reid Hoffman and JPMorgan Chase. Five days later Trump signed the [[Epstein Files Transparency Act]] (H.R. 4405, Pub. L. No. 119-38), which the House had passed 427 to 1 after a discharge petition by Thomas Massie and [[Ro Khanna]], and which permits withholding records that "would jeopardize an active federal investigation." The department missed the December 19, 2025 deadline, disclosed on December 24 that it had found more than a million additional documents, and on January 30, 2026 published the bulk of the material, bringing the total to nearly 3.5 million pages, including more than 2,000 videos and 180,000 images; its letter to Congress that day stated that about 200,000 pages had been withheld or redacted under privileges the statute does not list.[^28][^131][^132][^133][^134]
The January 2026 release stated that "notable individuals and politicians were not redacted"; four senators called that "plainly false" in asking the [[Government Accountability Office]] to review the department's redaction and release process, which the GAO agreed to do in late April 2026, days after the department's inspector general opened its own audit. In February and March 2026 NPR and CNN reported that FBI interview records of a woman who accused both Epstein and Trump were missing from the public library; the department said nothing had been deleted, later published three of the interviews as records mistakenly tagged as duplicates, and NPR counted 37 pages still missing. A White House spokeswoman said Trump "has been totally exonerated on anything relating to Epstein." On January 13, 2026 Massie and Khanna asked Engelmayer to appoint a special master, reporting that the department had "publicly released only 12,285 documents" of "more than 2 million" under review; he denied the motion on January 21, 2026 for want of jurisdiction. On August 11, 2026 Preska authorized the government to release under the Act the Boies Schiller material obtained by the 2019 subpoena, over Maxwell's opposition.[^108][^134][^135][^136][^137]
The January 2026 release stated that "notable individuals and politicians were not redacted"; four senators called that "plainly false" in asking the [[Government Accountability Office]] to review the department's redaction and release process, which the GAO agreed to do in late April 2026, days after the department's inspector general opened its own audit. In February and March 2026 NPR and CNN reported that FBI interview records of a woman who accused both Epstein and Trump were missing from the public library; the department said nothing had been deleted, later published three of the interviews as records mistakenly tagged as duplicates, and NPR counted 37 pages still missing. A White House spokeswoman said Trump "has been totally exonerated on anything relating to Epstein." On January 13, 2026 Massie and Khanna asked Engelmayer to appoint a special master, reporting that the department had "publicly released only 12,285 documents" of "more than 2 million" under review; he denied the motion on January 21, 2026 for want of jurisdiction. On August 11, 2026 Preska authorized the government to release under the Act the Boies Schiller material obtained by the 2019 subpoena, over Maxwell's opposition.[^109][^135][^136][^137][^138]
The House Oversight Committee subpoenaed Bondi on March 4, 2026; Trump removed her on April 2 and named Blanche acting Attorney General. On March 3, 2026 Finance Committee chairman [[Mike Crapo]] objected to Wyden's request to pass the Produce Epstein Treasury Records Act (S. 2746), citing the House review and the Banking Committee's jurisdiction. Wyden's August 4, 2026 report, "Looking the Other Way," stated that Blanche had intervened to block the [[Drug Enforcement Administration]] from answering his request about a federal investigation in which Epstein and associates had been targets, and that a 60 Minutes interview Wyden taped on March 26, 2026 was not aired after CBS News fired correspondent [[Sharyn Alfonsi]].[^12][^138][^139][^140][^141]
The House Oversight Committee subpoenaed Bondi on March 4, 2026; Trump removed her on April 2 and named Blanche acting Attorney General. On March 3, 2026 Finance Committee chairman [[Mike Crapo]] objected to Wyden's request to pass the Produce Epstein Treasury Records Act (S. 2746), citing the House review and the Banking Committee's jurisdiction. Wyden's August 4, 2026 report, "Looking the Other Way," stated that Blanche had intervened to block the [[Drug Enforcement Administration]] from answering his request about a federal investigation in which Epstein and associates had been targets, and that a 60 Minutes interview Wyden taped on March 26, 2026 was not aired after CBS News fired correspondent [[Sharyn Alfonsi]].[^12][^139][^140][^141][^142]
The 2025 and 2026 releases produced resignations and removals without prosecutions. Summers left the [[OpenAI]] board on November 19, 2025, was banned for life by the [[American Economic Association]] on December 2, 2025, and resigned from Harvard on February 25, 2026, the day after The Boston Globe sent the university its questions; Harvard placed Nowak on leave the same day. Pritzker retired as executive chairman of [[Hyatt Hotels Corporation|Hyatt]] on February 17, 2026, and Ruemmler resigned as general counsel of [[Goldman Sachs]].[^74][^142][^143][^144]
The 2025 and 2026 releases produced resignations and removals without prosecutions. Summers left the [[OpenAI]] board on November 19, 2025, was banned for life by the [[American Economic Association]] on December 2, 2025, and resigned from Harvard on February 25, 2026, the day after The Boston Globe sent the university its questions; Harvard placed Nowak on leave the same day. Pritzker retired as executive chairman of [[Hyatt Hotels Corporation|Hyatt]] on February 17, 2026, and Ruemmler resigned as general counsel of [[Goldman Sachs]].[^75][^143][^144][^145]
### Footnotes
@ -470,89 +470,90 @@ The 2025 and 2026 releases produced resignations and removals without prosecutio
[^56]: Aldhous, Peter. "Jeffrey Epstein Called Himself A 'Science Philanthropist' And Donated Millions To These Researchers," *BuzzFeed News,* July 11, 2019. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/peteraldhous/jeffrey-epstein-sex-trafficking-science-donations
[^57]: Neuman, Scott, and Ava Berger. "Epstein paid for a conference of top scientists in 2006. His motives are now clear," *NPR,* March 9, 2026. https://www.npr.org/2026/03/09/nx-s1-5721150/epstein-scientists-physics-virgin-islands-conference
[^58]: Minsky, Marvin L., Push Singh, and Aaron Sloman. "The St. Thomas Common Sense Symposium: Designing Architectures for Human-Level Intelligence," *AI Magazine* 25, no. 2 (2004): 113. https://doi.org/10.1609/aimag.v25i2.1764 ; Brandom, Russell. "AI pioneer accused of having sex with trafficking victim on Jeffrey Epstein's island," *The Verge,* August 9, 2019. https://www.theverge.com/2019/8/9/20798900/marvin-minsky-jeffrey-epstein-sex-trafficking-island-court-records-unsealed
[^59]: Aldhous, Peter. "Jeffrey Epstein's Links To Scientists Are Even More Extensive Than We Thought," *BuzzFeed News,* August 27, 2019. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/peteraldhous/jeffrey-epstein-science-donations-apologies-statements
[^60]: Goodwin Procter LLP. *Report Concerning Jeffrey Epstein's Interactions with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.* January 10, 2020, pp. 5, 10, 28 n. 28. https://facultygovernance.mit.edu/sites/default/files/20200121GoodwinProcterReport.pdf
[^61]: "Billionaire Leon Black made a $158 million payment to Jeffrey Epstein. Senators want to know why," *CNN Business,* July 25, 2023. https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/25/business/leon-black-jeffrey-epstein-senate-investigation
[^62]: Owermohle, Sarah, and Austin Culpepper. "How Epstein enlisted Harvard scientists to burnish his reputation, and try to make a profit," *CNN,* February 19, 2026. https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/19/politics/harvard-epstein-donations-influence-exclusive
[^63]: Molteni, Megan. "Jeffrey Epstein's tissue samples ignited a furor in the Harvard lab of George Church," *STAT,* February 24, 2026. https://www.statnews.com/2026/02/24/epstein-cell-line-george-church-harvard-personal-genome-project/
[^64]: Farrow, Ronan. "How an Elite University Research Center Concealed Its Relationship with Jeffrey Epstein," *The New Yorker,* September 6, 2019. https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/how-an-elite-university-research-center-concealed-its-relationship-with-jeffrey-epstein
[^65]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library: Peggy Siegal and George Stephanopoulos, "Thursday small dinner for Prince Andrew," November and December 2010, EFTA02411832 (DataSet 11). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02411832.pdf
[^66]: Ponieman, Natan. *Benzinga,* May 2023, on Epstein's private calendar, summarizing the *Wall Street Journal.* https://www.benzinga.com/news/23/05/32134015/private-calendar-reveals-jeffrey-epsteins-meetings-with-cia-director-noamchomsky-and-goldman-sachs ; *The Daily Beast,* May 2023, on Epstein's calendar meetings with Noam Chomsky and William Burns. https://www.thedailybeast.com/epstein-calendar-reveals-meetings-with-noam-chomsky-and-former-cia-chief-william-burns/ ; "The Former Biglaw Partner In Jeffrey Epstein's Private Calendar." *Above the Law,* May 2023, summarizing the *Wall Street Journal.* https://abovethelaw.com/2023/05/the-former-biglaw-partner-in-jeffrey-epsteins-private-calendar/
[^67]: Hamilton, Katherine. "Jeffrey Epstein Moved Money For Noam Chomsky, Paid Bard President Botstein $150,000, Report Says." *Forbes,* May 17, 2023. https://www.forbes.com/sites/katherinehamilton/2023/05/17/jeffrey-epstein-moved-money-for-noam-chomsky-paid-bard-president-botstein-150000-report-says/
[^68]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library: Kathy Ruemmler to Jeffrey Epstein, January 8, 2015, EFTA02386175 (DataSet 11). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02386175.pdf
[^69]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA01348714, DataSet 10, check image, Gratitude America, Ltd, Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, to Leon Botstein, August 1, 2016. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01348714.pdf ; EFTA01348725, DataSet 10, check image, February 3, 2016 (Bates DB-SDNY-0035646). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01348725.pdf ; "Leon Botstein received $150,000 from Jeffrey Epstein," *Inside Higher Ed,* May 18, 2023. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2023/05/18/leon-botstein-received-150000-jeffrey-epstein
[^70]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA01615267, DataSet 10, iMessage log with the contact "Steve Bannon," August 23, 2018, EFTA01615267 to EFTA01615272. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01615267.pdf ; "'Let me see the videotapes': Mark Epstein wants Steve Bannon's 15 hours of unseen footage of his brother," *NBC News,* 2025. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/mark-epstein-steve-bannon-15-hours-brother-jeffrey-epstein-rcna219630
[^71]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library: Tom Pritzker to Jeffrey Epstein, "RE: Re:," August 8, 2016, EFTA01783338 (DataSet 10). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01783338.pdf
[^72]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library: email to Jeffrey Epstein, sender redacted, "Any other," August 12, 2010, EFTA02407727 (DataSet 11). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02407727.pdf ; Saida Sapieva to Lesley Groff, "CONFIRMED: DINNER: Sunday, 8/2," July 31, 2015, EFTA00344556, and reply chain, EFTA00344564 (DataSet 9). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00344556.pdf ; https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00344564.pdf ; email chain, Jeffrey Epstein and a redacted correspondent, February 6, 2016, EFTA01738574 (DataSet 10). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01738574.pdf
[^73]: "Epstein's Silicon Valley ties extended beyond just Musk and Gates." *CNBC,* February 9, 2026. https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/09/tech-leaders-epstein-records-silicon-valley-sergey-brin-thiel-sinofsky-reid-hoffman-musk-gates.html
[^74]: Fernandes, Deirdre, and Tricia L. Nadolny. "Introductions to women. Free flights. Business deals. Jeffrey Epstein's ties to Harvard run deeper than previously known," *The Boston Globe,* February 25, 2026. https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/25/metro/jeffrey-epstein-harvard-spotlight-report/
[^75]: Ruetenik, Daniel, and Graham Kates. "Lutnick and Epstein were in business together, Epstein files show." *CBS News,* February 7, 2026. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/howard-lutnick-jeffrey-epstein-in-business-together/
[^76]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library: FBI Form FD-71A Guardian Complaint Form, "Alleged Money Laundering by Howard Lutnick via BGC Financial and Cantor Fitzgerald," case 50D-NY-3027571, April 23, 2021, EFTA01249210 (DataSet 9); calendar alert, December 20, 2012, EFTA02152992 (DataSet 10). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA01249210.pdf ; https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA02152992.pdf
[^77]: "Birthday letter to Epstein bore Trump's signature, drawing of naked woman, Wall Street Journal reports." *CNN,* July 17, 2025. https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/17/politics/epstein-birthday-letter-trump ; "Trump Epstein letter and drawing from 'birthday book' released." *CNBC,* September 8, 2025. https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/08/trump-epstein-birthday-book-oversight.html
[^78]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library: FBI New York internal email on the Prince Andrew MLAT request, June 8, 2020, EFTA00149598 (DataSet 9). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00149598.pdf
[^79]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library: correspondence of Tomer Toor, Darren Indyke, Ehud Barak and Jeffrey Epstein on the exercise of Carbyne warrants, February and March 2019, EFTA02632339 and EFTA02634615 (DataSet 11); Richard Kahn and Darren Indyke on Carbyne financial statements, March 2019, EFTA01035810 (DataSet 9). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02632339.pdf ; https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02634615.pdf ; https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA01035810.pdf
[^80]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library: Ehud Barak to Jabor Al Thani, copied to Jeffrey Epstein, "Qatar Presentation <> Carbyne 911," January 1, 2019, EFTA02607775, and continuing thread to February 4, 2019, EFTA02628648 (DataSet 11). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02607775.pdf ; https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02628648.pdf
[^81]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library: Jeffrey Epstein to Peter Thiel, May 21, 2018, EFTA01052344 (DataSet 9). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA01052344.pdf
[^82]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library: Jeffrey Epstein and Nicole Junkermann, February 18, 2019, EFTA02630791 (DataSet 11). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02630791.pdf
[^83]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library: iMessage logs with the contact "Vitaly Churkin," November 16, 2015 to January 10, 2017, EFTA01619434, EFTA01619438 and EFTA01619444 (DataSet 10); Lesley Groff, "Churkin to join lunch tomorrow as well," August 28, 2016, EFTA02044775 (DataSet 10); scheduling of Maxim Churkin, July and August 2017, EFTA02219806 (DataSet 11) and EFTA00676901 (DataSet 9). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01619434.pdf ; https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01619438.pdf ; https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01619444.pdf ; https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA02044775.pdf ; https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02219806.pdf ; https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00676901.pdf
[^84]: U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, deposition of William P. Barr, August 18, 2025, transcript released September 2025. https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Barr-Transcript.pdf
[^85]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library: Jeffrey Epstein to Martin Weinberg, "Re: CIA FOIA Request," July 18, 2011, EFTA00915248; Weinberg to Epstein, same date, EFTA00687827; FBI Privacy Waiver and Certification of Identity, EFTA00624683 (DataSet 9). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00915248.pdf ; https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00687827.pdf ; https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00624683.pdf
[^86]: Complaint, Farmer v. United States, No. 1:25-cv-01709-RBW (D.D.C. May 29, 2025), paras. 80, 85-126, 176-185, citing United States v. Epstein, 27 F. Supp. 2d 404 (S.D.N.Y. 1998). https://www.jamesmarshlaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Doc-1-Complaint-05-29-2025.pdf
[^87]: Maria Farmer and Sarah Ransome, Claim for Damage, Injury, or Death (Standard Form 95), signed July 20, 2023. https://www.jamesmarshlaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Farmer-and-Ransome-Jeffrey-Epstein-Notice-of-Claim-FBI-07-20-2023.pdf
[^88]: "Maria Farmer and Marsh Law Firm's Persistent Advocacy Vindicated as FBI Releases Farmer's 1996 Report on Jeffrey Epstein," *Marsh Law Firm,* December 23, 2025. https://www.jamesmarshlaw.com/persistent-advocacy-vindicated/
[^89]: "NYC medical examiner rejects claim that Jeffrey Epstein's death was a homicide." *CNN,* October 30, 2019. https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/30/us/jeffrey-epstein-autopsy-fox ; "Jeffrey Epstein autopsy finds broken bones in his neck." *CNN,* August 15, 2019. https://edition.cnn.com/2019/08/15/us/jeffrey-epstein-autopsy-broken-neck
[^90]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library: "Gmax" to Jeffrey Epstein, December 8, 2009, EFTA02434764 (DataSet 11). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02434764.pdf
[^91]: Suzanne Carlson, "Epstein estate could be ordered to repay more than $144 million in tax breaks," *Virgin Islands Daily News,* February 13, 2020 (ECF No. 158-36 in No. 1:22-cv-10904-JSR). http://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/news/epstein-estate-could-be-ordered-to-repay-more-than-144-million-in-tax-breaks/article_b84d9710-14af-5e69-a890-bcf8265cf8f9.html
[^92]: Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., No. 1:22-cv-10904-JSR (S.D.N.Y.), Expert Report of Jorge Amador, ECF No. 238-31 (filed July 25, 2023), report pp. 6, 16-17, 24, 46, 74. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.591653/gov.uscourts.nysd.591653.238.31.pdf
[^93]: Dechert LLP, Memorandum to the Apollo Conflicts Committee, January 22, 2021, Exhibit 99.1 to Apollo Global Management Form 8-K (January 25, 2021), pp. 3 to 5, 16 to 17. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1411494/000119312521016405/d118102dex991.htm
[^94]: Letter from Senator Ron Wyden to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and FBI Director Kash Patel, March 11, 2025. https://www.finance.senate.gov/download/wyden-letter-to-doj-treasury-fbi-on-epsteinpdf?download=1
[^95]: Settlement Agreement and Release between the Government of the United States Virgin Islands and Leon Black, executed January 20, 2023. https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/usvi_black_settlement_agreement_-_executedpdf.pdf
[^96]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA01071282, DataSet 9, "Checklist for Leon Black Estate Planning and Restructuring," as of October 2, 2013. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA01071282.pdf ; EFTA00982173, DataSet 9, email, Ada Clapp to Jeffrey Epstein, "6.7.13 Checklist for Leon Black Estate Planning and Restructuring-updated 1.14.14," January 21, 2014. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00982173.pdf ; EFTA00702518, DataSet 9, email, Barry J. Cohen to Jeffrey Epstein, "S&C: Leon Black Estate Planning," July 24, 2017. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00702518.pdf
[^97]: Deposition of James Dimon, May 26, 2023, No. 1:22-cv-10904-JSR (S.D.N.Y.), transcript pp. 261-269. https://assets.bwbx.io/documents/users/iqjWHBFdfxIU/rQOuhi8KqiM0/v0
[^98]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02808715, Court Records, Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., No. 1:22-cv-10904 (S.D.N.Y.), letter motion of Motley Rice to Judge Jed S. Rakoff seeking leave to reopen depositions, June 7, 2023 (ECF No. 191). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/Court%20Records/Government%20of%20the%20United%20States%20Virgin%20Islands%20v.%20JPMorgan%20Chase%20Bank%2C%20N.A.%2C%20No.%20122-cv-10904%20(S.D.N.Y.%202022)/EFTA02808715.pdf ; EFTA02808625, Court Records, same case, letter of JPMorgan's counsel in opposition, June 9, 2023. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/Court%20Records/Government%20of%20the%20United%20States%20Virgin%20Islands%20v.%20JPMorgan%20Chase%20Bank%2C%20N.A.%2C%20No.%20122-cv-10904%20(S.D.N.Y.%202022)/EFTA02808625.pdf ; EFTA02814941, Court Records, same case, Order of Judge Jed S. Rakoff, August 2023. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/Court%20Records/Government%20of%20the%20United%20States%20Virgin%20Islands%20v.%20JPMorgan%20Chase%20Bank%2C%20N.A.%2C%20No.%20122-cv-10904%20(S.D.N.Y.%202022)/EFTA02814941.pdf
[^99]: Staley v The Financial Conduct Authority [2025] UKUT 00203 (TCC), decision released June 26, 2025. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/685d21fec2633bd820a92a52/Staley_v_FCA_decision_for_release.pdf
[^100]: New York State Department of Financial Services, Consent Order in the Matter of Deutsche Bank AG et al., July 6, 2020, paras. 26, 33. https://www.dfs.ny.gov/industry_guidance/enforcement_discipline/ea20200706_deutsche_bank ; Letter from Senator Ron Wyden to Chairman James Comer and Ranking Member Robert Garcia, June 4, 2026. https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/wyden_letter_to_house_oversight_on_leon_black-epstein_060426.pdf
[^101]: "JPMorgan settles with Jeffrey Epstein victims for $290 million." *WHYY,* 2023. https://whyy.org/articles/jpmorgan-settlement/ ; "Ex-Barclays CEO Jes Staley fined and banned by UK regulator for Epstein ties." *AP/AOL,* 2023. https://www.aol.com/finance/ex-barclays-ceo-jes-staley-142727090.html
[^102]: Em Steck, "Epstein left millions to his closest advisers. A shrinking estate and new lawsuits may stand in the way," *CNN,* September 21, 2026. https://edition.cnn.com/2026/09/21/politics/jeffrey-epstein-estate-lawsuit-vis
[^103]: Financial Conduct Authority, Final Notice to James Edward Staley, July 23, 2025. https://www.fca.org.uk/publication/final-notices/james-edward-staley-2025.pdf
[^104]: "V.I. Officials Enabled Epstein to Act With Impunity, JPMorgan Alleges in Latest Salvo." *St. Thomas Source,* June 16, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20240721172424/https://stthomassource.com/content/2023/06/16/v-i-officials-enabled-epstein-to-act-with-impunity-jpmorgan-alleges-in-latest-salvo/
[^105]: Carlson, Suzanne. "Court filings show V.I. First Lady's loyalty to Epstein." *Virgin Islands Daily News,* June 21, 2023. https://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/news/court-filings-show-v-i-first-ladys-loyalty-to-epstein/article_c2dca0a7-a243-5365-88c0-389c576ad022.html
[^106]: Carlson, Suzanne. "Docs confirm Bryan pressed for special treatment of sex offender." *Virgin Islands Daily News,* February 2, 2026. https://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/news/docs-confirm-bryan-pressed-for-special-treatment-of-sex-offender/article_5e9483c9-38d2-406c-8bb0-e5757ce287f2.html
[^107]: Carlson, Suzanne. "Bryan unapologetic for texts with Epstein, doubles down on denial of wrongdoing." *Virgin Islands Daily News,* March 3, 2026. https://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/news/bryan-unapologetic-for-texts-with-epstein-doubles-down-on-denial-of-wrongdoing/article_8bab46a1-6075-4c7c-abec-6efb19622e62.html
[^108]: Giuffre v. Maxwell, No. 1:15-cv-07433 (S.D.N.Y.), ECF No. 1360 with Exhibits 2-9 (Feb. 20, 2026), describing In re Grand Jury Subpoena, No. 19-MC-149 (CM) (April 9, 2019 order); Order, ECF No. 1367 (Aug. 11, 2026); Order, ECF No. 1370 (Sept. 3, 2026). https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4355835/ian-torrington-blatchford-as-interim-administrator-of-virginia-giuffres/
[^109]: "Jeffrey Epstein operated a vast sex-trafficking network of underage girls who recruited other victims, prosecutors say." *CNN,* July 8, 2019. https://edition.cnn.com/2019/07/08/us/jeffrey-epstein-monday-court-appearance
[^110]: "Jeffrey Epstein used foreign passport with fake name to enter Saudi Arabia: prosecutors." *NBC News,* July 17, 2019. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/jeffrey-epstein-used-foreign-passport-fake-name-enter-saudi-arabia-n1031046
[^111]: *United States v. Epstein,* No. 1:19-cr-00490-RMB (S.D.N.Y.), ECF No. 23, Letter from AUSA Alison Moe to Judge Richard M. Berman (Supplement to Detention Memorandum), July 16, 2019, pp. 1-3. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.518649/gov.uscourts.nysd.518649.23.0_2.pdf
[^112]: *United States v. Epstein,* No. 1:19-cr-00490-RMB (S.D.N.Y.), ECF No. 30, Letter from AUSA Alison Moe, July 17, 2019 (quoting ECF No. 24 at 7); ECF No. 31, Letter from Marc Fernich, Martin Weinberg, and Reid Weingarten, July 18, 2019. https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/15887848/united-states-v-epstein/
[^113]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library: internal USANYS email, "FW: Fraud and Blackmail: Jeffrey Epstein's Finances," July 31, 2019, EFTA00086657 (DataSet 9). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00086657.pdf
[^114]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library: Federal Bureau of Prisons records of Jeffrey Epstein's detention at MCC New York, July 8 to August 10, 2019, including staff memoranda of July 23, 2019, SIS Inmate Investigative Report NYM-19-0061 (July 31, 2019, pp. EFTA00049239 to 43), and an institution response on cellmate assignments and documentation, EFTA00048963 (DataSet 9). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00048963.pdf
[^115]: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General. *Investigation and Review of the Federal Bureau of Prisons' Custody, Care, and Supervision of Jeffrey Epstein at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York, New York.* Report 23-085, June 2023, pp. iii to iv, 1 to 6, 14 to 20, 58 to 60. https://oig.justice.gov/sites/default/files/reports/23-085.pdf
[^116]: Khurshudyan, Isabelle. "Epstein files shed new light on what prison officials were doing the night he died." *CNN,* March 26, 2026. https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/26/politics/epstein-files-prison-officials-night-he-died ; "Jeffrey Epstein's autopsy: A closer look." *CBS News, 60 Minutes,* January 5, 2020. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jeffrey-epstein-autopsy-a-closer-look-60-minutes-2020-01-05/
[^117]: U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation, unsigned memorandum on review of investigative holdings relating to Jeffrey Epstein, July 7, 2025. https://www.justice.gov/opa/media/1407001/dl?inline
[^118]: Eastham, Janet. "'Suspicious' payments to last guard who saw Epstein." *The Telegraph* via *Yahoo News,* March 8, 2026. https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/epstein-prison-guard-made-suspicious-132416347.html ; "Hany Farid and WIRED Analyze the Department of Justice's Released Epstein Video, Find Anomalies with Metadata." *UC Berkeley School of Information,* July 2025. https://www.ischool.berkeley.edu/news/2025/hany-farid-and-wired-analyze-department-justices-released-epstein-video-find-anomalies ; "Jeffrey Epstein prison video had nearly 3 minutes cut from it: report." *LiveNOW from FOX,* July 2025. https://www.livenowfox.com/news/epstein-prison-video-edit-discrepancy
[^119]: "Maurene Comey, prosecutor in Epstein and Combs cases and daughter of former FBI director, sues after being fired." *CNN,* September 15, 2025. https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/15/politics/maurene-comey-justice-department-lawsuit ; Comey v. United States Department of Justice, No. 1:25-cv-07625 (S.D.N.Y.). https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71348216/comey-v-united-states-department-of-justice/
[^120]: "Jeffrey Epstein's Executor Is Ex-Science Adviser to Bill Gates." *Bloomberg,* August 19, 2019. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-08-19/epstein-s-11th-hour-executor-is-ex-science-adviser-to-bill-gates
[^121]: Reuters, "Epstein estate agrees to $35 million settlement in victim class action," *NBC News,* February 20, 2026. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/epstein-estate-agrees-35-million-settlement-victim-class-action-rcna259863 ; Doe 3 v. Indyke, No. 1:24-cv-01204 (S.D.N.Y.). https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/68260876/doe-3-v-indyke/
[^122]: Kaelan Deese, "Two Jeffrey Epstein associates under investigation by New York federal prosecutors," *Washington Examiner,* September 23, 2026. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/justice/4739210/jeffrey-epstein-associates-under-investigation-new-york-federal-prosecutors/
[^123]: "Ghislaine Maxwell Sentenced To 20 Years In Prison." *U.S. Department of Justice, Southern District of New York,* June 28, 2022. https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/ghislaine-maxwell-sentenced-20-years-prison-conspiring-jeffrey-epstein-sexually-abuse
[^124]: "Court Rules Virginia Giuffre Died Without a Will, Appoints Administrator," *Newsweek,* November 26, 2025. https://www.newsweek.com/court-rules-virginia-giuffre-died-without-will-11110482
[^125]: United States v. Maxwell, No. 1:20-cr-00330 (S.D.N.Y.), ECF Nos. 784, 785 (July 18, 2025); ECF No. 809 (Aug. 11, 2025), 794 F. Supp. 3d 215. https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/17318376/united-states-v-maxwell/
[^126]: U.S. Department of Justice, "Interview Transcript, Maxwell, 2025.07.24 (Redacted)." https://www.justice.gov/storage/audio-files/Interview%20Transcript/Interview%20Transcript%20-%20Maxwell%202025.07.24%20(Redacted).pdf
[^127]: Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, letter to William K. Marshall III, Director, Federal Bureau of Prisons, August 7, 2025. https://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-08-07-Letter-to-BOP-Maxwell-Transfer.pdf
[^128]: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs, "Attorney General Pamela Bondi Releases First Phase of Declassified Epstein Files," Press Release No. 25-201, February 27, 2025. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/attorney-general-pamela-bondi-releases-first-phase-declassified-epstein-files
[^129]: Senator Richard J. Durbin, letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, July 18, 2025. https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/download/2025-07-18-rjd-letter-to-ag-bondi-re-epstein?download=1
[^130]: "Bondi taps acting U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton to probe Democrats' ties to Epstein," *The Washington Times,* November 14, 2025. https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/nov/14/bondi-taps-acting-us-attorney-jay-clayton-probe-democrats-ties/
[^131]: Epstein Files Transparency Act, Pub. L. No. 119-38, § 2(c)(1)(C), 139 Stat. 656. https://www.congress.gov/119/plaws/publ38/PLAW-119publ38.pdf ; Office of the Clerk, Roll Call 289, November 18, 2025. https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2025289
[^132]: U.S. Department of Justice, Press Release No. 26-84, January 30, 2026. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/department-justice-publishes-35-million-responsive-pages-compliance-epstein-files
[^133]: Pamela J. Bondi and Todd Blanche, letter to Congress, January 30, 2026, p. 4. https://www.justice.gov/letter-to-congress.pdf
[^134]: United States v. Maxwell, No. 20 Cr. 330 (PAE) (S.D.N.Y. Jan. 21, 2026), Opinion and Order, ECF No. 844. https://www.nysd.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/2026-01/Maxwell%2020cr330%20-%20Opinion%20%26%20Order%201.21.26.pdf
[^135]: Senators Jeffrey A. Merkley, Lisa Murkowski, Ben Ray Luján and Richard J. Durbin, letter to Acting Comptroller General Orice Williams Brown, March 11, 2026. https://www.merkley.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/GAO-Epstein-Files-Redactions-Review-Letter.pdf
[^136]: "Government watchdog to review DOJ's handling of the Epstein files," *NBC News,* April 2026. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/government-watchdog-review-dojs-handling-epstein-files-rcna342513
[^137]: "DOJ removed, withheld Epstein files related to accusations about Trump," *NPR,* February 24, 2026. https://www.npr.org/2026/02/24/nx-s1-5723968/epstein-files-trump-accusation-maxwell ; "Justice Department posts more Epstein files related to accusations about Trump," *NPR,* March 5, 2026. https://www.npr.org/2026/03/05/nx-s1-5737562/justice-department-missing-epstein-files-trump ; *CNN,* February 24, 2026. https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/24/us/epstein-files-trump-accuser-missing-files-invs
[^138]: Congressional Record, vol. 172, no. 40 (March 3, 2026), pp. S748 ff. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CREC-2026-03-03/html/CREC-2026-03-03-pt1-PgS748-2.htm
[^139]: U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, "Wyden Releases New Report on Failure of Wall Street Banks to Blow the Whistle on Jeffrey Epstein's Sex Trafficking and Money Laundering Schemes," August 4, 2026. https://www.finance.senate.gov/ranking-members-news/wyden-releases-new-report-on-failure-of-wall-street-banks-to-blow-the-whistle-on-jeffrey-epsteins-sex-trafficking-and-money-laundering-schemes
[^140]: Dareh Gregorian et al., "House Oversight Committee votes to subpoena Pam Bondi for testimony on Epstein files," *NBC News,* March 4, 2026. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/pam-bondi-subpoenaed-testify-epstein-files-house-oversight-committee-rcna261779
[^141]: "Trump fires Pam Bondi as attorney general, installs Todd Blanche as acting AG," *CBS News,* April 2, 2026. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-pam-bondi-attorney-general/
[^142]: "Summers Resigns From OpenAI Board Amid Backlash Over Epstein Emails." *The Harvard Crimson,* November 19, 2025. https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2025/11/19/summers-resigns-open-ai/ ; "Larry Summers banned for life from American Economic Association." Associated Press via *Fortune,* December 3, 2025. https://fortune.com/2025/12/03/larry-summers-banned-for-life-from-american-economic-association
[^143]: Chapman, Michelle. "Thomas Pritzker steps down from Hyatt board, saying he deeply regrets association with Epstein." Associated Press via *PBS NewsHour,* February 17, 2026. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/thomas-pritzker-steps-down-from-hyatt-board-saying-he-deeply-regrets-association-with-epstein
[^144]: *CBS News,* February 2026, on Ruemmler's resignation as Goldman Sachs general counsel. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kathryn-ruemmler-resigning-from-goldman-sachs-epstein-files/
[^59]: EFTA00328899, U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, Data Set 9, https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00328899.pdf; EFTA00714297, U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, Data Set 9, https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00714297.pdf; EFTA00337558, U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, Data Set 9, https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00337558.pdf.
[^60]: Aldhous, Peter. "Jeffrey Epstein's Links To Scientists Are Even More Extensive Than We Thought," *BuzzFeed News,* August 27, 2019. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/peteraldhous/jeffrey-epstein-science-donations-apologies-statements
[^61]: Goodwin Procter LLP. *Report Concerning Jeffrey Epstein's Interactions with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.* January 10, 2020, pp. 5, 10, 28 n. 28. https://facultygovernance.mit.edu/sites/default/files/20200121GoodwinProcterReport.pdf
[^62]: "Billionaire Leon Black made a $158 million payment to Jeffrey Epstein. Senators want to know why," *CNN Business,* July 25, 2023. https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/25/business/leon-black-jeffrey-epstein-senate-investigation
[^63]: Owermohle, Sarah, and Austin Culpepper. "How Epstein enlisted Harvard scientists to burnish his reputation, and try to make a profit," *CNN,* February 19, 2026. https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/19/politics/harvard-epstein-donations-influence-exclusive
[^64]: Molteni, Megan. "Jeffrey Epstein's tissue samples ignited a furor in the Harvard lab of George Church," *STAT,* February 24, 2026. https://www.statnews.com/2026/02/24/epstein-cell-line-george-church-harvard-personal-genome-project/
[^65]: Farrow, Ronan. "How an Elite University Research Center Concealed Its Relationship with Jeffrey Epstein," *The New Yorker,* September 6, 2019. https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/how-an-elite-university-research-center-concealed-its-relationship-with-jeffrey-epstein
[^66]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library: Peggy Siegal and George Stephanopoulos, "Thursday small dinner for Prince Andrew," November and December 2010, EFTA02411832 (DataSet 11). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02411832.pdf
[^67]: Ponieman, Natan. *Benzinga,* May 2023, on Epstein's private calendar, summarizing the *Wall Street Journal.* https://www.benzinga.com/news/23/05/32134015/private-calendar-reveals-jeffrey-epsteins-meetings-with-cia-director-noamchomsky-and-goldman-sachs ; *The Daily Beast,* May 2023, on Epstein's calendar meetings with Noam Chomsky and William Burns. https://www.thedailybeast.com/epstein-calendar-reveals-meetings-with-noam-chomsky-and-former-cia-chief-william-burns/ ; "The Former Biglaw Partner In Jeffrey Epstein's Private Calendar." *Above the Law,* May 2023, summarizing the *Wall Street Journal.* https://abovethelaw.com/2023/05/the-former-biglaw-partner-in-jeffrey-epsteins-private-calendar/
[^68]: Hamilton, Katherine. "Jeffrey Epstein Moved Money For Noam Chomsky, Paid Bard President Botstein $150,000, Report Says." *Forbes,* May 17, 2023. https://www.forbes.com/sites/katherinehamilton/2023/05/17/jeffrey-epstein-moved-money-for-noam-chomsky-paid-bard-president-botstein-150000-report-says/
[^69]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library: Kathy Ruemmler to Jeffrey Epstein, January 8, 2015, EFTA02386175 (DataSet 11). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02386175.pdf
[^70]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA01348714, DataSet 10, check image, Gratitude America, Ltd, Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, to Leon Botstein, August 1, 2016. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01348714.pdf ; EFTA01348725, DataSet 10, check image, February 3, 2016 (Bates DB-SDNY-0035646). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01348725.pdf ; "Leon Botstein received $150,000 from Jeffrey Epstein," *Inside Higher Ed,* May 18, 2023. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2023/05/18/leon-botstein-received-150000-jeffrey-epstein
[^71]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA01615267, DataSet 10, iMessage log with the contact "Steve Bannon," August 23, 2018, EFTA01615267 to EFTA01615272. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01615267.pdf ; "'Let me see the videotapes': Mark Epstein wants Steve Bannon's 15 hours of unseen footage of his brother," *NBC News,* 2025. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/mark-epstein-steve-bannon-15-hours-brother-jeffrey-epstein-rcna219630
[^72]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library: Tom Pritzker to Jeffrey Epstein, "RE: Re:," August 8, 2016, EFTA01783338 (DataSet 10). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01783338.pdf
[^73]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library: email to Jeffrey Epstein, sender redacted, "Any other," August 12, 2010, EFTA02407727 (DataSet 11). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02407727.pdf ; Saida Sapieva to Lesley Groff, "CONFIRMED: DINNER: Sunday, 8/2," July 31, 2015, EFTA00344556, and reply chain, EFTA00344564 (DataSet 9). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00344556.pdf ; https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00344564.pdf ; email chain, Jeffrey Epstein and a redacted correspondent, February 6, 2016, EFTA01738574 (DataSet 10). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01738574.pdf
[^74]: "Epstein's Silicon Valley ties extended beyond just Musk and Gates." *CNBC,* February 9, 2026. https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/09/tech-leaders-epstein-records-silicon-valley-sergey-brin-thiel-sinofsky-reid-hoffman-musk-gates.html
[^75]: Fernandes, Deirdre, and Tricia L. Nadolny. "Introductions to women. Free flights. Business deals. Jeffrey Epstein's ties to Harvard run deeper than previously known," *The Boston Globe,* February 25, 2026. https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/25/metro/jeffrey-epstein-harvard-spotlight-report/
[^76]: Ruetenik, Daniel, and Graham Kates. "Lutnick and Epstein were in business together, Epstein files show." *CBS News,* February 7, 2026. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/howard-lutnick-jeffrey-epstein-in-business-together/
[^77]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library: FBI Form FD-71A Guardian Complaint Form, "Alleged Money Laundering by Howard Lutnick via BGC Financial and Cantor Fitzgerald," case 50D-NY-3027571, April 23, 2021, EFTA01249210 (DataSet 9); calendar alert, December 20, 2012, EFTA02152992 (DataSet 10). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA01249210.pdf ; https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA02152992.pdf
[^78]: "Birthday letter to Epstein bore Trump's signature, drawing of naked woman, Wall Street Journal reports." *CNN,* July 17, 2025. https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/17/politics/epstein-birthday-letter-trump ; "Trump Epstein letter and drawing from 'birthday book' released." *CNBC,* September 8, 2025. https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/08/trump-epstein-birthday-book-oversight.html
[^79]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library: FBI New York internal email on the Prince Andrew MLAT request, June 8, 2020, EFTA00149598 (DataSet 9). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00149598.pdf
[^80]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library: correspondence of Tomer Toor, Darren Indyke, Ehud Barak and Jeffrey Epstein on the exercise of Carbyne warrants, February and March 2019, EFTA02632339 and EFTA02634615 (DataSet 11); Richard Kahn and Darren Indyke on Carbyne financial statements, March 2019, EFTA01035810 (DataSet 9). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02632339.pdf ; https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02634615.pdf ; https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA01035810.pdf
[^81]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library: Ehud Barak to Jabor Al Thani, copied to Jeffrey Epstein, "Qatar Presentation <> Carbyne 911," January 1, 2019, EFTA02607775, and continuing thread to February 4, 2019, EFTA02628648 (DataSet 11). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02607775.pdf ; https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02628648.pdf
[^82]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library: Jeffrey Epstein to Peter Thiel, May 21, 2018, EFTA01052344 (DataSet 9). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA01052344.pdf
[^83]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library: Jeffrey Epstein and Nicole Junkermann, February 18, 2019, EFTA02630791 (DataSet 11). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02630791.pdf
[^84]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library: iMessage logs with the contact "Vitaly Churkin," November 16, 2015 to January 10, 2017, EFTA01619434, EFTA01619438 and EFTA01619444 (DataSet 10); Lesley Groff, "Churkin to join lunch tomorrow as well," August 28, 2016, EFTA02044775 (DataSet 10); scheduling of Maxim Churkin, July and August 2017, EFTA02219806 (DataSet 11) and EFTA00676901 (DataSet 9). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01619434.pdf ; https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01619438.pdf ; https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01619444.pdf ; https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA02044775.pdf ; https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02219806.pdf ; https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00676901.pdf
[^85]: U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, deposition of William P. Barr, August 18, 2025, transcript released September 2025. https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Barr-Transcript.pdf
[^86]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library: Jeffrey Epstein to Martin Weinberg, "Re: CIA FOIA Request," July 18, 2011, EFTA00915248; Weinberg to Epstein, same date, EFTA00687827; FBI Privacy Waiver and Certification of Identity, EFTA00624683 (DataSet 9). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00915248.pdf ; https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00687827.pdf ; https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00624683.pdf
[^87]: Complaint, Farmer v. United States, No. 1:25-cv-01709-RBW (D.D.C. May 29, 2025), paras. 80, 85-126, 176-185, citing United States v. Epstein, 27 F. Supp. 2d 404 (S.D.N.Y. 1998). https://www.jamesmarshlaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Doc-1-Complaint-05-29-2025.pdf
[^88]: Maria Farmer and Sarah Ransome, Claim for Damage, Injury, or Death (Standard Form 95), signed July 20, 2023. https://www.jamesmarshlaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Farmer-and-Ransome-Jeffrey-Epstein-Notice-of-Claim-FBI-07-20-2023.pdf
[^89]: "Maria Farmer and Marsh Law Firm's Persistent Advocacy Vindicated as FBI Releases Farmer's 1996 Report on Jeffrey Epstein," *Marsh Law Firm,* December 23, 2025. https://www.jamesmarshlaw.com/persistent-advocacy-vindicated/
[^90]: "NYC medical examiner rejects claim that Jeffrey Epstein's death was a homicide." *CNN,* October 30, 2019. https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/30/us/jeffrey-epstein-autopsy-fox ; "Jeffrey Epstein autopsy finds broken bones in his neck." *CNN,* August 15, 2019. https://edition.cnn.com/2019/08/15/us/jeffrey-epstein-autopsy-broken-neck
[^91]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library: "Gmax" to Jeffrey Epstein, December 8, 2009, EFTA02434764 (DataSet 11). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02434764.pdf
[^92]: Suzanne Carlson, "Epstein estate could be ordered to repay more than $144 million in tax breaks," *Virgin Islands Daily News,* February 13, 2020 (ECF No. 158-36 in No. 1:22-cv-10904-JSR). http://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/news/epstein-estate-could-be-ordered-to-repay-more-than-144-million-in-tax-breaks/article_b84d9710-14af-5e69-a890-bcf8265cf8f9.html
[^93]: Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., No. 1:22-cv-10904-JSR (S.D.N.Y.), Expert Report of Jorge Amador, ECF No. 238-31 (filed July 25, 2023), report pp. 6, 16-17, 24, 46, 74. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.591653/gov.uscourts.nysd.591653.238.31.pdf
[^94]: Dechert LLP, Memorandum to the Apollo Conflicts Committee, January 22, 2021, Exhibit 99.1 to Apollo Global Management Form 8-K (January 25, 2021), pp. 3 to 5, 16 to 17. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1411494/000119312521016405/d118102dex991.htm
[^95]: Letter from Senator Ron Wyden to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and FBI Director Kash Patel, March 11, 2025. https://www.finance.senate.gov/download/wyden-letter-to-doj-treasury-fbi-on-epsteinpdf?download=1
[^96]: Settlement Agreement and Release between the Government of the United States Virgin Islands and Leon Black, executed January 20, 2023. https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/usvi_black_settlement_agreement_-_executedpdf.pdf
[^97]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA01071282, DataSet 9, "Checklist for Leon Black Estate Planning and Restructuring," as of October 2, 2013. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA01071282.pdf ; EFTA00982173, DataSet 9, email, Ada Clapp to Jeffrey Epstein, "6.7.13 Checklist for Leon Black Estate Planning and Restructuring-updated 1.14.14," January 21, 2014. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00982173.pdf ; EFTA00702518, DataSet 9, email, Barry J. Cohen to Jeffrey Epstein, "S&C: Leon Black Estate Planning," July 24, 2017. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00702518.pdf
[^98]: Deposition of James Dimon, May 26, 2023, No. 1:22-cv-10904-JSR (S.D.N.Y.), transcript pp. 261-269. https://assets.bwbx.io/documents/users/iqjWHBFdfxIU/rQOuhi8KqiM0/v0
[^99]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02808715, Court Records, Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., No. 1:22-cv-10904 (S.D.N.Y.), letter motion of Motley Rice to Judge Jed S. Rakoff seeking leave to reopen depositions, June 7, 2023 (ECF No. 191). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/Court%20Records/Government%20of%20the%20United%20States%20Virgin%20Islands%20v.%20JPMorgan%20Chase%20Bank%2C%20N.A.%2C%20No.%20122-cv-10904%20(S.D.N.Y.%202022)/EFTA02808715.pdf ; EFTA02808625, Court Records, same case, letter of JPMorgan's counsel in opposition, June 9, 2023. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/Court%20Records/Government%20of%20the%20United%20States%20Virgin%20Islands%20v.%20JPMorgan%20Chase%20Bank%2C%20N.A.%2C%20No.%20122-cv-10904%20(S.D.N.Y.%202022)/EFTA02808625.pdf ; EFTA02814941, Court Records, same case, Order of Judge Jed S. Rakoff, August 2023. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/Court%20Records/Government%20of%20the%20United%20States%20Virgin%20Islands%20v.%20JPMorgan%20Chase%20Bank%2C%20N.A.%2C%20No.%20122-cv-10904%20(S.D.N.Y.%202022)/EFTA02814941.pdf
[^100]: Staley v The Financial Conduct Authority [2025] UKUT 00203 (TCC), decision released June 26, 2025. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/685d21fec2633bd820a92a52/Staley_v_FCA_decision_for_release.pdf
[^101]: New York State Department of Financial Services, Consent Order in the Matter of Deutsche Bank AG et al., July 6, 2020, paras. 26, 33. https://www.dfs.ny.gov/industry_guidance/enforcement_discipline/ea20200706_deutsche_bank ; Letter from Senator Ron Wyden to Chairman James Comer and Ranking Member Robert Garcia, June 4, 2026. https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/wyden_letter_to_house_oversight_on_leon_black-epstein_060426.pdf
[^102]: "JPMorgan settles with Jeffrey Epstein victims for $290 million." *WHYY,* 2023. https://whyy.org/articles/jpmorgan-settlement/ ; "Ex-Barclays CEO Jes Staley fined and banned by UK regulator for Epstein ties." *AP/AOL,* 2023. https://www.aol.com/finance/ex-barclays-ceo-jes-staley-142727090.html
[^103]: Em Steck, "Epstein left millions to his closest advisers. A shrinking estate and new lawsuits may stand in the way," *CNN,* September 21, 2026. https://edition.cnn.com/2026/09/21/politics/jeffrey-epstein-estate-lawsuit-vis
[^104]: Financial Conduct Authority, Final Notice to James Edward Staley, July 23, 2025. https://www.fca.org.uk/publication/final-notices/james-edward-staley-2025.pdf
[^105]: "V.I. Officials Enabled Epstein to Act With Impunity, JPMorgan Alleges in Latest Salvo." *St. Thomas Source,* June 16, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20240721172424/https://stthomassource.com/content/2023/06/16/v-i-officials-enabled-epstein-to-act-with-impunity-jpmorgan-alleges-in-latest-salvo/
[^106]: Carlson, Suzanne. "Court filings show V.I. First Lady's loyalty to Epstein." *Virgin Islands Daily News,* June 21, 2023. https://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/news/court-filings-show-v-i-first-ladys-loyalty-to-epstein/article_c2dca0a7-a243-5365-88c0-389c576ad022.html
[^107]: Carlson, Suzanne. "Docs confirm Bryan pressed for special treatment of sex offender." *Virgin Islands Daily News,* February 2, 2026. https://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/news/docs-confirm-bryan-pressed-for-special-treatment-of-sex-offender/article_5e9483c9-38d2-406c-8bb0-e5757ce287f2.html
[^108]: Carlson, Suzanne. "Bryan unapologetic for texts with Epstein, doubles down on denial of wrongdoing." *Virgin Islands Daily News,* March 3, 2026. https://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/news/bryan-unapologetic-for-texts-with-epstein-doubles-down-on-denial-of-wrongdoing/article_8bab46a1-6075-4c7c-abec-6efb19622e62.html
[^109]: Giuffre v. Maxwell, No. 1:15-cv-07433 (S.D.N.Y.), ECF No. 1360 with Exhibits 2-9 (Feb. 20, 2026), describing In re Grand Jury Subpoena, No. 19-MC-149 (CM) (April 9, 2019 order); Order, ECF No. 1367 (Aug. 11, 2026); Order, ECF No. 1370 (Sept. 3, 2026). https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4355835/ian-torrington-blatchford-as-interim-administrator-of-virginia-giuffres/
[^110]: "Jeffrey Epstein operated a vast sex-trafficking network of underage girls who recruited other victims, prosecutors say." *CNN,* July 8, 2019. https://edition.cnn.com/2019/07/08/us/jeffrey-epstein-monday-court-appearance
[^111]: "Jeffrey Epstein used foreign passport with fake name to enter Saudi Arabia: prosecutors." *NBC News,* July 17, 2019. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/jeffrey-epstein-used-foreign-passport-fake-name-enter-saudi-arabia-n1031046
[^112]: *United States v. Epstein,* No. 1:19-cr-00490-RMB (S.D.N.Y.), ECF No. 23, Letter from AUSA Alison Moe to Judge Richard M. Berman (Supplement to Detention Memorandum), July 16, 2019, pp. 1-3. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.518649/gov.uscourts.nysd.518649.23.0_2.pdf
[^113]: *United States v. Epstein,* No. 1:19-cr-00490-RMB (S.D.N.Y.), ECF No. 30, Letter from AUSA Alison Moe, July 17, 2019 (quoting ECF No. 24 at 7); ECF No. 31, Letter from Marc Fernich, Martin Weinberg, and Reid Weingarten, July 18, 2019. https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/15887848/united-states-v-epstein/
[^114]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library: internal USANYS email, "FW: Fraud and Blackmail: Jeffrey Epstein's Finances," July 31, 2019, EFTA00086657 (DataSet 9). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00086657.pdf
[^115]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library: Federal Bureau of Prisons records of Jeffrey Epstein's detention at MCC New York, July 8 to August 10, 2019, including staff memoranda of July 23, 2019, SIS Inmate Investigative Report NYM-19-0061 (July 31, 2019, pp. EFTA00049239 to 43), and an institution response on cellmate assignments and documentation, EFTA00048963 (DataSet 9). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00048963.pdf
[^116]: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General. *Investigation and Review of the Federal Bureau of Prisons' Custody, Care, and Supervision of Jeffrey Epstein at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York, New York.* Report 23-085, June 2023, pp. iii to iv, 1 to 6, 14 to 20, 58 to 60. https://oig.justice.gov/sites/default/files/reports/23-085.pdf
[^117]: Khurshudyan, Isabelle. "Epstein files shed new light on what prison officials were doing the night he died." *CNN,* March 26, 2026. https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/26/politics/epstein-files-prison-officials-night-he-died ; "Jeffrey Epstein's autopsy: A closer look." *CBS News, 60 Minutes,* January 5, 2020. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jeffrey-epstein-autopsy-a-closer-look-60-minutes-2020-01-05/
[^118]: U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation, unsigned memorandum on review of investigative holdings relating to Jeffrey Epstein, July 7, 2025. https://www.justice.gov/opa/media/1407001/dl?inline
[^119]: Eastham, Janet. "'Suspicious' payments to last guard who saw Epstein." *The Telegraph* via *Yahoo News,* March 8, 2026. https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/epstein-prison-guard-made-suspicious-132416347.html ; "Hany Farid and WIRED Analyze the Department of Justice's Released Epstein Video, Find Anomalies with Metadata." *UC Berkeley School of Information,* July 2025. https://www.ischool.berkeley.edu/news/2025/hany-farid-and-wired-analyze-department-justices-released-epstein-video-find-anomalies ; "Jeffrey Epstein prison video had nearly 3 minutes cut from it: report." *LiveNOW from FOX,* July 2025. https://www.livenowfox.com/news/epstein-prison-video-edit-discrepancy
[^120]: "Maurene Comey, prosecutor in Epstein and Combs cases and daughter of former FBI director, sues after being fired." *CNN,* September 15, 2025. https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/15/politics/maurene-comey-justice-department-lawsuit ; Comey v. United States Department of Justice, No. 1:25-cv-07625 (S.D.N.Y.). https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71348216/comey-v-united-states-department-of-justice/
[^121]: "Jeffrey Epstein's Executor Is Ex-Science Adviser to Bill Gates." *Bloomberg,* August 19, 2019. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-08-19/epstein-s-11th-hour-executor-is-ex-science-adviser-to-bill-gates
[^122]: Reuters, "Epstein estate agrees to $35 million settlement in victim class action," *NBC News,* February 20, 2026. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/epstein-estate-agrees-35-million-settlement-victim-class-action-rcna259863 ; Doe 3 v. Indyke, No. 1:24-cv-01204 (S.D.N.Y.). https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/68260876/doe-3-v-indyke/
[^123]: Kaelan Deese, "Two Jeffrey Epstein associates under investigation by New York federal prosecutors," *Washington Examiner,* September 23, 2026. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/justice/4739210/jeffrey-epstein-associates-under-investigation-new-york-federal-prosecutors/
[^124]: "Ghislaine Maxwell Sentenced To 20 Years In Prison." *U.S. Department of Justice, Southern District of New York,* June 28, 2022. https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/ghislaine-maxwell-sentenced-20-years-prison-conspiring-jeffrey-epstein-sexually-abuse
[^125]: "Court Rules Virginia Giuffre Died Without a Will, Appoints Administrator," *Newsweek,* November 26, 2025. https://www.newsweek.com/court-rules-virginia-giuffre-died-without-will-11110482
[^126]: United States v. Maxwell, No. 1:20-cr-00330 (S.D.N.Y.), ECF Nos. 784, 785 (July 18, 2025); ECF No. 809 (Aug. 11, 2025), 794 F. Supp. 3d 215. https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/17318376/united-states-v-maxwell/
[^127]: U.S. Department of Justice, "Interview Transcript, Maxwell, 2025.07.24 (Redacted)." https://www.justice.gov/storage/audio-files/Interview%20Transcript/Interview%20Transcript%20-%20Maxwell%202025.07.24%20(Redacted).pdf
[^128]: Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, letter to William K. Marshall III, Director, Federal Bureau of Prisons, August 7, 2025. https://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-08-07-Letter-to-BOP-Maxwell-Transfer.pdf
[^129]: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs, "Attorney General Pamela Bondi Releases First Phase of Declassified Epstein Files," Press Release No. 25-201, February 27, 2025. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/attorney-general-pamela-bondi-releases-first-phase-declassified-epstein-files
[^130]: Senator Richard J. Durbin, letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, July 18, 2025. https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/download/2025-07-18-rjd-letter-to-ag-bondi-re-epstein?download=1
[^131]: "Bondi taps acting U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton to probe Democrats' ties to Epstein," *The Washington Times,* November 14, 2025. https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/nov/14/bondi-taps-acting-us-attorney-jay-clayton-probe-democrats-ties/
[^132]: Epstein Files Transparency Act, Pub. L. No. 119-38, § 2(c)(1)(C), 139 Stat. 656. https://www.congress.gov/119/plaws/publ38/PLAW-119publ38.pdf ; Office of the Clerk, Roll Call 289, November 18, 2025. https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2025289
[^133]: U.S. Department of Justice, Press Release No. 26-84, January 30, 2026. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/department-justice-publishes-35-million-responsive-pages-compliance-epstein-files
[^134]: Pamela J. Bondi and Todd Blanche, letter to Congress, January 30, 2026, p. 4. https://www.justice.gov/letter-to-congress.pdf
[^135]: United States v. Maxwell, No. 20 Cr. 330 (PAE) (S.D.N.Y. Jan. 21, 2026), Opinion and Order, ECF No. 844. https://www.nysd.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/2026-01/Maxwell%2020cr330%20-%20Opinion%20%26%20Order%201.21.26.pdf
[^136]: Senators Jeffrey A. Merkley, Lisa Murkowski, Ben Ray Luján and Richard J. Durbin, letter to Acting Comptroller General Orice Williams Brown, March 11, 2026. https://www.merkley.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/GAO-Epstein-Files-Redactions-Review-Letter.pdf
[^137]: "Government watchdog to review DOJ's handling of the Epstein files," *NBC News,* April 2026. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/government-watchdog-review-dojs-handling-epstein-files-rcna342513
[^138]: "DOJ removed, withheld Epstein files related to accusations about Trump," *NPR,* February 24, 2026. https://www.npr.org/2026/02/24/nx-s1-5723968/epstein-files-trump-accusation-maxwell ; "Justice Department posts more Epstein files related to accusations about Trump," *NPR,* March 5, 2026. https://www.npr.org/2026/03/05/nx-s1-5737562/justice-department-missing-epstein-files-trump ; *CNN,* February 24, 2026. https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/24/us/epstein-files-trump-accuser-missing-files-invs
[^139]: Congressional Record, vol. 172, no. 40 (March 3, 2026), pp. S748 ff. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CREC-2026-03-03/html/CREC-2026-03-03-pt1-PgS748-2.htm
[^140]: U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, "Wyden Releases New Report on Failure of Wall Street Banks to Blow the Whistle on Jeffrey Epstein's Sex Trafficking and Money Laundering Schemes," August 4, 2026. https://www.finance.senate.gov/ranking-members-news/wyden-releases-new-report-on-failure-of-wall-street-banks-to-blow-the-whistle-on-jeffrey-epsteins-sex-trafficking-and-money-laundering-schemes
[^141]: Dareh Gregorian et al., "House Oversight Committee votes to subpoena Pam Bondi for testimony on Epstein files," *NBC News,* March 4, 2026. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/pam-bondi-subpoenaed-testify-epstein-files-house-oversight-committee-rcna261779
[^142]: "Trump fires Pam Bondi as attorney general, installs Todd Blanche as acting AG," *CBS News,* April 2, 2026. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-pam-bondi-attorney-general/
[^143]: "Summers Resigns From OpenAI Board Amid Backlash Over Epstein Emails." *The Harvard Crimson,* November 19, 2025. https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2025/11/19/summers-resigns-open-ai/ ; "Larry Summers banned for life from American Economic Association." Associated Press via *Fortune,* December 3, 2025. https://fortune.com/2025/12/03/larry-summers-banned-for-life-from-american-economic-association
[^144]: Chapman, Michelle. "Thomas Pritzker steps down from Hyatt board, saying he deeply regrets association with Epstein." Associated Press via *PBS NewsHour,* February 17, 2026. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/thomas-pritzker-steps-down-from-hyatt-board-saying-he-deeply-regrets-association-with-epstein
[^145]: *CBS News,* February 2026, on Ruemmler's resignation as Goldman Sachs general counsel. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kathryn-ruemmler-resigning-from-goldman-sachs-epstein-files/

7
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/Kit Green.md
View file

@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ aliases:
- Kit Green
- Christopher Green
created: 2026-05-17
updated: 2026-10-02
updated: 2026-10-03
category: "Intelligence & Government"
tags:
- Person
@ -55,7 +55,9 @@ After several scientists at [[Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory]] reported
Following his departure from CIA, Green continued academic and research work in neurophysiology and forensic medicine. He was associated with [[Wayne State University School of Medicine]], where he worked in forensic pathology and neurological research.[^2]
Green contributed as a consultant and scientific advisor to the [[Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program]] (AATIP), the Pentagon's UAP research program that operated from approximately 2007 to 2012 under the direction of [[Luis D. Elizondo III|Luis Elizondo]]. His contribution included review of reported physical and physiological effects on individuals claiming proximity to anomalous aerial phenomena. He published research examining injuries reported by people claiming UAP encounters - a category he termed "exotic wounds" - applying forensic neurological analysis to the reported symptom patterns. This work represented the extension of his long-standing interest in the medical and physiological dimensions of anomalous phenomena from the SRI era into the post-AATIP period.[^3]
Green contributed as a consultant and scientific advisor to the [[Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program]] (AATIP), the Pentagon's UAP research program that operated from approximately 2007 to 2012 under the direction of [[Luis Elizondo]]. His contribution included review of reported physical and physiological effects on individuals claiming proximity to anomalous aerial phenomena. He published research examining injuries reported by people claiming UAP encounters - a category he termed "exotic wounds" - applying forensic neurological analysis to the reported symptom patterns. This work represented the extension of his long-standing interest in the medical and physiological dimensions of anomalous phenomena from the SRI era into the post-AATIP period.[^3]
Elizondo's acknowledgments in 2024 thank "everyone else who worked with and supported AAWSAP/AATIP, especially Dr. Hal Puthoff, Dr. [[Eric Davis]], Dr. Christopher 'Kit' Green, [[Garry Nolan|Dr. Garry Nolan]]," Bigelow and others. The body of the book does not otherwise mention Green by name, and it does not describe his role.[^10]
A [[Defense Electronics]] article of July 1993 in the CIA's Star Gate files, on closed briefings by the Russian scientist [[Igor Smirnov]] on "a computerized acoustic device allegedly capable of implanting thoughts in a person's mind," held from March 17 in [[Northern Virginia|northern Virginia]] and later at the [[University of Kansas Medical Center]], lists among "the non-military attendees" "Dr. [[Richard Nakamura]] of the [[National Institute of Mental Health]] and Dr. Christopher Green, director of [[General Motors]] Corp. (GM) biomedical research department in [[Detroit]]"; whether this is the Green of this page the article does not say.[^4]
@ -78,3 +80,4 @@ An April 15, 1993 transcript of a call between [[Ronald Pandolfi]] and [[C. B. S
[^7]: "Telecon: Ron Pandolphy and Scott Jones," April 15, 1993, enclosure to Farley's letter of April 29, 1995, Clinton Presidential Library, Office of Science and Technology Policy FOIA 01-22, item 46, https://avalonlibrary.net/Grant_Cameron/Clinton_Presidential_Library_collection/OSTP%20-%20FOIA%2001%2022/1995%2004%2029_C.%20Richard%20Farley,%20Jr.%20to%20John%20Gibbons%20-%20OSTP%20-%20FOIA%2001%2022%20-%20item%20no%2046.pdf.
[^8]: Farley, C. Richard, Jr., letter to John H. Gibbons, March 29, 1997, OSTP FOIA 01-22, item 75, same collection.
[^9]: Boylan, Richard J. "UFO/ET-Disclosure Policy Splits Covert Network," *Perceptions,* http://web.archive.org/web/20130831033026/http://www.think-aboutit.com/ufo/aviary.htm. Sole source.
[^10]: Luis Elizondo, *Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs* (New York: William Morrow, 2024), Acknowledgments, p. 250 (placed by interpolation from index entries; the digital copy read carries no pagination); full-text search of the book for "Kit" and "Green" returns this passage only.

83
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/Luis Elizondo.md
View file

@ -5,12 +5,38 @@ tags:
- UFO
- Military
summary: "Elizondo's upbringing was unconventional and deeply shaped by his father, Luis D."
relations:
- type: employed_by
with: "[[Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence]]"
start: 2008
end: 2017-10-04
role: "GS-15 civilian; information-sharing work with DHS and state, local and tribal law enforcement from 2008, counterintelligence and security for AAWSAP from 2009, Director of National Programs, Special Management Staff, Office of the Secretary of Defense (Guantanamo portfolio); resignation effective October 4, 2017, as he wrote"
fn: 4
- type: employed_by
with: "[[To The Stars Academy of Arts & Science]]"
start: 2017
end: 2020-12
role: "chief of security and special programs, in his account; salary cut in half during the period; relationship ended by a call from Tom DeLonge a few days before Christmas 2020"
fn: 19
- type: reported_to
with: "[[Garry Reid]]"
start: 2017
end: 2017-10-04
role: "top boss in the Pentagon chain of command, whom Elizondo wrote he kept out of the loop on AATIP; Elizondo wrote that Reid opened an Air Force Office of Special Investigations inquiry after the resignation"
fn: 19
- type: subject_of
with: "[[NewsNation]]"
role: "NewsNation reported on June 30 and July 29, 2026 on disputes between Elizondo and its correspondent Ross Coulthart and the researcher UAPGerb over his role in the Legacy Program and a rumored disclosure post"
start: 2026-06-30
fn: 11
updated: 2026-10-03
created: 2026-10-03
---
[[Luis Elizondo]] is a former U.S. Army Counterintelligence Special Agent and former employee of the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence. He is a central figure in the effort to disclose information about [[Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena]] (UAP), due to his role leading the [[Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program]] (AATIP), a clandestine [[Pentagon]] program that studied the phenomenon.[^1]
### Early Life and Paternal Influence
Elizondo's upbringing was unconventional and deeply shaped by his father, [[Luis D. Elizondo III]], a Cuban exile with a revolutionary past. His father had initially fought alongside Fidel Castro against the Batista regime, but turned against Castro after his alignment with the Soviet Union. This led to his participation in the [[Bay of Pigs]] invasion and a subsequent two-year imprisonment in Cuba, an experience that left him volatile and deeply anti-authoritarian. This background led him to provide his son with an intense and unusual education in paramilitary skills from the age of seven. Elizondo was taught to assemble and disassemble firearms like the AR-15 and AK-47, build rocket launchers from PVC pipes, read topographical maps, and even how to hot-wire a car. This was all part of his father's preparation for a planned, but never realized, second invasion of Cuba under an operation known as "Alpha 66."[^1]
Elizondo's upbringing was unconventional and deeply shaped by his father, [[Luis D. Elizondo III]], a Cuban exile with a revolutionary past. His father had initially fought alongside [[Fidel Castro]] against the Batista regime, but turned against Castro after his alignment with the [[Soviet Union]]. This led to his participation in the [[Bay of Pigs]] invasion and a subsequent two-year imprisonment in Cuba, an experience that left him volatile and deeply anti-authoritarian. This background led him to provide his son with an intense and unusual education in paramilitary skills from the age of seven. Elizondo was taught to assemble and disassemble firearms like the AR-15 and AK-47, build rocket launchers from PVC pipes, read topographical maps, and even how to hot-wire a car. This was all part of his father's preparation for a planned, but never realized, second invasion of Cuba under an operation known as "Alpha 66."[^1]
Struggling with dyslexia and bullying at school, Elizondo found structure and camaraderie in his high school's Junior ROTC program, which he credits with saving him from a self-destructive path. Despite his academic challenges, he enrolled in the pre-medical program at the University of Miami, double majoring in microbiology and immunology, before enlisting in the [[U.S. Army|US Army]] in 1995.[^1]
@ -36,9 +62,58 @@ Elizondo's involvement with AATIP was not without personal cost. He and his fami
Frustrated by the bureaucratic stonewalling, the refusal of the [[United States Air Force|US Air Force]] to cooperate, and the inability to brief senior leadership like Secretary of Defense [[James Mattis]], Elizondo resigned from the Pentagon on October 4, 2017. His resignation letter to Secretary Mattis, which was later made public, explicitly stated that the Department was not taking the potential threat posed by UAP seriously.[^1]
Working with [[Christopher Mellon]] and [[Jim Semivan]], Elizondo went public. He was the primary source for a landmark New York Times article in December 2017 that disclosed the existence of AATIP and included the first official release of what would become known as the "[[Tic Tac]]," "[[GIMBAL]]," and "[[GoFast]]" UAP videos. This event ignited a global conversation and marked a pivotal moment for the disclosure movement.[^1]
Working with [[Christopher Mellon]] and [[Jim Semivan]], Elizondo went public. He was the primary source for a landmark New York Times article in December 2017 that disclosed the existence of AATIP. The article carried the Navy videos later known as "FLIR1" (Tic Tac) and "[[GIMBAL]]" (the article carried two videos; "GOFAST" followed in March 2018). [[Politico]] reported in 2021 that the [[Washington Headquarters Services]] declassification division approved the videos "for unlimited distribution" inside the government; the Department of Defense stated on April 27, 2020 that it authorized the release of three unclassified Navy videos, which had been circulating in the public domain after "unauthorized releases in 2007 and 2017."[^2][^3] This event ignited a global conversation and marked a pivotal moment for the disclosure movement.[^1]
Post-resignation, Elizondo joined [[To The Stars Academy of Arts & Science]] (TTSA), founded by musician Tom DeLonge, and has worked relentlessly to advocate for UAP transparency. His efforts, in concert with Mellon and others, have been crucial in briefing members of Congress, which led directly to the creation of the [[All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office]] (AARO) and the passage of historic UAP disclosure legislation within the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).[^1]
Post-resignation, Elizondo joined [[To The Stars Academy of Arts & Science]] (TTSA), founded by musician [[Tom DeLonge]], and has worked relentlessly to advocate for UAP transparency. His efforts, in concert with Mellon and others, have been crucial in briefing members of Congress, which led directly to the creation of the [[All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office]] (AARO) and the passage of historic UAP disclosure legislation within the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).[^1]
### Recruitment, offices and resignation, in Elizondo's account
Elizondo wrote that in 2008 he returned to the Department of Defense in the [[Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence]], working on information sharing among the department, the [[Department of Homeland Security]] and state, local and tribal law enforcement, from an eleventh-floor corner office in a building in [[Arlington County, Virginia|Arlington]] that the Pentagon rented and that housed divisions of [[Boeing]] including Phantom Works, at the GS-15 grade, and that in early 2009 his assistant announced two visitors, Jay Stratton and a colleague he calls "Rosemary Caine," who asked for his counterintelligence and security experience for "a highly classified program led out of our office at DIA," which Stratton said he had helped create under the name AAWSAP, later AATIP, and which they said reported "directly to the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and to Congress." After two more meetings he was taken to a tenth-floor office in a Virginia building where he met James Lacatski, who asked "What do you think about UFOs?"; at a second meeting Lacatski told him the program had the support of the DIA director, Lieutenant General [[Michael D. Maples]], and had been funded by Harry Reid, Ted Stevens and Daniel Inouye. Elizondo wrote that an Army friend he calls "John Robert," who served with him in Korea in the 1990s and acted as liaison between another intelligence agency and AAWSAP, had referred him.[^4]
He wrote that after the program lost support at DIA, in 2010, he moved its remnants into his own portfolio as Director of National Programs, Special Management Staff, in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, which managed national-level special access programs for the National Security Council and the White House and, in his case, Guantanamo Bay; that his base was office 3C503A in the Pentagon; that he "dual-used" existing funds so that a video sent for analysis could be tested both as a possible Russian MiG-25 and as a UAP; and that the only contractors who remained with Stratton and himself were Puthoff, a physician he calls Will Livingston and [[Eric Davis]]. He named as his superiors in this period [[Neill Tipton]], whom he described as running the Intelligence Sharing and Foreign Intelligence Relationship Office, and Tipton's boss John Pede.[^5]
Elizondo wrote that in 2016 the Joint Staff declined to give Stratton's OPLAN Interloper an Alternative Compensatory Control Measures designation, that in 2017 he sought a briefing of Secretary of Defense James Mattis through a SECDEF liaison, a White House advisor named Brad Byers and a [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] liaison officer he calls "Shari Smith," that Tipton agreed to take over AATIP and accepted a draft memo but delayed signing it; and that he resigned in a letter to Mattis "effective 4 October 2017," after more than twenty-two years of service, with a second, shorter letter to his chain of command.[^6] He wrote that his immediate supervisor on the Guantanamo portfolio, John Garrity, telephoned that day to say that Garry Reid, whom he described as controlling security, law enforcement and security clearances for the department, wanted to see him; that Reid said he would have to tell people Elizondo was "acting crazy"; and that Reid seized his computers and files, questioned his staff and began an inquiry through the Air Force [[Office of Special Investigations]] which, he wrote, "found no impropriety in my actions."[^7]
After the [[New York Times]] story of December 16, 2017, Elizondo wrote, the Pentagon spokesperson Dana White confirmed his role in AATIP to Politico, but in 2019 the spokesperson [[Christopher Sherwood]] told reporters that "Mr. Elizondo had no responsibilities with regard to the AATIP program," which Elizondo wrote Sherwood privately acknowledged was untrue; that a [[Freedom of Information Act]] response said his electronic files had been deleted as having "no historic value," and that an email transferring AATIP duties to Tipton in 2017 was released in May 2024 after a FOIA appeal; and that after a Defense Department inspector general review Garry Reid was reassigned to DIA as a "special advisor." Elizondo wrote that a Pentagon spokesperson later confirmed that he "provides technical advice on a variety of classified topics for the US Space Force."[^8] The Department of Defense's All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office found in 2024 that AATIP "was never an official DoD program" (see Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program).
### NewsNation, 2025 and 2026
NewsNation's January 16, 2025 article on [[Jake Barber]] stated that "other whistleblowers, including Lue Elizondo and [[David Grusch]], have alleged a secret government UFO program exists but Barber says he knows it's true because he's part of it," and the full-special article of the same month stated that Grusch and Elizondo "say they've been told about it, they believe it exists, but they weren't a part of it themselves."[^9][^10]
On June 30, 2026 NewsNation reported that its special correspondent [[Ross Coulthart]] had said on his "[[Reality Check (NewsNation)|Reality Check]]" podcast that "There are people who bitterly resent and don't think it's a good idea that Lue be appointed to a position of power in UAP transparency, because they think that he was part of a previous agenda that was essentially to try to control the narrative, to restrict what the public is entitled to know about the UAP disclosure," and "I've spoken to people in the [[Legacy Program]] who knew Lue." Elizondo told NewsNation's [[Chris Cuomo]] that "I've committed myself to transparency to the degree that I could," that "I didn't say I worked for the Legacy Program," that "we cannot confirm or deny" statements are not "some sort of implicit 'yes,'" and that "I think Ross is an excellent investigative journalist." The article gives Elizondo's account that he directed the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program and "resigned in 2017 in protest."[^11]
On July 29, 2026 NewsNation reported that the anonymous researcher known online as [[UAPGerb]] (named Sam in the article), speaking to Coulthart, said Elizondo was part of a "controlled narrative" and noted speculation that he was "being positioned for a role with the National Security Council or as an adviser to the White House"; the article states "Elizondo has not confirmed the rumors." In a [[YouTube]] video Elizondo called the claims false, confirmed he was moving to [[Washington, D.C.]] because "fighting for UAP disclosure is a full-time job," and told Coulthart "please, for the love of God, be more careful with who you decide to have on your program." The article states that Elizondo said one narrative, which he claims the researcher made up, was that he and [[James Clapper]], the former [[Director of National Intelligence]], "had colluded to create a network" for "soft disclosure," and quotes Elizondo: "That is 1,000% not accurate. In fact, we never had such a conversation, and Jim Clapper and I never met to have that conversation."[^12]
### Resignation and the December 2017 placement
Elizondo's resignation took effect October 4, 2017, according to the Pentagon; a Pentagon official told Politico that Mattis's receipt of the letter could not be confirmed. His letter to Defense Secretary James Mattis cited "bureaucratic challenges and inflexible mindsets" and the "overwhelming evidence" at "both the classified and unclassified levels," and, [[Keith Kloor]] wrote in *[[The Intercept]]*, "does not mention AATIP or Elizondo's role as its director."[^13][^14] [[Gideon Lewis-Kraus]] wrote that the previous day had been his last day of work, and that on October 4, 2017 [[Leslie Kean]] met him, Hal Puthoff and Jim Semivan in a hotel bar near the Pentagon at the request of Christopher Mellon; Kean told Lewis-Kraus that Elizondo "had incredible gravitas."[^15] Elizondo spoke onstage at the To The Stars Academy of Arts & Science launch later in October 2017.[^15] In an August 2017 email reviewed by Politico he proposed an unclassified "community of interest" database; "Washington Headquarters Services" approved three [[United States Navy|Navy]] videos "for unlimited distribution" within government, and Elizondo, Mellon and others concluded that more was needed. Politico reported in 2021 that the Pentagon "officially acknowledged the existence of the AATIP program and Elizondo's role in it."[^2] In December 2017 Politico quoted Elizondo: "We tried to work within the system. We were trying to take the voodoo out of voodoo science," and he described sightings "often reported in the vicinity of nuclear facilities, either ships at sea or power plants"; the Times quoted his resignation letter's phrase "unusual aerial systems interfering with military weapon platforms and displaying beyond-next-generation capabilities."[^16]
### Pentagon statements beside his account
December 2017: Politico's [[Bryan Bender]] wrote that Pentagon spokeswoman [[Dana White]] "confirmed to Politico that the program existed and was run by Elizondo." June 1, 2019: spokesperson Christopher Sherwood told *The Intercept* that AATIP "did pursue research and investigation into unidentified aerial phenomena" but that "Mr. Elizondo had no responsibilities with regard to the AATIP program while he worked in OUSDI," that he "cannot confirm" White's statement, and that Elizondo "worked for other organizations in DoD." June 13, 2019: [[Susan Gough]] told [[The Black Vault]] that Reid's July 24, 2009 memorandum was authentic and "makes no change to previous statements," and that "Elizondo did interact with the DIA office managing the program while the program was still ongoing, but he did not lead it." Bender wrote on June 2, 2019 that he expected "a much more definitive statement from the Pentagon" and that The Intercept's "assertions and innuendo" were wrong. Elizondo, in the Intercept article, did not respond to requests for comment; he told Kloor earlier in 2019 that he was a government contractor "but it's not what you think it is."[^14][^17]
### Galileo Project
On October 30, 2021 Elizondo and Mellon became research affiliates of [[Harvard University|Harvard]]'s [[Galileo Project]]; Elizondo was quoted: "Deliberate and methodical research, along with strict rigor will help ensure the tenets of the scientific method are followed."[^18] The October 2021 announcement credits both with "two years of patient public and private lobbying" behind the June 2021 ODNI report.[^18]
### Footnotes
[^1]: Elizondo, Luis. *Imminent*. William Morrow, 2024.
[^1]: Elizondo, Luis. *Imminent*. William Morrow, 2024.
[^2]: Bender, Bryan. *Politico Magazine,* May 28, 2021. https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/05/28/ufos-secret-history-government-washington-dc-487900
[^3]: U.S. Department of Defense. "Statement by the Department of Defense on the Release of Historical Navy Videos," April 27, 2020. https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/2165713/statement-by-the-department-of-defense-on-the-release-of-historical-navy-videos/ (read through the Internet Archive capture, https://web.archive.org/web/2020id_/https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/2165713/statement-by-the-department-of-defense-on-the-release-of-historical-navy-videos/).
[^4]: Luis Elizondo, *Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs* (New York: William Morrow, 2024), pp. 3 to 14 (Caine indexed at p. 5; Reid, Bigelow and Maples at pp. 13 to 14). Page numbers are those of the printed index where it lists the passage; the digital copy read carries no pagination, so other pages are interpolated from index entries and may be off by one.
[^5]: Luis Elizondo, *Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs* (New York: William Morrow, 2024), pp. 82 to 93 (Higgins, Tipton and Pede at pp. 87 to 89; Will at p. 90; office 3C503A at p. 93).
[^6]: Luis Elizondo, *Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs* (New York: William Morrow, 2024), pp. 147 to 202 (Interloper at pp. 147 and 186; Byers at pp. 189 and 217; Tipton at p. 192; resignation letter at p. 202).
[^7]: Luis Elizondo, *Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs* (New York: William Morrow, 2024), pp. 202 to 203 and 211.
[^8]: Luis Elizondo, *Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs* (New York: William Morrow, 2024), pp. 209 to 217 and 238 (Dana White at p. 210; Sherwood at p. 217; deletion at p. 212; Space Force statement at p. 238); photograph captions on the email released in May 2024.
[^9]: NewsNation, "UAP whistleblower says UFO retrieval program exists: NewsNation exclusive," January 16, 2025. https://www.newsnationnow.com/space/ufo/uap-whistleblower-ufo-retrieval-program/
[^10]: NewsNation, "Whistleblower reveals UAP retrieval program; object caught on video," January 2025. https://www.newsnationnow.com/space/ufo/hfr-uap-recovery-video-egg-shaped-object-exclusive/
[^11]: Alicia Sitz, "UAP whistleblower Luis Elizondo neither confirms nor denies he was part of government secrecy efforts," NewsNation, updated June 30, 2026. https://www.newsnationnow.com/space/ufo/luis-elizondo-denies-uap-secrecy-efforts/
[^12]: Steph Whiteside and Alicia Sitz, "Elizondo responds to researcher's 'controlled narrative' role rumors," NewsNation, updated July 29, 2026. https://www.newsnationnow.com/space/ufo/elizondo-uap-role-controlled-narrative/
[^13]: Kloor, Keith. "UFOs Won't Go Away." *Issues in Science and Technology,* March 1, 2019. https://issues.org/ufos-wont-go-away/
[^14]: Kloor, Keith. *The Intercept,* June 1, 2019. https://theintercept.com/2019/06/01/ufo-unidentified-history-channel-luis-elizondo-pentagon/
[^15]: Lewis-Kraus, Gideon. *The New Yorker,* May 10, 2021. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/05/10/how-the-pentagon-started-taking-ufos-seriously
[^16]: Bender, Bryan. "The Pentagon's Secret Search for UFOs." *Politico Magazine,* December 16, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/2018id_/https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/12/16/pentagon-ufo-search-harry-reid-216111 ; Cooper, Helene, Ralph Blumenthal and Leslie Kean. *The New York Times,* December 16, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/2023id_/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/16/us/politics/pentagon-program-ufo-harry-reid.html
[^17]: Greenewald, John, Jr. The Black Vault, June 14, 2019. https://www.theblackvault.com/documentarchive/pentagon-reinforces-mr-luis-elizondo-had-no-responsibilities-on-aatip-senator-harry-reids-2009-memo-changes-nothing
[^18]: The Galileo Project, October 30, 2021. https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/files/galileo/files/mellon-elizondo_announcement_final_2.pdf (Internet Archive copy).
[^19]: Luis Elizondo, *Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs* (New York: William Morrow, 2024), pp. 202 to 217 (resignation at p. 202; Garry Reid indexed at pp. 143 to 144, 202 to 203, 209, 212, 215 to 217, 238 to 239) and pp. 205 to 207, 218 and 219 (offer from Tom DeLonge, salary cut and end of the arrangement).

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---
category: "Journalists"
tags:
- Person
- Journalist
- Author
- UFO
- NewYorkTimes
alias:
- Ralph Blumenthal
- Blumenthal, Ralph
summary: "Ralph Blumenthal, a New York Times reporter from 1964 to 2009 and later a Baruch College lecturer, co-wrote the December 2017 AATIP report and wrote The Believer, a 2021 biography of John Mack."
location: "New York City"
relations:
- type: employed_by
with: "[[New York Times]]"
role: "news clerk and reporter, foreign correspondent, investigative reporter, culture reporter, Texas correspondent; contributor after 2009"
start: 1964-06
end: 2009
fn: 1
- type: participant_in
with: "[[December 2017 New York Times AATIP Report]]"
role: "co-author; pitched the story to executive editor Dean Baquet"
start: 2017-12-16
fn: 2
- type: employed_by
with: "[[Baruch College]]"
role: "Distinguished Lecturer"
start: 2010
fn: 1
created: 2026-10-03
updated: 2026-10-03
---
[[Ralph Blumenthal]] joined the *[[New York Times]]* as a news clerk in June 1964 after editing the [[City College of New York]] newspaper *[[The Campus]]* and attending the [[Columbia University]] Graduate School of Journalism. He served as metro and [[Westchester County, New York|Westchester]] correspondent (1964 to 1968), foreign correspondent in [[West Germany]], [[South Vietnam]] and [[Cambodia]] (1968 to 1971), investigative and crime reporter (1971 to 1994), arts and culture reporter (1994 to 2003) and Texas correspondent and Southwest bureau chief (2003 to 2008), returning to the metro staff in 2008. He retired as a staffer in 2009 and continued as a contributor.[^1]
His stated credits include leading the Times metro team that won the [[Pulitzer Prize]] for breaking news coverage of the 1993 [[World Trade Center]] truck bombing, the 1987 team coverage of the [[Tawana Brawley]] case, reporting on [[Geraldine Ferraro]] and her husband [[John Zaccaro]] in 1984, and the first of his seven books, *[[Last Days of the Sicilians]]* (1988), on the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]]'s [[Pizza Connection|Pizza Connection case]]. He received a [[Guggenheim Fellowship]] in 2001, held a Distinguished Lecturer appointment at [[Baruch College]] from 2010 and taught summers at [[Phillips Exeter Academy]].[^1]
### UFO reporting
Blumenthal's website states that "as a Times contributor after retiring as a staffer in 2009, I reported on the secret [[Pentagon]] unit investigating UFOs." His seventh book, *The Believer: Alien Encounters, Hard Science, and the Passion of [[John Mack]]*, was published by [[High Road Books]] of the [[University of New Mexico Press]] on March 15, 2021; in 2023 he and his wife [[Deborah]] published *UFOHS!: Mysteries in the Sky*, a children's picture book.[^1]
[[Gideon Lewis-Kraus]] wrote that when [[Leslie Kean]], whom he described as an "old friend," called him in October 2017 he was "at work on a biography of the [[Harvard University|Harvard]] psychiatrist and alien-abduction researcher [[John E. Mack|John Mack]]." Blumenthal e-mailed executive editor [[Dean Baquet]] to say they wanted to pitch "a sensational and highly confidential time-sensitive story" about a "senior U.S. intelligence official who abruptly quit last month" who had decided to expose "a deeply secret program, long mythologized but now confirmed." After a meeting with the Times's Washington bureau the paper agreed and assigned [[Helene Cooper]].[^2] Blumenthal and Kean later shared bylines on a July 2020 Times article that was corrected the next day on the question of [[Harry Reid]]'s belief about retrieved materials, and on the 2023 reporting on [[David Grusch]].[^2][^3] See [[December 2017 New York Times AATIP Report]].
### Footnotes
[^1]: Blumenthal, Ralph. "Bio." https://ralphblumenthal.com/?p=9 (author's website, first-person biography; credits are his own statements).
[^2]: Lewis-Kraus, Gideon. "How the Pentagon Started Taking U.F.O.s Seriously." *The New Yorker,* May 10, 2021. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/05/10/how-the-pentagon-started-taking-ufos-seriously
[^3]: Baker, Nicholson. "How We Lost Our Minds About UFOs." *New York Magazine,* January 31, 2024. https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/leslie-kean-ufo-sightings-aliens.html

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---
category: "UFO & Anomalous Phenomena"
tags:
- Person
- UAP
- Journalist
- NewsNation
- Australia
alias:
- Ross Coulthart
- Coulthart
summary: "Australian investigative journalist and author of In Plain Sight (2021) who joined NewsNation as special correspondent on November 14, 2023 and reported on David Grusch, Jake Barber and Skywatcher."
relations:
- type: employed_by
with: "[[NewsNation]]"
role: "special correspondent and investigative journalist, effective November 14, 2023"
start: 2023-11-14
fn: 1
- type: employed_by
with: "[[Nine Network]]"
role: "reporter for 60 Minutes, per NewsNation's announcement"
fn: 1
- type: employed_by
with: "[[Seven Network]]"
role: "investigative reporter for Spotlight, most recent post before NewsNation, per NewsNation's announcement"
fn: 1
- type: investigated
with: "[[David Grusch]]"
role: "NewsNation reporting on Grusch from June 2023; the November 14, 2023 announcement says Coulthart will continue it"
start: 2023-06
fn: 2
- type: investigated
with: "[[Sky Watcher]]"
role: "reported on its operations and disappearance, April 2025 to August 2026"
start: 2025-04
fn: 3
created: 2026-10-03
updated: 2026-10-03
---
Ross Coulthart is an [[Australia|Australian]] journalist, documentary producer and author whom [[NewsNation]], a cable network owned by [[Nexstar Media Group]], signed as a special correspondent and investigative journalist on November 14, 2023.[^1] The announcement stated that he would "continue to provide reporting on UFO whistleblower [[David Grusch]], along with the larger investigation into an alleged secret U.S. military operation that is believed to have been retrieving non-human intelligence spacecraft for years."[^1]
### Career before NewsNation
The Nexstar announcement lists, over "three decades in journalism," work at [[The Sydney Morning Herald]], at [[Four Corners]] on the [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]], at [[60 Minutes (Australian TV program)|60 Minutes]] on the [[Nine Network]], most recently as investigative reporter for [[Spotlight (Australian TV program)|Spotlight]] on the [[Seven Network]] and before that as chief investigative reporter for the news program [[Sunday Night (Australian TV program)|Sunday Night]]. It states that he received five [[Walkley Awards]] including the Gold Walkley and a [[Logie Awards|Logie]], that he co-authored six books including The Lost Diggers, Dead Man Running and Above the Law, that his biography of [[Charles Bean]] won the 2015 [[Prime Minister's Literary Awards|Prime Minister's Literary Award]] for Australian History, and that he holds a law degree from [[Victoria University of Wellington]] and lives in [[Sydney]].[^1] His book [[In Plain Sight (Coulthart book)|In Plain Sight]]: An Investigation Into UFOs and Impossible Science is listed as his "latest book," and in 2022 he "began hosting the podcast Need to Know with fellow author, producer, and journalist [[Bryce Zabel]]."[^1] The announcement quoted NewsNation president of news [[Michael Corn]]: "We look forward to offering our viewers more of Ross' outstanding journalism."[^1] His first NewsNation project was "Unsolved: The JFK Assassination," a special timed to the 60th anniversary of the assassination of [[John F. Kennedy]], scheduled for November 19, 2023.[^1] NewsNation was announced in May 2020 as the primetime national newscast of the cable channel [[WGN America]] with a September 1, 2020 target date; Nexstar chairman and chief executive [[Perry Sook]] said it would be "100 percent absent of bias."[^4]
### Grusch and the July 2023 hearing
NewsNation's article "We are not alone: The UFO whistleblower speaks" was entered into the record of the July 26, 2023 hearing of the Subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs of the [[House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform]] by Representative [[Anna Paulina Luna]].[^5] NewsNation wrote in January 2025 that "In June 2023, NewsNation was the first television network to present an interview with Grusch," and that the account "has led to multiple Congressional hearings."[^2][^6]
### Barber and Skywatcher
Coulthart conducted the January 2025 interviews with [[Jake Barber]] and introduced Barber to [[Garry Nolan]] in 2024, according to NewsNation's account of its own reporting.[^7] On Sunday, April 6, 2025 he told "[[NewsNation Prime]]," as reported on April 7, that [[Sky Watcher]] used an "electro-mechanical dog whistle," that "every time they use their dog whistle, it's worked 100% of the time in summoning the phenomenon," and that a video of nine shapes, including a "jellyfish-shaped" object, would follow "within a day."[^3] Appearing on "NewsNation Prime" on Sunday, February 23, 2025, as reported on February 24, he called the [[Department of Defense]] investigation of Barber "an incremental step forward" and said, "So far, I'm a little bit skeptical, but we'll wait and see."[^8]
In an August 2026 column he wrote that "it appears Skywatcher has indeed been dissolved," that "multiple insiders told NewsNation" its team had been "working with and reporting to a number of government agencies, including [[NASA]], the Department of Defense and several intelligence agencies, including the [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]]," and that "[[White House]] sources" told him [[Donald Trump]] "has personally authorized" a government program using Skywatcher's methods; he attributed each statement to unnamed sources.[^9] The column also states, again on the authority of unnamed sources, that Secretary of War [[Pete Hegseth]] "has been tasked with identifying these objects and capturing them for the president" and that the [[Office of the Director of National Intelligence]] is "also said to be involved."[^9] NewsNation published a related question-and-answer episode on August 7, 2026.[^10]
### Dispute with Luis Elizondo, 2026
On an episode of "[[Reality Check (NewsNation)|Reality Check]]" reported by NewsNation on June 30, 2026, Coulthart said "There are people who bitterly resent and don't think it's a good idea that Lue be appointed to a position of power in UAP transparency," and "I've spoken to people in the [[Legacy Program]] who knew Lue."[^11] [[Luis Elizondo]] told NewsNation's [[Chris Cuomo]] that he "didn't say I worked for the Legacy Program," that "I think Ross is an excellent investigative journalist," and that he did not know "where Ross is getting his information; I suspect he has sources."[^11] On July 29, 2026 NewsNation reported that an anonymous researcher known online as [[UAPGerb]] (named Sam in the article), speaking to Coulthart, had said Elizondo and others were part of a "controlled narrative," and that Elizondo, in a [[YouTube]] video, called the claims false and told Coulthart "for the love of God, be more careful with who you decide to have on your program."[^12]
### Footnotes
[^1]: Nexstar Media Group, "NewsNation Signs Award-Winning Journalist Ross Coulthart as a Special Correspondent for the Network," press release, November 14, 2023. https://www.nexstar.tv/newsnation-signs-ross-coulthart-as-special-correspondent/
[^2]: NewsNation, "UAP whistleblower says UFO retrieval program exists," January 16, 2025. https://www.newsnationnow.com/space/ufo/uap-whistleblower-ufo-retrieval-program/
[^3]: Michael Ramsey, "Skywatcher video of 'summoned' UFOs coming soon: Ross Coulthart," NewsNation, updated April 7, 2025. https://www.newsnationnow.com/space/ufo/summoned-ufos-video-ross-coulthart/
[^4]: Robert Feder, "WGN America planning to launch 'News Nation' Sept. 1," Daily Herald, May 7, 2020. https://robertfeder.dailyherald.com/2020/05/07/robservations-wgn-america-planning-launch-news-nation-sept-1/.
[^5]: U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Oversight and Accountability, Subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs, hearing "Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena: Implications on National Security, Public Safety, and Government Transparency," July 26, 2023, Serial No. 118-53, list of submitted documents. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CHRG-118hhrg53022/html/CHRG-118hhrg53022.htm
[^6]: NewsNation, "UAP whistleblower says UFO retrieval program exists: NewsNation exclusive," January 16, 2025. https://www.newsnationnow.com/space/ufo/uap-whistleblower-ufo-retrieval-program/ ; Ross Coulthart, "UAP recovery video shows 'egg-shaped' object: Exclusive," NewsNation, updated January 18, 2025. https://www.newsnationnow.com/space/ufo/uap-recovery-video-shows-egg-shaped-object-exclusive/
[^7]: NewsNation, "Whistleblower reveals UAP retrieval program; object caught on video," January 2025. https://www.newsnationnow.com/space/ufo/hfr-uap-recovery-video-egg-shaped-object-exclusive/
[^8]: Michael Ramsey, "UFO whistleblower Jake Barber's claims being investigated by Pentagon," NewsNation, updated February 24, 2025. https://www.newsnationnow.com/space/ufo/pentagon-investigates-ufo-claims/
[^9]: Ross Coulthart, "Is the Trump administration running a covert UFO program?," NewsNation Reality Check, about August 2026. https://www.newsnationnow.com/podcasts-newsnation/reality-check/trump-administration-covert-ufo-program/amp/
[^10]: Ross Coulthart and Meagan Medick, "Ross Coulthart Q&A: Skywatcher didn't disappear, it went government," NewsNation, updated August 7, 2026. https://www.newsnationnow.com/space/ufo/ross-coulthart-qa-skywatcher-didnt-disappear-it-went-government/
[^11]: Alicia Sitz, "UAP whistleblower Luis Elizondo neither confirms nor denies he was part of government secrecy efforts," NewsNation, updated June 30, 2026. https://www.newsnationnow.com/space/ufo/luis-elizondo-denies-uap-secrecy-efforts/
[^12]: Steph Whiteside and Alicia Sitz, "Elizondo responds to researcher's 'controlled narrative' role rumors," NewsNation, updated July 29, 2026. https://www.newsnationnow.com/space/ufo/elizondo-uap-role-controlled-narrative/

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---
category: "UFO & Anomalous Phenomena"
tags:
- Person
- UAP
- Navy
- Pilot
- Nonprofit
alias:
- Ryan Graves
- Ryan "FOBS" Graves
- Lt. Ryan Graves
summary: "Former Navy F/A-18F pilot of Strike Fighter Squadron 11 who founded Americans for Safe Aerospace and testified before a House Oversight subcommittee on July 26, 2023."
relations:
- type: founded
with: "[[Americans for Safe Aerospace]]"
role: "founder and executive director; District of Columbia filing of March 16, 2023"
start: 2023-03-16
fn: 4
- type: employed_by
with: "[[United States Navy]]"
role: "F/A-18F pilot, Strike Fighter Squadron 11, for a decade"
fn: 1
- type: employed_by
with: "[[BAE Systems]]"
role: "worked on advanced military autonomy applications at FAST Labs, per his congressional biography"
fn: 1
- type: member_of
with: "[[American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics]]"
role: "first chair of its Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Integration & Outreach Committee, per his congressional biography"
fn: 1
created: 2026-10-03
updated: 2026-10-03
---
Ryan Graves is a former [[United States Navy]] lieutenant and F/A-18F pilot who, in the words of his biography submitted to the [[House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform]], "served for a decade, including two deployments in [[Operation Enduring Freedom]] and [[Operation Inherent Resolve]]" and "was the first active duty pilot to come forward publicly about regular sightings of Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon (UAP)."[^1] The same biography states that he "previously worked on advanced military autonomy applications at [[BAE Systems]] FAST Labs," is founder and executive director of [[Americans for Safe Aerospace]], and is the first chair of the [[American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics]] [[Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena]] Integration & Outreach Committee.[^1]
### 2014 Virginia Beach encounters
In his sworn statement of July 26, 2023 Graves said that "In 2014, I was an F-18 Foxtrot pilot in the Navy Fighter Attack Squadron 11, the [[Strike Fighter Squadron 11|Red Rippers]], and I was stationed at [[Naval Air Station Oceana|NAS Oceana]] in [[Virginia Beach]]," that after radar upgrades "we began detecting unknown objects operating in our airspace," and that in Warning Area W-72, ten miles off the coast, "two F-18 Super Hornets were split by a UAP," described as "a dark gray or a black cube inside of a clear sphere" that "came within 50 feet of the lead aircraft."[^2] He said the squadron filed a safety report and "there was no official acknowledgement of the incident and no further mechanism to report the sightings," and "Recognizing the need for action and answers, I founded Americans for Safe Aerospace."[^2] He told the subcommittee that "more than thirty witnesses have come forward and almost 5,000 Americans have joined us."[^2]
### 2019 press accounts
In May 2019 Graves and Lieutenant [[Danny Accoin]], both F/A-18 Super Hornet pilots of the VFA-11 Red Rippers at [[Naval Air Station Oceana]], told the *[[New York Times]]* of unidentified objects they could not explain, flying up to 30,000 feet, appearing almost daily and showing no exhaust or engine plumes. Graves said: "These things would be out there all day. Keeping an aircraft in the air requires a significant amount of energy. With the speeds we observed, 12 hours in the air is 11 hours longer than we'd expect." He dated the start of his experiences to summer 2014, when the squadron was training off the [[USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71)|USS Theodore Roosevelt]]. The two pilots appeared in the six-part [[History (TV channel)|History Channel]] series "[[Unidentified: Inside America's UFO Investigation]]," which premiered on Friday, May 31, 2019. The *Virginian-Pilot* reported that Navy representatives did not respond to its questions, and that a month earlier the Navy had told [[Politico]] it had drafted new rules for reporting "unauthorized and/or unidentified aircraft entering various military-controlled ranges and designated air space in recent years."[^3]
### Questions at the hearing
Representative [[Anna Paulina Luna]] asked him to describe an event at [[Vandenberg Air Force Base]]; he answered that "in the 2003 timeframe, a large group of [[Boeing]] contractors were operating near one of the launch facilities" and observed "a very large 100-yard sighted red square approach the base from the ocean," information "received through one of the witnesses that have approached me at Americans for Safe Aerospace," who he said held "official documentation and records."[^2] He told Chairman [[Glenn Grothman]] that the commercial aviation sector "has not adapted to the lessons that military has implemented," and, asked what steps should be taken, said "There needs to be a location where this information is centralized for processing and there needs to be a two-way communication loop."[^2] [[David Fravor]] and [[David Grusch]] testified at the same hearing.[^2]
### Americans for Safe Aerospace filings
OpenCorporates lists Americans for Safe Aerospace as a District of Columbia domestic nonprofit corporation, number N00007627058, with filings dated March 16, 2023 ("Initial"), June 9, 2023 ("Amendment"), March 28, 2024 (biennial report), July 2, 2025 (good standing) and March 19, 2026 (biennial report), registered agent Corporation Service Company, and ten officers on record (names behind a login); a [[North Carolina]] foreign-nonprofit certificate of authority, number 3088984, was filed on July 16, 2025, with four officers.[^4] The [[Internal Revenue Service]] ruling date is January 2024 and the employer identification number is 92-2948733, with 2025 revenue reported at 77,745 dollars in the ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer data.[^5] The organization's Forms 990-EZ and Schedule A figures are recorded on its own page. Graves's July 2023 count of almost 5,000 members precedes the 990-EZ statements of "over 8000 members" for 2024 and "over 30,000" for 2025.[^2][^6]
Senate lobbying records name no client or registrant called Americans for Safe Aerospace.[^7] The [[Federal Election Commission]] database holds 392 itemized contributions under the name "Graves, Ryan" (reviewed in full on October 3, 2026); the listed employers and occupations include a physician at Banner Health, a Southwest Airlines pilot, an Arcadis engineer and unemployed contributors in [[Washington (state)|Washington]] and [[California]], and none lists the Navy, BAE Systems or Americans for Safe Aerospace, so no contribution was attributed to the founder.[^7]
### Footnotes
[^1]: Ryan Graves, witness biography, House Committee on Oversight and Accountability hearing of July 26, 2023. https://www.congress.gov/118/meeting/house/116282/witnesses/HHRG-118-GO06-Bio-GravesR-20230726.pdf
[^2]: House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, Subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs, "Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena: Implications on National Security, Public Safety, and Government Transparency," July 26, 2023, Serial No. 118-53. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CHRG-118hhrg53022/html/CHRG-118hhrg53022.htm
[^3]: Hafner, Katherine. "...Claim UFO sightings: Unidentified objects seen flying up to 30,000 feet." *Daily Press* (Newport News), May 30, 2019, p. A1, via newspapers.com image 593332765 (a *Virginian-Pilot* staff story; the first words of the headline and the page 5 jump were not read).
[^4]: OpenCorporates, Americans for Safe Aerospace, District of Columbia N00007627058 and North Carolina 3088984, retrieved October 3, 2026. https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_dc/N00007627058 ; https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_nc/3088984 . The incorporation date is hidden behind a login; the earliest dated filing shown is March 16, 2023.
[^5]: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, Americans For Safe Aerospace, EIN 922948733. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/api/v2/organizations/922948733.json
[^6]: Internal Revenue Service, Form 990-EZ, Americans for Safe Aerospace, tax periods ended December 31, 2024 and 2025 (object IDs 202502389349200045 and 202611399349200506), as recorded on the vault page for the organization.
[^7]: Senate Lobbying Disclosure Act database, client name "Americans for Safe Aerospace," October 3, 2026 (no results); OpenFEC schedule A, contributor name "Graves, Ryan," reviewed October 3, 2026. https://api.open.fec.gov/v1/schedules/schedule_a/

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---
category: "UFO & Anomalous Phenomena"
tags:
- Person
- UFO
- UAP
- USNavy
- NOAA
- Oceanography
- SolFoundation
- Disclosure
alias:
- Tim Gallaudet
- Timothy Gallaudet
- Timothy C. Gallaudet
- Timothy Cole Gallaudet
- RDML Tim Gallaudet
- Rear Admiral Tim Gallaudet
- Gallaudet
summary: "Retired Navy rear admiral and oceanographer who served as Assistant Secretary of Commerce and acting NOAA head, testified to the House Oversight Committee on UAP on November 13, 2024 and advises several UAP groups."
location: "United States"
relations:
- type: employed_by
with: "[[United States Navy]]"
role: "oceanographer; Commander, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command; Oceanographer of the Navy; Superintendent of the U.S. Naval Observatory (per his House biography); rear admiral, retired"
fn: 1
- type: employed_by
with: "[[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]"
start: 2017-10-05
role: "Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and deputy administrator; acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere (acting administrator)"
fn: 3
- type: member_of
with: "[[Sol Foundation]]"
start: 2023-11-17
role: "speaker at the 2023 and 2024 symposia; author of Sol paper Vol. 1 No. 1 (March 2024); 'advisory board member' per his November 2024 House biography; 'senior strategic advisor' in his testimony of November 13, 2024; 'Senior Advisor' on the foundation's website (October 3, 2026)"
fn: 1
- type: member_of
with: "[[Americans for Safe Aerospace]]"
role: "advisory board member per his November 2024 biography"
fn: 1
- type: member_of
with: "[[UAP Disclosure Fund]]"
role: "advisory board member per his November 2024 biography"
fn: 1
- type: member_of
with: "[[Galileo Project]]"
role: "research affiliate per his November 2024 biography"
fn: 1
- type: member_of
with: "[[UAP Science Advisory Council]]"
start: 2026-06
role: "oceanography, on the list Avi Loeb supplied to DefenseScoop"
fn: 2
created: 2026-10-03
updated: 2026-10-03
---
Timothy Gallaudet holds a bachelor's degree from the [[United States Naval Academy]] and master's and doctoral degrees from the [[Scripps Institution of Oceanography]]. His biography submitted to the [[House Committee on Oversight and Accountability]] for its November 13, 2024 hearing describes a career as an oceanographer and technology consultant and lists service as acting Under Secretary and Assistant Secretary of Commerce, acting and deputy administrator of the [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]], and [[Oceanographer of the Navy]]. It adds that "his experience as the Superintendent of the [[U.S. Naval Observatory]] gave him a greater appreciation for [UAP's] scientific validity," that he serves as "strategic advisor and board member for several startups, nonprofits, and research institutions in the ocean, weather, environment, and space sectors," and that he is a member of the [[Ocean Studies Board]] of the [[National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine]] and the [[White House Ocean Research Advisory Panel]].[^1]
### Navy and NOAA
[[DefenseScoop]] described him in June 2026 as a retired admiral who had served as commander of the [[Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command]] and as assistant secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere.[^2] The Senate record shows his nomination as Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere (PN897, 115th Congress, vice [[Mark E. Schaefer]]) received on September 5, 2017, a hearing before the [[Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee]] on September 27, 2017 (S. Hrg. 115-642), a favorable report on October 4, 2017 and confirmation by voice vote on October 5, 2017.[^3] On July 24, 2018 he testified before a Senate Commerce subcommittee on NOAA's "[[Blue Economy Initiative]]" under the title "Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere."[^4] The biography footer of his House submission gives the address of his consulting firm as oceanSTL.com.[^1]
### UAP positions
His House biography lists UAP writings in a Sol Foundation paper ("Beneath the Surface: We May Learn More about UAP by Looking in the Ocean," which the foundation's website numbers Volume 1, No. 1, March 2024), in [[The Hill]] and in [[Real Clear Science]], and an appearance on [[The Shawn Ryan Show]], and describes him as "seeking to elevate the scientific study of undersea and transmedium UAP to a national research priority." It names him a research affiliate of the [[Galileo Project]] at [[Harvard University]] and an advisory board member of [[Americans for Safe Aerospace]], the [[UAP Disclosure Fund]] and the [[Sol Foundation]].[^1]
He spoke at the first Sol symposium on November 17 to 18, 2023 in [[Palo Alto, California]] and at the second on November 22 to 23, 2024 in [[San Francisco]].[^5][^6] On November 12, 2024 he transmitted to the committee a letter, signed by [[Garry Nolan]], [[Peter Skafish]], [[Avi Loeb]], [[Christopher Mellon]], [[Luis Elizondo]], [[Diana Walsh Pasulka]], [[John B. Alexander]], [[Michio Kaku]] and others, urging enactment of the review-board provisions of the [[Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Disclosure Act]]; the signers included [[Yuan Fung]] as executive director of the UAP Disclosure Fund.[^7] He appeared as a witness at the committee's November 13, 2024 hearing, "[[Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena]]: Exposing the Truth." Asked by Representative [[Robert Garcia]] about the Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Disclosure Act, he said it "will allow for greater transparency and open research" and that "that is why I am also a member of the UAP Discloser Fund as an advisor and the Sol Foundation as a senior strategic advisor, which is advocating the same" (the transcript prints "Discloser").[^8] The foundation's website lists him as "Senior Advisor" among its executive leadership.[^9]
A March 9, 2025 question-and-answer session after the [[South by Southwest]] premiere of "The Age of Disclosure" is catalogued with Gallaudet, Nolan, [[Karl Nell]], [[Hal Puthoff]], [[Jim Semivan]] and the producer [[Dan Farah]].[^10]
In June 2026 Loeb gave DefenseScoop a roster of twelve members of a UAP Science Advisory Council that includes Gallaudet (oceanography), Nolan, Skafish, [[Michael Shermer]] and [[Ben Lamm]]. Gallaudet told DefenseScoop that he hoped to apply his ocean-science and government-leadership experience "to help the council most effectively accomplish its mission and support the new UAP Governance Board."[^2]
### Footnotes
[^1]: "The Honorable Tim Gallaudet, PhD, Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy (ret)," biography submitted to the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, November 13, 2024. https://docs.house.gov/meetings/GO/GO12/20241113/117721/HHRG-118-GO12-Bio-GallaudetPhDRearAdmiralUSNavyRetT-20241113.pdf
[^2]: "New science advisory council forms to help US government 'resolve the UAP mystery,'" *DefenseScoop*, June 17, 2026. https://defensescoop.com/2026/06/17/new-science-advisory-council-forms-to-help-us-government-resolve-the-uap-mystery/
[^3]: PN897, Nomination of Timothy Gallaudet for Department of Commerce, 115th Congress, action history read October 3, 2026. https://www.congress.gov/nomination/115th-congress/897
[^4]: Written statement of RDML Timothy Gallaudet, Ph.D., USN Ret., Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard, July 24, 2018. https://www.commerce.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/media/doc/7.24.18_Gallaudet_Testimony.pdf
[^5]: Micah Hanks, *The Debrief*, February 12, 2024. https://thedebrief.org/the-sol-foundation-academias-new-uap-think-tank-releases-videos-of-lectures-from-its-inaugural-symposium/
[^6]: Chrissy Newton, *The Debrief*, December 20, 2024. https://thedebrief.org/academics-investors-and-uap-seekers-unite-at-the-2024-sol-foundation-symposium/
[^7]: Statement of Tim Gallaudet with signatory letter dated November 12, 2024, House Committee on Oversight and Accountability. https://docs.house.gov/meetings/GO/GO12/20241113/117721/HHRG-118-GO12-Wstate-GallaudetPhDRearAdmiralUSNavyRetT-20241113-SD001.pdf
[^8]: House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, joint hearing, November 13, 2024. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CHRG-118hhrg57440/html/CHRG-118hhrg57440.htm
[^9]: The Sol Foundation, home page, "People" section, https://thesolfoundation.org/ , read October 3, 2026.
[^10]: Anomaly Archives, "Nell, Karl E.," appearances list. https://anomalyarchives.org/collections/file/nell-karl/

3
10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/Tom DeLonge.md
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@ -13,7 +13,8 @@ location: "Poway, California"
DeLonge has had a lifelong interest in UAP and has used his celebrity to bring attention to the issue. In 2017, he founded [[To The Stars Academy of Arts & Science]] with the goal of creating a platform for serious scientific research into UAP and educating the public about the phenomenon. He assembled a team of former high-ranking government officials and scientists, including [[Luis Elizondo]], [[Christopher Mellon]], [[Jim Semivan]], and [[Hal Puthoff]], to lead the organization.[^1]
TTSA was instrumental in the public release of the three declassified UAP videos - "FLIR" (Tic Tac), "GIMBAL," and "GoFast" - and produced the television show "Unidentified: Inside America's UFO Investigation" on the History Channel. While the organization was not a long-term financial success, it played a crucial role in raising the public profile of the UAP issue and helping to break the long-standing stigma surrounding the topic.[^1]
TTSA published three unclassified Navy videos, "FLIR" ([[Tic Tac]]), "[[GIMBAL]]," and "[[GoFast]]," which the [[Department of Defense]] stated on April 27, 2020 it had authorized for release after "unauthorized releases in 2007 and 2017,"[^2] and produced the television show "Unidentified: Inside America's UFO Investigation" on the History Channel. While the organization was not a long-term financial success, it played a crucial role in raising the public profile of the UAP issue and helping to break the long-standing stigma surrounding the topic.[^1]
### Footnotes
[^1]: Elizondo, Luis. *Imminent*. William Morrow, 2024.
[^2]: U.S. Department of Defense. "Statement by the Department of Defense on the Release of Historical Navy Videos," April 27, 2020. https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/2165713/statement-by-the-department-of-defense-on-the-release-of-historical-navy-videos/ (read through the Internet Archive capture, https://web.archive.org/web/2020id_/https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/2165713/statement-by-the-department-of-defense-on-the-release-of-historical-navy-videos/). Greenewald, John, Jr. "Navy Officially Releases UFO/UAP Videos, Calls Them 'Historical.'" The Black Vault, April 27, 2020 (reproduces the statement and gives the GOFAST date). https://www.theblackvault.com/documentarchive/navy-officially-releases-ufo-uap-videos-calls-them-historical/

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---
category: "UFO & Anomalous Phenomena"
tags:
- Person
- Astronomer
- Harvard
- UAP
- Author
alias:
- Abraham Loeb
- Abraham "Avi" Loeb
- Loeb, Avi
summary: "Avi Loeb is Harvard's Frank B. Baird Jr. Professor of Science and head of the Galileo Project, co-founded with Frank Laukien in 2021, and led the 2023 IM1 expedition funded by Charles Hoskinson."
location: "Cambridge, Massachusetts"
relations:
- type: employed_by
with: "[[Harvard University]]"
role: "Frank B. Baird Jr. Professor of Science, Department of Astronomy; director of the Institute for Theory and Computation, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics; founding director of the Black Hole Initiative"
fn: 1
- type: founded
with: "[[Galileo Project]]"
role: "co-founder with Frank Laukien and head of the project"
start: 2021-07-26
fn: 2
- type: founded
with: "[[UAP Science Advisory Council]]"
role: "formed the council in June 2026; routes communication with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence"
start: 2026-06
fn: 16
created: 2026-10-03
updated: 2026-10-03
---
[[Avi Loeb]] is the Frank B. Baird Jr. Professor of Science in the Department of Astronomy at [[Harvard University]], director of the [[Institute for Theory and Computation]] at the [[Harvard-Smithsonian]] [[Center for Astrophysics]], and founding director of Harvard's [[Black Hole Initiative]].[^1] He wrote *Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth* ([[Houghton Mifflin Harcourt]], 2021), which argued that [[ʻOumuamua]], the first interstellar object observed in the Solar System (discovered October 19, 2017), could be an artificial object resembling a thin light sail or communications dish.[^2] *[[Inverse]]*, citing *[[Science (journal)|Science]]*, reported that wealthy donors contacted him after the book appeared and four of them gave about 1.75 million dollars to start the [[Galileo Project]].[^3]
### Correspondence with Jeffrey Epstein
On October 14, 2015, [[Lesley Groff]], assistant to [[Jeffrey Epstein]], wrote to the Harvard mathematician [[Shing-Tung Yau]] that Epstein was coming to Harvard on October 16 and asked whether anyone else should be introduced to him. Yau answered that he would come at 2 p.m. with [[Conan Leung]] and would try to arrange other faculty at 3 p.m.[^4] At 9:15 a.m. on October 16 Yau wrote: "I shall also bring prof Avi Loeb who is chairman of astronomy in harvard at three pm." An itinerary sent to Epstein that day under the subject "Yau to bring Avi Loeb" listed, at [[Martin Nowak]]'s institute in Cambridge, a 2 p.m. meeting with Yau and Leung, at 3 p.m. "Andy Strominger to join the Yau and Conan meeting," and at 3 p.m. "Avi Loeb to join the Yau, Conan and Andy meeting."[^5] At 11:27 a.m. Yau wrote to Groff: "It turns out that Loeb cannot come." He added that [[Andrew Strominger]] would be there at 3 p.m.[^6]
On October 17, 2015, Loeb sent Yau a message titled "Exciting projects" with three attached project descriptions. The second, by his account, was "the establishment of the first research center for black holes (Black Hole Center)," and he wrote that "we currently have the technology to obtain an image of black holes within the next five years, with suitable funding." It closed: "Feel free to forward this message to Jeffrey Epstein." The message was forwarded to Epstein on October 24, 2015, with Groff copied.[^7] On October 20, Strominger wrote to Epstein that he was involved, "still in the planning stage," in "an interdisciplinary Black Hole Center with Avi Loeb, [[Peter Galison]], [[Ramesh Narayan]] and the head of the [[Event Horizon Telescope]] [[Shep Doeleman]]," which "needs a 50 million endowment," and that [[Larry Summers]] had raised 7 million dollars for his black hole information paradox group about twelve years earlier, a sum that would be spent down by January 1.[^8]
On February 16, 2016, Loeb wrote to "BHC colleagues" after meeting [[Harvard University]]'s Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences [[Mike Smith]] and Dean of Science [[Jeremy Bloxham]]. He reported that Smith said Harvard rules do not allow the word "Center" unless it is endowed, so for the time being the group should use the name "Black Hole Initiative"; that Smith objected to a 100,000 dollar rent payment to Yau in the proposal because "this will not withstand an audit"; that Smith asked him to compile a list of potential donors for Harvard's development office, to which Loeb would add "some people I know (like [[Yuri Milner]])"; and that "the minimum endowment goal should be $20M, since it will provide us with an operating budget of $1M per year." The email also refers to a proposal to "JTF" and to a visit by [[Stephen Hawking]] on April 18 and 19.[^9] On February 17, Yau wrote to Groff: "Can you ask Jeffrey whether any of his friends have interest to fund a center on black hole ?it will take twenty million dollars," and on February 19 added that a center for computational biology in which Nowak "may play a key role" "may be much more expensive." Groff replied that she would forward the request to Epstein.[^9] None of the eleven documents in which Loeb is named records a reply from Epstein or a payment from Epstein or his entities to Harvard, the Black Hole Initiative, Loeb or Yau.
On October 5, 2018, [[Robert Lawrence Kuhn]] sent Epstein the October 2018 newsletter of [[Closer To Truth]], which described filming at a fine-tuning conference in Crete with "old friends such as Avi Loeb, [[Bernard Carr]], [[Fred Adams]] and [[David Albert]]."[^10]
### Galileo Project
Loeb heads the Galileo Project, announced July 26, 2021 and co-founded with [[Frank Laukien]], chief executive of [[Bruker Corporation]]. Its funding sources, advisory boards and fellowships are set out on the project page; the gift route is a Harvard alumni giving form for a "Research Fund u/d Professor Avi Loeb," and the project's posted statement is that it receives no governmental or military funding.[^2][^11] On October 30, 2021 he named [[Christopher Mellon]] and [[Luis Elizondo]] research affiliates. On April 26, 2024 he was quoted in the announcement of a 575,000 dollar grant from the [[Richard King Mellon Foundation]]: "This significant investment will enable the Galileo Project to expand our capacity to observe unexplained aerial phenomena in our own skies."[^12]
### IM1 and the 2023 Interstellar Expedition
The [[EYOS Expeditions]] release credits a 2019 paper by Loeb and the Harvard undergraduate [[Amir Siraj]] with identifying the meteor of January 8, 2014 (CNEOS 2014-01-08, "IM1") as interstellar, and says the identification was confirmed three years later by the [[United States]] [[United States Space Command|Space Command]] to [[NASA]]. Loeb was chief scientist of the Interstellar Expedition of June 2023, which recovered 50 metallic spherules from about 2 kilometers depth near [[Manus Island]], [[Papua New Guinea]]. The release states the expedition "was funded privately by American entrepreneur [[Charles Hoskinson]]"; Loeb wrote in his diary in [[The Debrief]]: "In the case of IM1, the Interstellar Expedition received funding at 1.5 million dollars and delivered the evidence we were seeking," set against the [[Large Hadron Collider]] "funded at ten billion dollars."[^13][^14] Loeb said on the expedition that the question was "whether the meteor was natural or technological in origin."[^13] *[[New York Magazine]]* reported in 2024 that Loeb "strongly disputes the coal-ash explanation" offered by critics of the spherules' provenance, that he says the composition shows a "pattern of elements from outside the solar system," and that he told the writer that some critics "behave like terrorists."[^15]
### Government and advisory roles
Loeb told *[[The Harvard Crimson]]* in July 2026 that he had previously served on the [[President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology]] under [[Donald Trump]], that the director of the [[All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office]] visited his home after taking office, and that government officials had approached him several times over the previous five years. He announced the [[UAP Science Advisory Council]] in mid-June 2026 after a representative of the [[Office of the Director of National Intelligence]] visited him at home; he told the Crimson the [[White House]] gave him a "free hand" in choosing members, that the council has no budget, and that he did not inform Harvard's president [[Alan Garber]] before agreeing to serve. He was also quoted: "I'm supporting the prosperity of the United States and the science I'm pursuing, and I'm not doing it on behalf of a political agenda."[^16] [[Charles Alcock]], director of the Center for Astrophysics, was listed on the Galileo Project's Scientific Advisory Board.[^17] A draft paper dated March 7, 2023, "Physical Constraints on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena," listed [[Sean Kirkpatrick]] as director of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office and Loeb as head of the Galileo Project.[^18]
### Footnotes
[^1]: "Research Team." The Galileo Project website, snapshot of December 25, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221225170229/https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/galileo/people
[^2]: The Galileo Project. "Press Release and Press Conference Announcement," July 26, 2021. https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/files/galileo/files/galileo_project-announcement_pr-7.26.21.pdf (Internet Archive copy).
[^3]: Inverse, "Galileo Project: A new hunt for alien objects in the universe," July 2021. https://www.inverse.com/science/new-project-to-hunt-for-alien-objects-in-the-universe
[^4]: EFTA00337551, U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, Data Set 9, https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00337551.pdf; EFTA02070510, U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, Data Set 10, https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA02070510.pdf (Lesley Groff and Yau, email chain of October 14 to 16, 2015).
[^5]: EFTA00337558, U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, Data Set 9, https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00337558.pdf (itinerary sent to Epstein, October 16, 2015); EFTA00285143, U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, Data Set 9, https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00285143.pdf (calendar entry for the same day).
[^6]: EFTA02069885, U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, Data Set 10, https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA02069885.pdf; EFTA00337208, U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, Data Set 9, https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00337208.pdf (Yau to Groff, October 16, 2015, 11:27 a.m., and Groff's reply at 3:38 p.m.).
[^7]: EFTA02671731, U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, Data Set 11, https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02671731.pdf (Loeb to Yau, October 17, 2015, forwarded to Epstein with Groff copied on October 24, 2015; the forwarder's name is redacted).
[^8]: EFTA00714297, U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, Data Set 9, https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00714297.pdf; EFTA00337280, U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, Data Set 9, https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00337280.pdf (Strominger to Epstein, October 20, 2015).
[^9]: EFTA00328899, U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, Data Set 9, https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00328899.pdf (Loeb to "BHC colleagues," February 16, 2016, forwarded in Yau's emails to Groff of February 17 and 19, 2016).
[^10]: EFTA02620767, U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, Data Set 11, https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02620767.pdf (Robert Kuhn to Epstein, October 5, 2018, with the Closer To Truth newsletter of October 2018).
[^11]: "Support Us." The Galileo Project website, 2021 to 2024 snapshots. https://web.archive.org/web/2021/https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/galileo/fund-us
[^12]: "Richard King Mellon Foundation awards $575,000 to Galileo Project," April 26, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/2024/https://galileo.hsites.harvard.edu/news/richard-king-mellon-foundation-awards-575000-galileo-project
[^13]: EYOS Expeditions. "Extraterrestrial Evidence Found: Spheres From Outside Our Solar System Identified by the Interstellar Expedition." https://www.eyos-expeditions.com/?p=2240
[^14]: Loeb, Avi. "Diary of an Interstellar Voyage, Parts 28-30." *The Debrief,* June 2023. https://thedebrief.org/diary-of-an-interstellar-voyage-parts-28-30-june-25-26-2023/
[^15]: Baker, Nicholson. "How We Lost Our Minds About UFOs." *New York Magazine,* January 31, 2024. https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/leslie-kean-ufo-sightings-aliens.html
[^16]: Shah, Neil H., Theresa F. Bartelme and Risha Sinha. "Inside Avi Loeb's New UAP Council, Built From His Harvard Orbit." *The Harvard Crimson,* July 11, 2026. https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2026/7/11/avi-loeb-uap-council/. The PCAST service is as stated by the Crimson, not checked against White House records.
[^17]: "Advisory Boards." The Galileo Project website, snapshot of December 25, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221225170229/https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/galileo/organization/advisory-boards
[^18]: Loeb, Abraham, and Sean M. Kirkpatrick. "Physical Constraints on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena," draft of March 7, 2023, as cited on the vault page for Sean Kirkpatrick; https://lweb.cfa.harvard.edu/~loeb/LK1.pdf (draft read; its title block gives Loeb as "Head of the Galileo Project, Astronomy Department, Harvard University" and Kirkpatrick as "Director of All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office").

7
10 - PEOPLE/(H-M)/C.B. Scott Jones.md
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@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ relations:
start: 1998
fn: 2
created: 2026-10-02
updated: 2026-10-02
updated: 2026-10-03
---
Cecil B. "Scott" Jones (February 19, 1928, at [[Emporia, Kansas]], to January 16, 2023) was a Navy fighter pilot and intelligence officer who worked from 1985 to 1991 on the staff of Senator [[Claiborne Pell]] of [[Rhode Island]], then as president of the [[Human Potential Foundation]].[^1] His birth year is also recorded as 1924, in the register of his papers at the [[University of Colorado Boulder]].[^2]
@ -92,6 +92,10 @@ Jones left Pell's staff in March 1991 and ran the Foundation until its dissoluti
Jones presented a talk on exopolitics in [[Hawaii]] in June 2006.[^14] He founded the [[Peace and Emergency Action Coalition for Earth]] in 1998, which received its [[Internal Revenue Service]] ruling in October 1998.[^2][^15]
### Series 4 and 6 container titles
The finding aid lists Series 4 (Human Potential Foundation, with subseries for Pell, the Foundation Board, Grants and Funding, Projects and Events) and Series 6 ("Special Assistant to Senator Claiborne Pell," with Legislation, Symposium on Consciousness and Survival 1985, Soviet-American Relations, Paranormal Aide, Reports and organizations, Unidentified Flying Objects, Speeches and Subject Files subseries). Among the titles are "Uri Geller Scandal" files, "Soviet Psychotronics correspondence and memos," "National Science Foundation: [[Andrija Puharich]] reports and correspondence," "Howard J. Hoffman Government Liaison Project" and "A Model of Government Preparation for ET Contact and Cooperation" by Jones; the full title lists are on the pages for [[Human Potential Foundation]] and [[Claiborne Pell]].[^16]
### Footnotes
[^1]: Archives for the Unexplained, "Jones, C. B. Scott" (reproducing the obituary in the *Kerrville Daily Times*: born February 19, 1928, Emporia, Kansas, to Cecil Beam Jones Sr.; died January 16, 2023), https://anomalyarchives.org/collections/file/jones-c-b-scott/.
@ -109,3 +113,4 @@ Jones presented a talk on exopolitics in [[Hawaii]] in June 2006.[^14] He founde
[^13]: Jones to Gibbons, August 11, 1994, http://www.paradigmresearchgroup.org/Rockefeller%20Documents/RID-8-11-94.htm. The speaker of the "super safe black program" sentence is not named on the surviving scan; the context (the letter's next sentence begins "Apparently Woolsey believes") indicates Woolsey as the person quoted by Jones.
[^14]: Archives for the Unexplained, "Jones, C. B. Scott," as in note 1 (list of further resources, including a Hawaii presentation of June 2006).
[^15]: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, Peace and Emergency Action Coalition for Earth (EIN 74-2888837), https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/api/v2/organizations/742888837.json.
[^16]: University of Colorado Boulder Libraries, Rare and Distinctive Collections, collection COU:4004 (the C. B. 'Scott' Jones papers), ArchivesSpace resource 346, https://archives.colorado.edu/repositories/2/resources/346, container tree for Series 4 and Series 6, fetched October 3, 2026 from the vault owner's browser (titles only; no dates or box numbers in the saved tree).

100
10 - PEOPLE/(H-M)/Christopher Mellon.md
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@ -7,26 +7,110 @@ tags:
summary: "Christopher Mellon served for nearly two decades in the federal government, holding high-level positions in both the executive and legislative branches."
born: 1957-10-02
location: "Topeka, Kansas"
relations:
- type: employed_by
with: "[[Office of the Secretary of Defense]]"
role: "Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and a principal on William Cohen's staff when Cohen was Secretary of Defense, as Elizondo wrote"
fn: 9
- type: employed_by
with: "[[Senate Select Committee on Intelligence]]"
role: "intelligence staff work for Senator William Cohen; minority staff director from February 2003 under vice chairman Jay Rockefeller; deputy staff director in Elizondo's account"
start: 2003-02
fn: 10
- type: member_of
with: "[[To The Stars Academy of Arts & Science]]"
start: 2017
end: 2020-11
role: "paid adviser and National Security Affairs Advisor; with Puthoff and Semivan, aligned with the organization of Tom DeLonge and Jim Semivan after Elizondo's resignation; left with Puthoff and Steve Justice"
fn: 11
- type: participant_in
with: "[[Sol Foundation]]"
start: 2023-11-17
role: "presenter at the first Sol symposium, Palo Alto, November 17 to 18, 2023"
fn: 14
updated: 2026-10-03
created: 2026-10-03
---
[[Christopher Mellon]] is a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and a key strategist in the modern [[Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena]] (UAP) disclosure movement. Coming from a prominent American family (Mellon banking and industrial dynasty), he has leveraged his extensive experience in intelligence and national security to bring the UAP issue to the forefront of the U.S. Congress and the public.[^1]
[[Christopher Mellon]] is a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and a key strategist in the modern [[Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena]] (UAP) disclosure movement. Coming from a prominent American family (great-grandson of the [[Gulf Oil]] founder and a descendant of Judge [[Thomas Mellon]]; see [[Mellon Family]]),[^1] he has leveraged his extensive experience in intelligence and national security to bring the UAP issue to the forefront of the U.S. Congress and the public.[^2]
### Government Career
Christopher Mellon served for nearly two decades in the federal government, holding high-level positions in both the executive and legislative branches. He was the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Intelligence during the [[Bill Clinton|Clinton]] and [[George W. Bush]] administrations, a role that gave him oversight of the entire Department of Defense intelligence apparatus and its most sensitive [[Special Access Programs]] (SAPs). Prior to this, he served for over a decade on the staff of the [[Senate Select Committee on Intelligence|Senate Intelligence Committee]], eventually becoming the Minority Staff Director for Senator [[William S. Cohen]]. His deep understanding of the inner workings of the intelligence community and the legislative process would later prove invaluable to the UAP disclosure effort.[^1]
Christopher Mellon served for nearly two decades in the federal government, holding high-level positions in both the executive and legislative branches. He was the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Intelligence during the [[Bill Clinton|Clinton]] and [[George W. Bush]] administrations, a role that gave him oversight of the entire Department of Defense intelligence apparatus and its most sensitive [[Special Access Programs]] (SAPs). Prior to this, he spent a decade on intelligence staff work for Senator [[William S. Cohen]], whom he followed to the [[Pentagon]] when Cohen became Secretary of Defense, serving later under Secretary [[Donald Rumsfeld]], and from February 2003 he was minority staff director of the [[Senate Select Committee on Intelligence|Senate Intelligence Committee]] under vice chairman [[Jay Rockefeller]].[^1] [[Politico]] described him in December 2017 as "a former Democratic staff director for the [[United States Senate|Senate]] Intelligence Committee," and the September 29, 2017 offering circular of [[To The Stars Academy of Arts & Science]] describes him as a "private equity investor, political commentator and the Chair of the Science Committee at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History," with 20 years in federal government including service as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and as "Minority Staff Director of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence," who as an aide to Cohen "drafted the legislation that established the US Special Operations Command," with a B.A. in economics from [[Colby College]] and an M.A. in international affairs from [[Yale University]].[^1][^3] His deep understanding of the inner workings of the intelligence community and the legislative process would later prove invaluable to the UAP disclosure effort.[^2]
### Involvement with AATIP and Luis Elizondo
In early 2017, while serving as an unpaid consultant for the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]], Mellon was introduced to [[Luis Elizondo]] by a mutual friend from the [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]], [[Jim Semivan]]. Elizondo, who was then secretly running the [[Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program]] (AATIP), provided Mellon with a comprehensive briefing on the UAP issue. Mellon was shown incontrovertible evidence, including radar data and pilot testimony from the 2004 [[Tic Tac|Tic Tac Incident]], that demonstrated advanced, unidentified aircraft were routinely violating sensitive U.S. military airspace with impunity.[^1]
In early 2017, while serving as an unpaid consultant for the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]], Mellon was introduced to [[Luis Elizondo]] by a mutual friend from the [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]], [[Jim Semivan]]. Elizondo, who was then secretly running the [[Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program]] (AATIP), provided Mellon with a comprehensive briefing on the UAP issue. Mellon was shown incontrovertible evidence, including radar data and pilot testimony from the 2004 [[Tic Tac|Tic Tac Incident]], that demonstrated advanced, unidentified aircraft were routinely violating sensitive U.S. military airspace with impunity.[^2]
Mellon was profoundly disturbed by these revelations, viewing the government's failure to address the issue as a catastrophic intelligence failure reminiscent of the lead-up to [[Pearl Harbor]] or 9/11. He was outraged that information of such magnitude was not reaching senior policymakers. He and Elizondo attempted to work through the chain of command to brief Secretary of Defense [[James Mattis]], but their efforts were stonewalled by the Pentagon bureaucracy. This failure was a critical factor in Elizondo's decision to resign in protest.[^1]
Mellon was profoundly disturbed by these revelations, viewing the government's failure to address the issue as a catastrophic intelligence failure reminiscent of the lead-up to [[Pearl Harbor]] or 9/11. He was outraged that information of such magnitude was not reaching senior policymakers. He and Elizondo attempted to work through the chain of command to brief Secretary of Defense [[James Mattis]], but their efforts were stonewalled by the Pentagon bureaucracy. This failure was a critical factor in Elizondo's decision to resign in protest.[^2]
### The Legislative Strategy for Disclosure
Following Elizondo's resignation, Mellon became the primary architect of a multi-pronged strategy to force the UAP issue into the open. Recognizing that direct confrontation with the Pentagon was futile, he devised a plan to leverage Congress and the media. He personally facilitated the transfer of three declassified UAP videos - later known as "FLIR" (Tic Tac), "[[GIMBAL]]," and "[[GoFast]]" - to the New York Times, which resulted in a landmark front-page story in December 2017 that officially broke the news of AATIP's existence.[^1]
Following Elizondo's resignation, Mellon became the primary architect of a multi-pronged strategy to force the UAP issue into the open. Recognizing that direct confrontation with the Pentagon was futile, he devised a plan to leverage Congress and the media. He facilitated the transfer of Navy videos later known as "FLIR" (Tic Tac), "[[GIMBAL]]," and "[[GoFast]]" to journalists. The landmark front-page [[New York Times]] story of December 2017, which broke the news of AATIP's existence, carried two of them (FLIR1 and GIMBAL); GOFAST followed in March 2018.[^2][^4] Politico reported in 2021 that the [[Washington Headquarters Services]] declassification division approved the videos "for unlimited distribution" inside the government.[^5] The [[Department of Defense]] stated on April 27, 2020 that it had authorized the release of three unclassified Navy videos, which had been circulating in the public domain after "unauthorized releases in 2007 and 2017."[^6] Mellon's own account, in the 2020 film *[[The Phenomenon (2020 film)|The Phenomenon]]*, is that he received the videos "in the Pentagon parking lot from a Defense Department official" and "still [has] the packaging."[^7] See [[December 2017 New York Times AATIP Report]].
Mellon then focused on a legislative approach, using his deep knowledge of Capitol Hill to engage with key staffers on the Senate Intelligence and Armed Services Committees. He and Elizondo worked to educate lawmakers and arrange for them to be briefed directly by credible military eyewitnesses like Commander [[Dave Fravor]] and Lieutenant [[Alex Dietrich]]. Mellon's key strategic insight was to draft specific legislative language that would compel the [[Director of National Intelligence]] to produce an unclassified report on UAP. This language, which he championed through op-eds and private meetings, was eventually included in the committee report accompanying the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, signed into law in December 2020. This led to the landmark June 2021 "Preliminary Assessment: Unidentified Aerial Phenomena."[^1]
Mellon then focused on a legislative approach, using his deep knowledge of Capitol Hill to engage with key staffers on the Senate Intelligence and Armed Services Committees. He and Elizondo worked to educate lawmakers and arrange for them to be briefed directly by credible military eyewitnesses like Commander [[Dave Fravor]] and Lieutenant [[Alex Dietrich]]. Mellon's key strategic insight was to draft specific legislative language that would compel the [[Director of National Intelligence]] to produce an unclassified report on UAP. This language, which he championed through op-eds and private meetings, was eventually included in the committee report accompanying the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, signed into law in December 2020. This led to the landmark June 2021 "Preliminary Assessment: Unidentified Aerial Phenomena."[^2]
His legislative efforts continued, culminating in the passage of even more robust UAP provisions in subsequent National Defense Authorization Acts (NDAAs). This included the creation of the [[All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office]] (AARO) and, most significantly, the establishment of a secure whistleblower process, allowing individuals with knowledge of secret UAP programs to testify to Congress without fear of reprisal. This legislative work has been the single most effective driver of the modern disclosure movement.[^1]
His legislative efforts continued, culminating in the passage of even more robust UAP provisions in subsequent National Defense Authorization Acts (NDAAs). This included the creation of the [[All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office]] (AARO) and, most significantly, the establishment of a secure whistleblower process, allowing individuals with knowledge of secret UAP programs to testify to Congress without fear of reprisal. This legislative work has been the single most effective driver of the modern disclosure movement.[^2]
### Mellon in Elizondo's account
Mellon's foreword, dated May 16, 2024, states that he first met Elizondo "at a closed-door Pentagon meeting early in 2017" while he was "an unpaid consultant for the Office of Naval Intelligence," that the mutual friend was Jim Semivan of the CIA, and that the meeting took place in Elizondo's Pentagon office, where Elizondo presented evidence of unidentified aircraft violating military airspace and a report on the 2004 Nimitz encounter; he wrote that he later took part in debriefings with Commander Dave Fravor and Lieutenant Alex Dietrich.[^8]
Elizondo wrote that a member of his staff announced "a former very senior-level DoD official" who "had the Office of Naval Intelligence clearances he needed," that Mellon introduced himself as a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, one step from the Secretary of Defense, and that Senator [[William Cohen]]'s closest advisor on Capitol Hill had been Mellon, whom Cohen brought to his staff when he became Secretary of Defense. He wrote that Mellon "even knew we were called AATIP"; that Semivan later told him he had told Mellon of AATIP and where to find it, and added that Mellon was an heir of the Mellon family; that Elizondo listed a series of clearances Mellon would need before a briefing and Mellon returned a week later with all of them; and that after a three-hour briefing on "legacy efforts" Mellon "admitted to us that he had zero visibility into the UAP topic" despite years of oversight of Defense Department special access programs.[^9] In a later passage Elizondo described Mellon as a former "deputy staff director of the Senate Intelligence Committee" and as a founding author of the bill that created the [[United States Special Operations Command]].[^10]
He wrote that Mellon gave his name to senior officials who might reach Mattis; that after the Joint Staff declined an access designation for OPLAN Interloper and Mellon, Stratton and he concluded that Congress and the press were the only route, Mellon handed "a padded envelope filled with CDs" containing the three unclassified videos to a journalist in a parking lot inside the Beltway, having used his Pentagon contacts to obtain copies; that Mellon, Puthoff and Semivan met [[Leslie Kean]] with Elizondo for four hours after the resignation; that Mellon was "the brainchild" of a Politico story by [[Bryan Bender]]; and that Mellon, Puthoff and Semivan urged him to join To The Stars Academy.[^11] He wrote that Mellon, Stratton and he set a multiyear plan, the "Five Pillars of Engagement," that Mellon proposed having an oversight committee request an unclassified report from the Director of National Intelligence and drafted language posted online, and that "much of the wording" in Senate Report 116-233, which Senator [[Marco Rubio]] sponsored, "came directly from Chris Mellon's pen"; he gave the language as 422 words, signed with the Covid relief bill in late December 2020.[^12]
### To The Stars advisory board and Sol
The Regulation A offering circular of To The Stars Academy of Arts & Science filed with the [[Securities and Exchange Commission]] on August 15, 2017 names as its Advisory Board "Chris Mellon, Dr. [[Adele Gilpin]], Dr. [[Norman Kahn]], Dr. [[Colm Kelleher]], Dr. Garry Nolan, and Dr. [[Paul Rapp]]." Its biography of Mellon calls him "a private equity investor, political commentator and the Chair of the Science Committee at the [[Carnegie Museum of Natural History]]," and lists service as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Intelligence in the Clinton and Bush administrations and as minority staff director of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.[^13]
Mellon was among the speakers at the first [[Sol Foundation]] symposium, November 17 to 18, 2023 in [[Palo Alto, California]], listed in [[The Debrief]]'s account as "former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Intelligence Christopher Mellon," beside [[Avi Loeb]], [[Jacques Vallee]], [[Diana Walsh Pasulka]], [[Tim Gallaudet]] and [[Karl Nell]].[^14] He signed the November 12, 2024 letter to Congress urging enactment of the review-board provisions of the [[Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Disclosure Act]] as "Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Intelligence; Former Staff Director, Department of Defense; Senate Select Committee on Intelligence," the signers including [[Garry Nolan]], [[Peter Skafish]] and Luis Elizondo; the letter states that signers joined as individuals and not for their organizations.[^15] The Sol Foundation's website, read October 3, 2026, does not list Mellon among its executive leadership or advisory board, and neither does its 2024 Form 990.[^16]
### Family
*Roll Call* described him in 2003 as "yes, of that Mellon family," 45 years old, "whose great-grandfather started the Gulf Oil Co.," and noted that Rockefeller was "the great-grandson of the man who founded [[Standard Oil]]," under the line "[[Rockefeller family|the Rockefellers]] and Mellons are taking over the Senate Select Intelligence Committee." Bryan Bender of Politico wrote in 2021 that he is "a scion of the [[Pennsylvania]] oil and banking family." Other bearers of the surname include Paul Mellon, a major in the [[Office of Strategic Services]] in Europe, his sister [[Ailsa Mellon Bruce]] and her husband the diplomat [[David K. E. Bruce]], and the publisher and donor Richard Mellon Scaife, who funded the [[Arkansas Project]] against Bill Clinton and sat on the [[Heritage Foundation]] board. No source opened states how these persons are related to Christopher Mellon or that he had dealings with them.[^1][^17]
### The placement of the December 2017 article
Per Bender (2021): in 2016 [[Tom DeLonge]] "called me up out of the blue," Mellon said, "and then through him I met Jim and Hal"; Mellon, who kept his clearance, then met Luis Elizondo at a Pentagon briefing; by fall 2017 Mellon "was also a paid adviser to DeLonge's TTSA" and acted as Elizondo's "unofficial public relations manager," who "started dangling the story to the New York Times, POLITICO and several other mainstream outlets." According to Leslie Kean's account to [[Gideon Lewis-Kraus]], on October 4, 2017 Mellon had her called to a hotel bar near the Pentagon where [[Hal Puthoff]], Jim Semivan and Elizondo briefed her; the Times placement followed. Details and denials are on December 2017 New York Times AATIP Report.[^5][^18]
### Money and affiliations as recorded
TTSA: paid adviser (Bender); listed as "National Security Affairs Advisor" ([[Keith Kloor|Kloor]], 2019); the company's annual report for 2020 states he resigned from the advisory board in November 2020 (vault page for To The Stars Academy of Arts & Science).[^5][^19] The offering circular dated September 29, 2017 lists "Chris Mellon" first among six Advisory Board members and states that in June 2017 the company granted "employees and advisors" 9,000,000 options and 2,500,000 restricted shares under its stock incentive plan; the text read does not itemize grants by person. No source opened shows a payment from Mellon to TTSA, or the amount he was paid as an adviser.[^3]
[[Galileo Project]]: research affiliate from October 30, 2021, with Elizondo ([[Harvard University|Harvard]] release). On April 26, 2024 the Galileo Project announced a 575,000 dollar grant from the [[Richard King Mellon Foundation]] for a third observatory station in [[Allegheny County, Pennsylvania|Allegheny]] or [[Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania|Westmoreland County]], Pennsylvania, stating that Mellon "was instrumental in stewarding this grant."[^20][^21]
Lobbying and legislation: Lewis-Kraus wrote that the text Marco Rubio added in June 2020 to the 2021 Intelligence Authorization Act, requesting a UAP report from the Director of National Intelligence and the Secretary of Defense, "drew heavily from proposals by Mellon"; Bender wrote that Mellon, "from his perch on the advisory board of DeLonge's company, ... effectively drafted the legislation later adopted by the Senate requesting the UAP report." Mellon's March 9, 2018 *[[Washington Post]]* op-ed was "The military keeps encountering UFOs. Why doesn't the Pentagon care?"[^5][^18][^19]
### Statements beside denials
Kloor (2019) quoted Mellon on *[[Fox & Friends]]* on [[Fox News]]: "We know that UFOs exist," and wrote that Mellon did not respond to a request for comment on whether he and Elizondo do contract work for a U.S. agency; Elizondo told Kloor he was a government contractor "but it's not what you think it is." Mellon told Kloor by email in late 2018: "I did not claim the objects were alien... Merely real, intelligently controlled and not ours."[^19][^22]
### Federal Election Commission records
[[Federal Election Commission|FEC]] itemized receipts list a "Mellon, Christopher" of [[Laughlintown]], Pennsylvania (employer "[[Mellon Consulting]]" from 2008 to 2009, "[[A&E Networks]]" in 2020) with contributions of 1,000 to 2,000 dollars to [[John Murtha|Murtha for Congress]] (five entries, March 2008 to September 2009), 5,000 dollars to the [[Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee]] (June 23, 2008) and 2,400 dollars to [[Chuck Schumer|Friends of Schumer]] (July 16, 2010), and, on August 25 and 27, 2020, 2,800 dollars to [[Joe Biden|Biden for President]], 35,000 dollars to the [[Biden Victory Fund]] and 32,200 dollars to the [[Democratic National Committee]]. Other "Mellon, Christopher" donors in [[Greenfield Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania|Greenfield Township]], Pennsylvania and [[Conklin, New York|Conklin]], New York list [[Maines Paper & Food Service]] as employer. No record read states which of these entries belong to the former Pentagon official.[^23]
### Footnotes
[^1]: Elizondo, Luis. *Imminent*. William Morrow, 2024.
[^1]: "Unholy Alliance?" *Roll Call,* February 12, 2003. https://rollcall.com/2003/02/12/unholy-alliance/
[^2]: Elizondo, Luis. *Imminent*. William Morrow, 2024.
[^3]: To The Stars Academy of Arts and Science Inc. Offering Circular dated September 29, 2017 (Form 253G2, file no. 024-10728). https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1710274/000114420417050693/v476177_253g2.htm
[^4]: Greenewald, John, Jr. "Navy Officially Releases UFO/UAP Videos, Calls Them 'Historical.'" The Black Vault, April 27, 2020. https://www.theblackvault.com/documentarchive/navy-officially-releases-ufo-uap-videos-calls-them-historical/
[^5]: Bender, Bryan. "The Hidden History of How Washington Embraced UFOs." *Politico Magazine,* May 28, 2021. https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/05/28/ufos-secret-history-government-washington-dc-487900
[^6]: U.S. Department of Defense. "Statement by the Department of Defense on the Release of Historical Navy Videos," April 27, 2020. https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/2165713/statement-by-the-department-of-defense-on-the-release-of-historical-navy-videos/ (read through the Internet Archive capture, https://web.archive.org/web/2020id_/https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/2165713/statement-by-the-department-of-defense-on-the-release-of-historical-navy-videos/).
[^7]: Banias, MJ. "Ex Intel Official Says He Was the Source of the Pentagon's UFO Videos." *Vice,* October 20, 2020. https://www.vice.com/en/article/this-guy-says-he-was-the-source-of-the-pentagons-ufo-videos/ (sole source for the statement, made on camera to James Fox; Vice could not verify).
[^8]: Luis Elizondo, *Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs* (New York: William Morrow, 2024), Foreword by Christopher Mellon, dated May 16, 2024, pp. xiii to xxii. Page numbers are those of the printed index where it lists the passage; the digital copy read carries no pagination, so other pages are interpolated from index entries and may be off by one.
[^9]: Luis Elizondo, *Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs* (New York: William Morrow, 2024), pp. 180 to 185 (Semivan at pp. 180 to 182 and 184 to 185; Mellon's visit at pp. 183 to 185).
[^10]: Luis Elizondo, *Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs* (New York: William Morrow, 2024), pp. 222 to 224 (deputy staff director at p. 222; the special operations command bill at p. 224).
[^11]: Luis Elizondo, *Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs* (New York: William Morrow, 2024), pp. 199 to 209 (CDs at p. 199; Kean at pp. 203 to 204; TTSA at pp. 204 to 205; Bender at p. 209; Mellon leaving TTSA at p. 220).
[^12]: Luis Elizondo, *Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs* (New York: William Morrow, 2024), pp. 222 to 230 (Five Pillars at p. 222; report proposal at p. 225; Senate Report 116-233 at p. 229; 422 words at p. 230).
[^13]: To The Stars Academy of Arts & Science Inc., Form 1-A, offering circular Part II and III, accession 0001144204-17-043466 (filed August 15, 2017), "Advisory Board." https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1710274/000114420417043466/v473169_partiiandiii.htm
[^14]: Micah Hanks, "The Sol Foundation, Academia's New UAP Think Tank, Releases Videos of Lectures from Its Inaugural Symposium," *The Debrief*, February 12, 2024. https://thedebrief.org/the-sol-foundation-academias-new-uap-think-tank-releases-videos-of-lectures-from-its-inaugural-symposium/
[^15]: Statement of Tim Gallaudet with signatory letter dated November 12, 2024, House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, hearing of November 13, 2024. https://docs.house.gov/meetings/GO/GO12/20241113/117721/HHRG-118-GO12-Wstate-GallaudetPhDRearAdmiralUSNavyRetT-20241113-SD001.pdf
[^16]: The Sol Foundation, home page, "People" section, https://thesolfoundation.org/ , read October 3, 2026; IRS Form 990 for 2024, EIN 93-3649160, Part VII, https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/933649160/202543269349300004/full
[^17]: Review of Lankford, *The Last American Aristocrat. Kirkus Reviews,* 1996; National Gallery of Art, 1999 Paul Mellon press release; *Philadelphia Inquirer,* July 5, 2014 (Scaife obituary). See the footnotes of [[Mellon Family]].
[^18]: Lewis-Kraus, Gideon. "How the Pentagon Started Taking U.F.O.s Seriously." *The New Yorker,* May 10, 2021. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/05/10/how-the-pentagon-started-taking-ufos-seriously
[^19]: Kloor, Keith. "The Media Loves This UFO Expert Who Says He Worked for an Obscure Pentagon Program. Did He?" *The Intercept,* June 1, 2019. https://theintercept.com/2019/06/01/ufo-unidentified-history-channel-luis-elizondo-pentagon/
[^20]: "The Galileo Project Welcomes Christopher Mellon and Luis Elizondo as Research Affiliates," October 30, 2021. https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/files/galileo/files/mellon-elizondo_announcement_final_2.pdf (Internet Archive copy).
[^21]: "Richard King Mellon Foundation awards $575,000 to Galileo Project," April 26, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/2024/https://galileo.hsites.harvard.edu/news/richard-king-mellon-foundation-awards-575000-galileo-project
[^22]: Kloor, Keith. "UFOs Won't Go Away." *Issues in Science and Technology,* March 1, 2019. https://issues.org/ufos-wont-go-away/
[^23]: Federal Election Commission, schedule A receipts, contributor name "MELLON, CHRISTOPHER" (OpenFEC API query run October 3, 2026). https://api.open.fec.gov/v1/schedules/schedule_a/?contributor_name=MELLON%2C%20CHRISTOPHER

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10 - PEOPLE/(H-M)/Eugene Jhong.md Normal file
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@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
---
category: "Business & Finance"
tags:
- Person
- Investor
- Philanthropy
- Harvard
- Cryptocurrency
alias:
- Eugene Y. Jhong
- Jhong, Eugene
summary: "Eugene Jhong holds Harvard A.B. and J.D. degrees and a Stanford master's in computer science, and is listed on the Galileo Project's Philanthropic Advisory Board."
location: "Los Altos, California"
relations:
- type: member_of
with: "[[Galileo Project]]"
role: "Philanthropic Advisory Board"
start: 2021
fn: 1
- type: funded
with: "[[Blake Masters]]"
role: "5,800 dollars on December 27, 2021 (two 2,900 dollar entries earmarked through WinRed) to Blake Masters for Senate, per FEC records under the name \"Jhong, Eugene\" of Los Altos"
start: 2021-12-27
fn: 3
- type: funded
with: "[[Brian Forde]]"
role: "2,700 dollars on May 10, 2018, with the memo \"0.59101569 bitcoins received, not liquidated,\" to Brian Forde for Congress, per FEC records under the name \"Jhong, Eugene\" of Los Altos"
start: 2018-05-10
fn: 3
created: 2026-10-03
updated: 2026-10-03
---
[[Eugene Jhong]] is listed first among the members of the Philanthropic Advisory Board of Harvard's [[Galileo Project]], with the credentials "Undergraduate (AB) and law degree (JD) from [[Harvard University]]" and "MS in Computer Science, [[Stanford University]]."[^1] The advisory board is described as providing "philanthropic advice to The Galileo Project." Its other listed entries are Vinny Jain, Teddy Jones, the [[Laukien Science Foundation]], Joerg Laukien, [[William A. Linton]] of [[Promega Corporation]] and the [[Usona Institute]], and Adnan Sen. The project's July 26, 2021 release states that it has "initial funding from generous donations and pledges by individuals and foundations listed on the Galileo Project website."[^1][^2]
### Patent
The [[United States Patent and Trademark Office]] granted U.S. Patent 6,259,458 B1, "Method of generating and navigating a 3-D representation of a hierarchical data structure," on July 10, 2001 to an inventor named Eugene Jhong (with co-inventor Karen E. Theisen), assignee Elastic Technology, Inc.; the application was filed January 29, 1999 and claims priority to August 6, 1997. The patent record does not tie the inventor to the Galileo Project or to [[Google]], and no source read for this page states that Jhong worked at Google.[^4]
### Federal Election Commission records
The [[Federal Election Commission|FEC]]'s itemized receipts list contributions under the name "Jhong, Eugene" of Los Altos, California; no record read states that this donor is the Galileo adviser, though the Galileo biography (Stanford master's in computer science) and the occupation fields (engineer in 2012, retired or investor later) are consistent with it. The entries: 201.20 dollars to the Ron Paul 2012 presidential campaign (January 14, 2012; occupation engineer, employer self); 2,700 dollars to Brian Forde for Congress on May 10, 2018 with the memo "0.59101569 bitcoins received, not liquidated" (the itemization also carries offsetting negative entries of the same amount, which appear to be amendment reporting), and on July 14, 2018 a 2,700 dollar entry and its reversal marked "redesignation of general 2018 contribution"; 8,302.24 dollars on May 22, 2018 to the 314 Action Fund, itemized as a "non-contribution account" of 1.00 bitcoin, not liquidated; 500 dollars on March 5, 2019, 2,000 dollars on October 28, 2019 and 250 dollars on December 31, 2019 to Friends of Andrew Yang; 5,800 dollars on December 27, 2021 to Blake Masters for Senate (two 2,900 dollar entries earmarked through WinRed, with a matching 5,800 dollar WinRed conduit entry); 2,900 dollars on April 25, 2022 to Bruce Fenton for Liberty (occupation investor, employer self); and 2,900 dollars on November 3, 2022 to Gillibrand for Senate.[^3]
### Footnotes
[^1]: "Advisory Boards." The Galileo Project website, snapshot of December 25, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221225170229/https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/galileo/organization/advisory-boards
[^2]: The Galileo Project. "Press Release and Press Conference Announcement," July 26, 2021. https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/files/galileo/files/galileo_project-announcement_pr-7.26.21.pdf (Internet Archive copy).
[^3]: Federal Election Commission, schedule A receipts, contributor name "JHONG, EUGENE" (OpenFEC API query run October 3, 2026). https://api.open.fec.gov/v1/schedules/schedule_a/?contributor_name=JHONG%2C%20EUGENE
[^4]: Jhong, Eugene, and Karen E. Theisen. U.S. Patent 6,259,458 B1, granted July 10, 2001. https://patents.google.com/patent/US6259458B1/en (patent record; the Google Patents site is used only to display the USPTO document).

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---
category: "Business & Finance"
tags:
- Person
- Business
- Science
- Philanthropy
- Harvard
alias:
- Frank H. Laukien
- Frank Laukien, Ph.D.
- Frank Hartmut Laukien
- Laukien, Frank
summary: "Frank Laukien has been chairman, president and chief executive of Bruker Corporation since February 1991 and is its largest stockholder; he co-founded the Galileo Project with Avi Loeb in 2021."
location: "Billerica, Massachusetts"
relations:
- type: director_of
with: "[[Bruker Corporation]]"
role: "chairman, president and chief executive officer; largest stockholder (27.1 percent as of April 7, 2022)"
start: 1991-02
fn: 1
- type: founded
with: "[[Galileo Project]]"
role: "co-founder with Avi Loeb, named in Bruker's 2022 proxy statement"
start: 2021
fn: 1
- type: funded
with: "[[Independents Moving the Needle]]"
role: "1,190,000 dollars in three itemized contributions, December 5, 2023 to January 18, 2024 (FEC)"
start: 2023-12-05
end: 2024-01-18
fn: 3
created: 2026-10-03
updated: 2026-10-03
---
[[Frank Laukien]] has been chairman, president and chief executive officer of [[Bruker Corporation]] since February 1991, according to the company's 2022 proxy statement, which also calls him "our largest stockholder." He holds a B.S. in physics from the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] and a Ph.D. in chemical physics from [[Harvard University]]; served on the Dean's Advisory Committee of the [[MIT School of Science]] until 2014 and on the Visiting Committee of the MIT Department of Chemistry; was elected a senator of [[acatech]], the German National Academy of Science and Engineering, in May 2017; co-chairs a working group of the [[American Association for Cancer Research]] on cancer evolution; and is a visiting scholar in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Harvard. The proxy lists him as "co-founder of two start-up venture companies in therapeutics and space exploration, respectively, as well as of the non-profit [[Galileo Project]] at Harvard University."[^1]
### Bruker holdings and pay
Bruker's proxy statement filed April 22, 2022 reports that Laukien beneficially owned 40,448,233 shares, 27.1 percent of the class, as of April 7, 2022. The total includes 1,046,499 shares owned by [[Robyn Laukien]] and 492 shares owned by [[Ruta Laukien]], both described as former spouses, over which he has sole voting power; 336,607 shares held by his adult daughter and 337,087 by his adult son; and 273,430 shares held as custodian for minor children. It states that 5,000,000 shares "have been pledged by Dr. Laukien to secure a personal loan," and the related-party section describes a grandfathered pledge of 5,000,000 shares to secure a personal line of credit of up to 10 million dollars. His 2021 total compensation in the summary table was 5,594,539 dollars, including a salary of 811,581 dollars and a cash incentive of 1,615,669 dollars.[^1]
### Family transactions with Bruker
The same proxy reports that [[Dirk Laukien]] (half-brother), [[Joerg Laukien]] (brother) and Ms. Laukien-Kleiner (stepmother) co-own [[ZeroC Project GmbH]], which rents two properties in [[Faellanden]], [[Switzerland]] to [[Bruker BioSpin AG]]; Bruker paid 242,923 dollars in rent to ZeroC in 2021 for one of them. [[Isolde Laukien]] and Dirk Laukien co-own another Faellanden property rented to Bruker BioSpin AG, for which it paid 242,822 dollars in 2021 before the lease ended June 30, 2021. Dirk Laukien owns QA Group, LLC doing business as [[Quantum Analytics]], which bought 311,912 dollars of equipment from Bruker in 2021 for leasing to third parties. The proxy states that the payments equaled estimated fair market rent and that sales were in the ordinary course.[^1] Joerg Laukien and a "[[Laukien Science Foundation]]" appear on the Galileo Project's Philanthropic Advisory Board.[^2]
### Board and political contributions
The same proxy lists [[William A. Linton]], chairman, president and chief executive of [[Promega Corporation]] and founder and executive director of the [[Usona Institute]], as a Bruker director since 2000 and member of its Nominating & Governance Committee; Linton and the Laukien Science Foundation appear together on the Galileo Project's Philanthropic Advisory Board.[^1][^2]
[[Federal Election Commission]] itemized receipts list a Frank Laukien of [[North Hampton, New Hampshire|North Hampton]], New Hampshire, with employer Bruker Corporation, as donor of 500,000 dollars (December 5, 2023), 490,000 dollars (January 8, 2024) and 200,000 dollars (January 18, 2024) to [[Independents Moving the Needle]] (committee C00858381, an independent-expenditure-only committee registered November 29, 2023 with [[Jonathan Bush]] as treasurer), plus in-kind canvassing and meal expenses of 3,940 dollars and 2,186.40 dollars; 4,000 dollars to [[Nikki Haley|Nikki Haley for President]] (November 6, 2023); and, on April 3, 2024, 10,000 dollars to the [[Forward Party]]. Earlier receipts under "Laukien, Frank H." of Boston list 5,000 dollars to the [[Scott Brown|Scott Brown for U.S. Senate]] committee on July 18, 2012, 5,000 dollars each to the [[National Republican Senatorial Committee]] and Scott [[Scott Brown Victory Committee|Brown Victory Committee]] on September 20 and 28, 2012, and 5,200 dollars to the Brown Victory Committee on September 26, 2014.[^3]
In January 2024 Laukien and [[Jonathan Bush]], described as a technology entrepreneur who has worked in health care and a cousin of [[George W. Bush]], were reported as co-founders of the "[[Independents Moving the Needle]]" super PAC, which was not affiliated with the Haley campaign and was targeting roughly 200,000 independent voters in [[New Hampshire]] whom it thought could be swayed to support Haley; Laukien was described as a billionaire businessman and scientist. Laukien said of Haley: "It was very, very impressive in how issue after issue, she really had a clear understanding, a rational approach to it and an attitude of wanting to solve the many issues that we do have as a country," and that "we actually think that she could be the not only next generation leader, but perhaps a transformational leader who could work across the aisle." He also said, "I'm not a big fan of identity politics." The group hoped to deny [[Donald Trump]] a win in the New Hampshire primary of January 23, 2024.[^4]
### Galileo Project and the Laukien fellowship
The July 26, 2021 Galileo Project release states that the project "has been co-founded by [[Avi Loeb]] and Frank Laukien." The project later named its first postdoctoral appointee the "Laukien-Oumuamua fellow," [[Richard Cloete]], in May 2022.[^5][^6] *Inverse* wrote in July 2021 that the project "appears to be connected to the Laukien Science Foundation, spearheaded by billionaire Frank Laukien and William A. Linton"; the Galileo Project's own listing gives the foundation and Linton as board entries without stating who runs the foundation.[^2][^7] A [[ProPublica]] Nonprofit Explorer search for "Laukien Science Foundation" returned no organization.[^8]
### Footnotes
[^1]: Bruker Corporation. Schedule 14A definitive proxy statement, filed April 22, 2022 (accession 0001193125-22-115070). https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1109354/000119312522115070/d256158ddef14a.htm
[^2]: "Advisory Boards." The Galileo Project website, snapshot of December 25, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221225170229/https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/galileo/organization/advisory-boards
[^3]: Federal Election Commission, schedule A receipts, contributor name "LAUKIEN, FRANK" (OpenFEC API queries run October 3, 2026). https://api.open.fec.gov/v1/schedules/schedule_a/?contributor_name=LAUKIEN%2C%20FRANK
[^4]: "Analysis: Haley has a story to tell New Hampshire voters." *Concord Monitor,* January 20, 2024, p. A3 (continued from A1), via newspapers.com image 1032479659.
[^5]: The Galileo Project. "Press Release and Press Conference Announcement," July 26, 2021. https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/files/galileo/files/galileo_project-announcement_pr-7.26.21.pdf (Internet Archive copy).
[^6]: "Laura Domine from Stanford University receives Keto-Galileo Postdoctoral Fellowship," May 12, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221225170229/https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/galileo/news/laura-domine-stanford-university-receives-keto-galileo%C2%A0postdoctoral-fellowship
[^7]: Inverse, "Galileo Project: A new hunt for alien objects in the universe," July 2021. https://www.inverse.com/science/new-project-to-hunt-for-alien-objects-in-the-universe
[^8]: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer search, "Laukien Science Foundation," run October 3, 2026. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/api/v2/search.json?q=Laukien+Science+Foundation

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10 - PEOPLE/(H-M)/Jesse Michels.md Normal file
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---
category: "UFO & Anomalous Phenomena"
tags:
- Person
- UAP
- Media
- ThielNetwork
- Podcaster
alias:
- Jesse Michels
- Jesse Michels (American Alchemy)
summary: "Investor listed as employed by Thiel Capital on a March 30, 2022 federal campaign contribution and creator of the American Alchemy YouTube channel."
relations:
- type: employed_by
with: "[[Thiel Capital]]"
role: "investor, as stated by the contributor on FEC filings of 2022 and in a February 2023 podcast biography"
start: 2022-03-30
fn: 1
- type: funded
with: "[[Blake Masters]]"
role: "one contribution of 2,900 dollars earmarked through WinRed for Blake Masters for Senate, March 30, 2022"
start: 2022-03-30
fn: 1
- type: founded
with: "[[American Alchemy]]"
role: "creator and host"
fn: 2
created: 2026-10-03
updated: 2026-10-03
---
Jesse Michels is the creator and host of American Alchemy, a long-form interview channel on [[YouTube]] and a podcast. A February 2, 2023 episode listing of the podcast [[Infinite Loops]], produced by [[O'Shaughnessy Ventures]], describes him as "an investor at [[Thiel Capital]] and the creator and host of 'American Alchemy', a Youtube channel dedicated to highlighting the most heretical thinkers and ideas of our time."[^2]
### Thiel Capital
[[Federal Election Commission]] (FEC) records list one contribution of 2,900 dollars dated March 30, 2022 from a Jesse Michels of [[Los Angeles]] ZIP code 90046 ([[California]]), giving his employer as "Thiel Capital" and his occupation as "Investor." The contribution appears twice in the federal database because it was routed through the conduit [[WinRed]] (committee C00694323): the candidate committee, [[Blake Masters]] for Senate (C00784165), reported it as "earmarked (non-directed) through WinRed" (receipt image 202204159496855525), and WinRed's own report lists it as "earmarked for Blake Masters for Senate" (image 202212159563803397).[^1] Masters, the candidate, served as chief operating officer of Thiel Capital and president of the [[Thiel Foundation]] and was co-author with [[Peter Thiel]] of Zero to One; Thiel funded a super PAC supporting his 2022 Arizona Senate campaign.[^3]
The same name appears on four smaller contributions to [[ActBlue]] (5 dollars on September 19, 2020 and September 27, 2020, both from [[Brooklyn]], 10 dollars on October 31, 2020 from [[New York City|New York]], and 10 dollars on July 22, 2024 from New York, employer "Alpha FMC," occupation "recruiter"), with employers or statuses other than Thiel Capital; no source ties these to the American Alchemy host.[^1] No FEC contribution under the name was found listing Thiel Capital other than the March 30, 2022 entry.[^1]
### American Alchemy
The Infinite Loops listing for the February 2023 episode lists topics including "the transmission theory of consciousness," "Are mushrooms aliens?" and "Nixon, psychedelics & brainwashing," and a reading list including books by [[Robert Anton Wilson]], [[Tom O'Neill]] and [[David McGowan]].[^2] The [[Sky Watcher|Skywatcher]] project's Part I video lists interviews with [[David Grusch]] and Col. [[Karl Nell]], among others.[^4]
No channel sponsor list, production company, Form D, 501(c) return or lobbying filing was located for American Alchemy; a search of EDGAR full-text for "Jesse Michels" and "American Alchemy" returned no Form D, and the Senate lobbying database holds no client of that name.[^5]
### Footnotes
[^1]: Federal Election Commission, OpenFEC schedule A, contributor "Michels, Jesse," sub_id 4042520221472578192 (Blake Masters for Senate, Form 3, receipt type 15E) and 4011120231685948941 (WinRed, Form 3X, receipt type 24T), both March 30, 2022; ActBlue records 4010420212002882486, 4012120212128555907, 4012120212112481546 and 4020620251156252171. https://api.open.fec.gov/v1/schedules/schedule_a/?contributor_name=MICHELS%2C%20JESSE ; images https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?202204159496855525 and https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?202212159563803397 (retrieved October 3, 2026).
[^2]: Infinite Loops podcast, "Jesse Michels, American Alchemy (EP.145)," February 2, 2023. https://www.infiniteloopspodcast.com/jesse-michels-american-alchemy-ep145/
[^3]: Vault pages [[Blake Masters]] and [[Peter Thiel]] (positions and Thiel funding of the 2022 Arizona race, each citing its own sources).
[^4]: Skywatcher, "Media." https://skywatcher.ai/media (retrieved October 3, 2026).
[^5]: SEC EDGAR full-text search "Jesse Michels," "American Alchemy," forms D, October 3, 2026; Senate Lobbying Disclosure Act database client search, October 3, 2026.

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10 - PEOPLE/(H-M)/Leslie Kean.md Normal file
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---
category: "UFO & Anomalous Phenomena"
tags:
- Person
- UFO
- UAP
- Journalist
- Author
alias:
- Leslie Kean
- Kean, Leslie
summary: "Leslie Kean is an independent investigative journalist and author of UFOs: Generals, Pilots, and Government Officials Go on the Record (2010), and a co-author of the New York Times AATIP report of December 16, 2017."
location: "New York City"
relations:
- type: participant_in
with: "[[December 2017 New York Times AATIP Report]]"
role: "co-author with Helene Cooper and Ralph Blumenthal"
start: 2017-12-16
fn: 1
created: 2026-10-03
updated: 2026-10-03
---
[[Leslie Kean]] grew up in [[New York City]], attended the [[Spence School]] and [[Bard College]], helped found a Zen center in upstate New York, and worked as a photographer at the [[Cornell Lab of Ornithology]], before a 1990s trip to [[Myanmar|Burma]] to interview political prisoners led to investigative journalism, according to *[[The New Yorker]]*. She worked as a producer and host of "[[Flashpoints]]" at the [[Berkeley, California|Berkeley]] radio station [[KPFA]]. Her grandfather [[Robert Winthrop Kean]] served ten terms in [[United States Congress|Congress]] and her uncle [[Thomas Kean]] was governor of [[New Jersey]] and chaired the [[9/11 Commission]].[^1]
### Early UFO work
In 1999 a journalist friend in Paris sent Kean the report of the French group [[COMETA]], "Les OVNI et la Défense," and in 2000 she wrote a summary for the *[[Boston Globe]]* Focus section, published May 21, 2000.[^1] *The New Yorker* described her as "an independent investigative journalist and a novice U.F.O. researcher who had worked with Greer" ([[Steven Greer]]) when she watched his May 9, 2001 [[Disclosure Project]] event at the [[National Press Club]], where she "knew then that I had to walk away" because of speakers' "outrageous, grandiose claims."[^1] In 2002 [[Larry Landsman]], director of projects for the [[Syfy|Sci Fi Channel]] (now Syfy), invited her to lead a public effort to obtain government records on the [[Kecksburg incident|Kecksburg]], [[Pennsylvania]] incident of December 9, 1965. Sci Fi hired lawyers, researchers and the Washington firm [[PodestaMattoon]]; its [[Edwin S. Rothschild]] introduced her to [[John Podesta]], who agreed to support publicly her lawsuit against [[NASA]]. The case ran four years and ended in a settlement; Kean received "hundreds of largely irrelevant documents."[^1][^2] By March 2003 the effort included an online petition at signpetition.com asking [[United States Congress|Congress]] to direct the [[Government Accountability Office|General Accounting Office]] to examine Kecksburg and a plan to sue, through a law firm doing freedom-of-information work, wherever agencies short-changed requests for declassified files. Kean said of the case, "This case is so incredibly fascinating. Even now, the trail is not cold." [[Stan Gordon]] of Greensburg, then 53, was also part of the records effort, and Landsman said, "We're committed to solving this." The drive was "bankrolled by" the Sci Fi Channel, and Kean was described as a San Francisco-area freelance journalist whose writing had appeared on the opinion pages of the *[[Atlanta Journal-Constitution]]* and the news pages of the *Boston Globe*.[^3] Podesta wrote the foreword to her 2010 book *UFOs: Generals, Pilots, and Government Officials Go on the Record* ([[Random House]] imprint), and in June 2011 invited her to make a confidential presentation at the [[Center for American Progress]], which he had founded. In August 2014 she met Podesta, then an adviser to [[Barack Obama]], in the West Wing and proposed that one person in the [[Office of Science and Technology Policy]] be assigned to the subject; the proposal went nowhere.[^1]
Her later [[Huffington Post]] work drew on material from the [[Chilean government]]'s [[Comité de Estudios de Fenómenos Aéreos Anómalos]] (CEFAA). Her January 6, 2017 piece "Groundbreaking UFO Video Just Released by Chilean [[United States Navy|Navy]]" was analyzed on the forum [[Metabunk]] by [[Mick West]] and others, who concluded by January 11 that the object was [[Iberia]] flight IB6830 from [[Santiago]] to [[Madrid]]; Kean said of West that "if Mick were really interested in this stuff, he wouldn't debunk every single video."[^1] *[[New York Magazine]]* describes her late partner as [[Budd Hopkins]], the abduction researcher, in connection with her book *[[Surviving Death]]*.[^4]
### The December 2017 placement
Kean told [[Gideon Lewis-Kraus]] that on October 4, 2017, at the behest of [[Christopher Mellon]], she was called to a confidential meeting in the bar of a hotel near the [[Pentagon]], where [[Hal Puthoff]] and [[Jim Semivan]] introduced her to [[Luis Elizondo]], who had left the Pentagon the previous day. She was shown documents for three hours and told she could have the videos, with chain-of-custody documentation, "if she could place a story in the Times." She telephoned [[Ralph Blumenthal]], who wrote to executive editor [[Dean Baquet]]; the *[[New York Times]]* assigned [[Helene Cooper]], and the three published "Glowing Auras and 'Black Money': The Pentagon's Mysterious U.F.O. Program" on December 16, 2017. Kean told Lewis-Kraus: "I never would have ever imagined I could have ended up writing for the Times," and gave "all the credit to Elizondo and Mellon for coming forward." She also said she developed doubts about [[Tom DeLonge]] after his appearance on [[Joe Rogan]]'s podcast, while having "full confidence" in Elizondo.[^1] See [[December 2017 New York Times AATIP Report]].
[[Keith Kloor]] reported in *[[The Intercept]]* in 2019 that Kean "wrote in 2016 that she was 'privileged to welcome' Chris Mellon into the UFO organization to which she belonged."[^5] The Pentagon's 2019 statements that Elizondo had "no responsibilities" for [[Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program|AATIP]] while in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, and the dispute with [[Bryan Bender]]'s December 2017 reporting, are set out on the event page.
### After 2017
Kean has since covered the subject for the Times, sharing bylines with Blumenthal. A July 2020 article by the two referred to unclassified slides shown at congressional briefings that mentioned "off-world" vehicles and "crash retrievals" and said [[Harry Reid]] "believed that crashes of vehicles from other worlds had occurred and that retrieved materials had been studied secretly for decades, often by aerospace companies under government contracts." The Times corrected the sentence the next day. Reid told Lewis-Kraus he had never seen proof of remnants and that he had "been told for decades that [[Lockheed Martin|Lockheed]] had some of these retrieved materials." A former Pentagon official told Lewis-Kraus that terms in Kean's slides were ones "we would never say." Kean told Lewis-Kraus she had come to believe that fragments had been "hoarded somewhere" and cited [[Jacques Vallee]], who is working with [[Stanford University|Stanford]] immunologist [[Garry Nolan]] on purported crash material.[^1] In June 2023 she and Blumenthal published the first account of the claims of [[David Grusch]] on [[The Debrief]].[^4]
### Footnotes
[^1]: Lewis-Kraus, Gideon. "How the Pentagon Started Taking U.F.O.s Seriously." *The New Yorker,* May 10, 2021. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/05/10/how-the-pentagon-started-taking-ufos-seriously. The date of the Reid correction and the July 2020 article are inferred from the text ("published last July") of a May 2021 piece.
[^2]: Same, on the 2002 PodestaMattoon engagement, Rothschild's introduction and Podesta's support of the lawsuit.
[^3]: Gibb, Tom. "Reality 'X-file': People in Kecksburg want to resolve what fell from the sky in 1965." *Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,* March 9, 2003, p. 21, via newspapers.com image 90896474. Quotations as printed; the jump on page B-2 was not read.
[^4]: Baker, Nicholson. "How We Lost Our Minds About UFOs." *New York Magazine,* January 31, 2024. https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/leslie-kean-ufo-sightings-aliens.html
[^5]: Kloor, Keith. "The Media Loves This UFO Expert Who Says He Worked for an Obscure Pentagon Program. Did He?" *The Intercept,* June 1, 2019. https://theintercept.com/2019/06/01/ufo-unidentified-history-channel-luis-elizondo-pentagon/. Kloor does not name the organization or the venue of Kean's 2016 statement; his article is the only source read for it.

7
10 - PEOPLE/(N-S)/Andrija Puharich.md
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@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
---
created: 2026-05-15
updated: 2026-10-02
updated: 2026-10-03
title: Andrija Puharich
aliases:
- Andrija Puharich
@ -66,9 +66,14 @@ A questionnaire submitted in 1952 by the Select Committee of the [[United States
The [[Portland Press Herald]] (Sunday Telegram section) of January 9, 1949 carried a staff-written story by [[Jim Moore]], datelined [[Camden, Maine|Camden]], headed "Secrets Of Life." It reported that Dr. Henry K. Puharich, a Chicago physician then about thirty, with his wife Virginia (born Jackson) and their daughter Svetlana, aged eighteen months, had settled at Camden, near Zlatko Balokovic and his wife, and had set up the "Round Table Foundation Laboratory of experimental electrobiology" in a converted barn on the [[Bald Mountain]] retreat. The story gave his schooling as a bachelor's degree in philosophy and a medical degree from Northwestern University, followed by a rotating internship at [[Permanente Hospital]] in [[Oakland, California]], and described Mrs. Puharich as a former [[Office of War Information]] editor and Northwestern laboratory assistant. It stated his theory, which it said he had presented in 1946 to a zoology seminar at the [[University of California]] and to the [[Society of Junior Fellows]] at [[Harvard University|Harvard]], that nerve units radiate and receive energy waves, with the "plasma membrane" acting as a piezo-electric crystal that behaves as a radio receiver and transmitter. The story added that the theory might explain the microphonics of the ear and might account for mental telepathy by electronic equipment "which may not yet be developed," and that his crystal work was done with Dr. [[Raymond C. Tibbetts]] of Camden.[^4]
### Reference in the Scott Jones papers
The finding aid of the C. B. "Scott" Jones papers at the [[University of Colorado Boulder]] lists, in Series 6 ("Special Assistant to [[Claiborne Pell|Senator Claiborne Pell]]"), under Reports and organizations, a file titled "National Science Foundation: Andrija Puharich reports and correspondence." The saved container tree gives the title only, without dates or box number.[^5]
### Footnotes
[^1]: Jacobsen, Annie. *Phenomena: The Secret History of the U.S. Government's Investigations into Extrasensory Perception and Psychokinesis*. Little, Brown and Company, 2017.
[^2]: Kress, Kenneth A. "Parapsychology in Intelligence: A Personal Review and Conclusions," *Studies in Intelligence,* vol. 21, no. 4, winter 1977, declassified. Central Intelligence Agency, Office of Research and Development, memorandum ORD-413-73, "Briefing by Stanford Research Institute," January 24, 1973, CIA-RDP96-00787R000400070029-2. Read in the archive.org mirror of the CIA FOIA Reading Room STARGATE collection.
[^3]: "Questionnaire submitted by the Select Committee of the House of Representatives of the Congress of the United States, created by House Resolution 561, Eighty-second Congress, Second Session, to investigate tax-exempt foundations and comparable organizations," CIA-RDP91-00682R000300080029-3, CIA Reading Room, https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/document/cia-rdp91-00682r000300080029-3. The document page carries OCR text only; the PDF has no text layer, and the foundation name is read from that OCR.
[^4]: Jim Moore, "Secrets Of Life," *Portland Press Herald* (Portland, Me.), January 9, 1949, p. 61, https://www.newspapers.com/image/848421406/.
[^5]: University of Colorado Boulder Libraries, Rare and Distinctive Collections, collection COU:4004 (the C. B. 'Scott' Jones papers), ArchivesSpace resource 346, https://archives.colorado.edu/repositories/2/resources/346, container tree for Series 6, fetched October 3, 2026 from the vault owner's browser.

11
10 - PEOPLE/(N-S)/Claiborne Pell.md
View file

@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ relations:
with: "[[Senate Foreign Relations Committee]]"
role: "chairman as of July 1988 per UPI; term dates not verified"
fn: 7
updated: 2026-10-02
updated: 2026-10-03
---
Claiborne Pell (1918-2009) was a powerful [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] Senator from [[Rhode Island]] and a ranking member of the [[Senate Foreign Relations Committee]]. A former [[Foreign Service]] officer who had worked behind enemy lines in Nazi-occupied [[Hungary]], Pell was a firm supporter and proponent of [[Extrasensory Perception|extrasensory perception]] and the [[Remote Viewing]] program[^1].
@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ The chief of staff who asked Buzby for the status report on November 30, 1983, w
### Scott Jones and the Human Potential Foundation
From January 1985 to March 1991 Pell employed [[C. B. Scott Jones]], a retired [[United States Navy|Navy]] intelligence officer, as special assistant, "with the purpose of investigating consciousness research being conducted in other countries, primarily the USSR," according to the finding aid to Jones's papers.[^5] The [[Washington Times]] reported in 1989 that Pell, "perhaps Capitol Hill's most unabashed believer, has urged the [[National Science Foundation]], the [[Department of Defense|Defense Department]] and other government agencies to increase psychic research funding" and had a full-time staff member whose exclusive job was monitoring reports of psychic activities.[^6] [[United Press International]], summarizing the [[Providence Journal|Providence Sunday Journal]] of July 17, 1988, reported that Pell attended a national symposium on abduction in 1987, that Jones kept a top secret clearance and earned nearly 50,000 dollars a year, that Pell sat on the advisory board of the [[International Association for Near-Death Studies]] and had helped organize a Washington symposium on near-death experiences two years earlier, and that the psychologist [[Ray Hyman]] of the [[University of Oregon]], who had evaluated military applications of psychic research for the Army, said Pell had "been arguing very forcefully" for a "Manhattan Project-style effort" to catch up with the Russians, which Pell called "vastly exaggerated," saying he favored "a modest increase in financial support" for "intelligent, skeptical" research; the report adds that in 1987 Pell invited Geller to Washington for a demonstration before about 30 congressional and [[Pentagon]] aides.[^7] The version of Emery's Providence Journal story printed in *The [[San Francisco Examiner]]* of August 13, 1988 called Pell "Capitol Hill's best-known student of psychic phenomena, near-death experiences and other areas on the fringes of science," stated that he had had a full-time assistant for three years who promotes "developing human potential," and gave Jones's pay as $48,853 a year with a top-secret clearance (the UPI summary above says "nearly 50,000 dollars" and "top secret"). In that article Pell is reported to have invited Geller in April 1987 with at least one other member of Congress in the audience, and Pell described Hyman's account as "correct but vastly exaggerated."[^8] The *[[Winston-Salem Journal]]* of July 18, 1988, summarizing the same story, reported that Pell, then 69, told the Providence Journal he would "probably spend more time with this" if he were not in the Senate.[^9] The Pell papers at the [[University of Rhode Island]] list three files, "Human Potential Foundation: Scott Jones File" (1987; 1987 to 1994; 1988 to 1991), in the subject file series, box 42, folders 464 to 466.[^10]
From January 1985 to March 1991 Pell employed [[C. B. Scott Jones]], a retired [[United States Navy|Navy]] intelligence officer, as special assistant, "with the purpose of investigating consciousness research being conducted in other countries, primarily the USSR," according to the finding aid to Jones's papers.[^5] The [[Washington Times]] reported in 1989 that Pell, "perhaps Capitol Hill's most unabashed believer, has urged the [[National Science Foundation]], the [[Department of Defense|Defense Department]] and other government agencies to increase psychic research funding" and had a full-time staff member whose exclusive job was monitoring reports of psychic activities.[^6] [[United Press International]], summarizing the [[Providence Journal|Providence Sunday Journal]] of July 17, 1988, reported that Pell attended a national symposium on abduction in 1987, that Jones kept a top secret clearance and earned nearly 50,000 dollars a year, that Pell sat on the advisory board of the [[International Association for Near-Death Studies]] and had helped organize a Washington symposium on near-death experiences two years earlier, and that the psychologist [[Ray Hyman]] of the [[University of Oregon]], who had evaluated military applications of psychic research for the Army, said Pell had "been arguing very forcefully" for a "Manhattan Project-style effort" to catch up with the Russians, which Pell called "vastly exaggerated," saying he favored "a modest increase in financial support" for "intelligent, skeptical" research; the report adds that in 1987 Pell invited Geller to Washington for a demonstration before about 30 congressional and [[Pentagon]] aides.[^7] The version of Emery's Providence Journal story printed in *The [[San Francisco Examiner]]* of August 13, 1988 called Pell "Capitol Hill's best-known student of psychic phenomena, near-death experiences and other areas on the fringes of science," stated that he had had a full-time assistant for three years who promotes "developing human potential," and gave Jones's pay as $48,853 a year with a top-secret clearance (the UPI summary above says "nearly 50,000 dollars" and "top secret"). In that article Pell is reported to have invited Geller in April 1987 with at least one other member of Congress in the audience, and Pell described Hyman's account as "correct but vastly exaggerated."[^8] The *[[Winston-Salem Journal]]* of July 18, 1988, summarizing the same story, reported that Pell, then 69, told the Providence Journal he would "probably spend more time with this" if he were not in the Senate.[^9] The Pell papers at the [[University of Rhode Island]] list three files, "Human Potential Foundation: [[C.B. Scott Jones|Scott Jones]] File" (1987; 1987 to 1994; 1988 to 1991), in the subject file series, box 42, folders 464 to 466.[^10]
Pell created the [[Human Potential Foundation]] in 1989, according to the Jones papers finding aid, and a white paper of February 20, 1992 by [[Robert J. Durant]] states that Pell and the lawyer [[Mark Sandground]] sat on its board and that it was "reportedly funded by [[Laurance Rockefeller]]."[^5][^11] The same paper states that Pell's office was visited by Major General [[Michael Kerby]] of the [[United States Air Force|Air Force]] legislative liaison office, who told Jones of a 1987 visit to [[Lee Graham]]; Jones is quoted as saying "Kerby knew of my interest in these matters."[^11] (Sole source for the passages so cited; the paper is hostile to Jones.)
@ -57,6 +57,12 @@ Pell created the [[Human Potential Foundation]] in 1989, according to the Jones
Rockefeller's letter of May 7, 1993 to [[Billy Graham]] listed [[Maurice Strong]], possibly [[Javier Perez de Cuellar]], former President [[Jimmy Carter]] and several senators, among them Pell and [[Ted Stevens]], as possible co-signers of a letter to President [[Bill Clinton]] on UFO information; Graham declined on May 20, 1993.[^12] Jones's letter to [[John Gibbons|John H. Gibbons]] of August 11, 1994 notes that Pell sat on the board of the [[Institute of Noetic Sciences]], whose founder [[Edgar Mitchell]] would meet Gibbons.[^13] Gibbons wrote in a handwritten note to Rockefeller in August 1994, "Incidentally, I told C. Pell about this situation yesterday," referring to the Air Force Roswell report; a second note, to "Clay," indexed September 19, 1994 and dated 8/19/94, thanks him for lunch and encloses the report's summary text and Gibbons's Zuckerman lecture.[^14] In the memorandum for the President of August 4, 1995 Gibbons wrote that Rockefeller's interests "are related to those of Senator Pell" and that "Senator Pell and others have supported the funding of research in social science to focus more on these phenomena."[^15]
### Series 6 container titles in the Scott Jones papers
Series 6 of the [[C. B. Scott Jones]] papers at the University of Colorado Boulder is titled "Special Assistant to Senator Claiborne Pell." Its Legislation subseries lists drafts and correspondence for Senate Joint Resolutions 135 and 368 and House Joint Resolution 646, a Fetzer Foundation conference of June 23 to 25, 1988, International Forgiveness Day, Peace Contingency Planning, the Sadat Peace Foundation, "National Applications Office drafts" and a "Commission or Task Force on Maximizing Individual Potential draft." The Symposium on Consciousness and Survival of October 26 and 27, 1985 has files for the proceedings edited by John Shelby Spong, invitations, fundraising and event planning. The Soviet-American Relations subseries has files titled "[[Esalen Institute]]," "Russia Trip 1990," "Soviet Psychotronics correspondence and memos," "Intelligence," "Pell Trip to Soviet Union 1985" and "Russia Trip 1989."[^16]
The Paranormal Aide subseries lists "Reverse Speech Scandal" files, "Challenger Incident," "Vorona Project," four "Uri Geller Scandal" files, "Uri Geller Associates" and "1990 [[United States]] Senate Election in Rhode Island." The Reports and organizations subseries has files on the [[Office of Science and Technology Policy]], the National Research Council report (five files), the Office of Technology Assessment (including "Workshop on Experimental Parapsychology" and "Maintaining the Defense Technology Base"), National Institute of Mental Health workshops at Airlie in 1987 and 1988, and the National Science Foundation, including "[[Andrija Puharich]] reports and correspondence." The Unidentified Flying Objects subseries lists files on the Fund for UFO Research, Richard F. Haines, Ed Komarek Jr., "Air Force Document of Mid-Air Collision 1953," "Howard J. Hoffman Government Liaison Project" and Donald R. Todd, and "A Model of Government Preparation for ET Contact and Cooperation" by Jones. The Speeches subseries includes an *OMNI* "First Word" column by Pell of February 1988 and speeches drafted by Jones and Pell. The tree gives titles only, without dates or box numbers.[^16]
### Footnotes
[^1]: Jacobsen, Annie. *Phenomena: The Secret History of the U.S. Government's Investigations into Extrasensory Perception and Psychokinesis*. Little, Brown and Company, 2017.
@ -74,3 +80,4 @@ Rockefeller's letter of May 7, 1993 to [[Billy Graham]] listed [[Maurice Strong]
[^13]: C. B. Scott Jones to John H. Gibbons, August 11, 1994, http://www.paradigmresearchgroup.org/Rockefeller%20Documents/RID-8-11-94.htm.
[^14]: Gibbons, handwritten notes, http://www.paradigmresearchgroup.org/Rockefeller%20Documents/RID-8-17-94.htm and RID-9-19-94.htm.
[^15]: Gibbons, memorandum for the President, August 4, 1995, http://www.paradigmresearchgroup.org/Rockefeller%20Documents/RID-8-4-95.htm.
[^16]: University of Colorado Boulder Libraries, Rare and Distinctive Collections, collection COU:4004 (the C. B. 'Scott' Jones papers), ArchivesSpace resource 346, https://archives.colorado.edu/repositories/2/resources/346, container tree for Series 6, fetched October 3, 2026 from the vault owner's browser (titles only; no dates or box numbers in the saved tree).

53
10 - PEOPLE/(N-S)/Diana Walsh Pasulka.md Normal file
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@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
---
category: "UFO & Anomalous Phenomena"
tags:
- Person
- UFO
- UAP
- ReligiousStudies
- SolFoundation
- Author
alias:
- Diana Walsh Pasulka
- D. W. Pasulka
- DW Pasulka
- Diana W. Pasulka
- Pasulka
summary: "Professor of religious studies at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, author of American Cosmic (2019) and Encounters (2023), who said on September 11, 2023 that she was joining the Sol Foundation board."
location: "Wilmington, North Carolina"
relations:
- type: employed_by
with: "[[University of North Carolina Wilmington]]"
role: "professor of religious studies"
fn: 1
- type: member_of
with: "[[Sol Foundation]]"
start: 2023-09-11
role: "announced on September 11, 2023 that she was joining the board; listed on the foundation's website under its Social Sciences Advisory Board in October 2026"
fn: 4
created: 2026-10-03
updated: 2026-10-03
---
Diana Walsh Pasulka is a professor of religious studies at the [[University of North Carolina Wilmington]].[^1] Her books include "[[Heaven Can Wait]]" ([[Oxford University Press]]), "[[American Cosmic]]: UFOs, Religion, Technology" (Oxford University Press, 2019) and "[[Encounters]]: Experiences with Nonhuman Intelligences" ([[St. Martin's Press]], 2023).[^2]
### Tyler D. and James Master
American Cosmic is dedicated to "[[Tyler D.]]," a pseudonymous figure whom Pasulka describes as one of the "most intelligent and successful people" she had met, a former aeronautical engineer who "worked on almost every space shuttle that was ever launched" and later a wealthy entrepreneur. As [[Nathaniel Rich]] summarizes Pasulka's account, after selling a biomedical device Tyler was stopped at an airport by federal agents who asked whether he wanted to return to the space program in a "very special" office, which Rich writes was "presumably located within" the [[White Sands Test Facility]] in [[New Mexico]], where he was assigned a desk beside a square room wrapped in concrete and metal. Tyler took Pasulka to a purported crash site in the New Mexico desert in the company of a second figure she called "James Master," who had analyzed an alleged artifact for a documentary and said two men in suits afterward asked him what he had really found.[^3]
In Encounters, Pasulka identifies "James Master" as the Stanford immunologist [[Garry Nolan]].[^3] The identity of Tyler D. has not been given in the sources opened. Encounters also introduces "[[Gray Man]]," described as the head of a laboratory for a major research agency.[^3]
### Sol Foundation
Pasulka posted on September 11, 2023 that she was joining the board of the [[Sol Foundation]], a statement reproduced in coverage of its launch.[^4] She spoke at the foundation's first symposium on November 17 to 18, 2023 in [[Palo Alto, California]].[^5] She was a signatory, with [[Peter Skafish]], Nolan, [[Avi Loeb]], [[Christopher Mellon]] and [[Tim Gallaudet]], of the November 12, 2024 letter to Congress urging enactment of the review-board provisions of the [[Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Disclosure Act]].[^6] The foundation's website, read on October 3, 2026, lists "Diana Pasulka" under its Social Sciences Advisory Board, with [[Eric Davis]] and [[Jeffrey J. Kripal]].[^7] The Sol Foundation's 2024 Form 990 lists no director or officer named Pasulka.[^8]
### Footnotes
[^1]: Signatory entry, "Diana Walsh Pasulka, Ph.D., Professor," in the letter of November 12, 2024, House Committee on Oversight and Accountability. https://docs.house.gov/meetings/GO/GO12/20241113/117721/HHRG-118-GO12-Wstate-GallaudetPhDRearAdmiralUSNavyRetT-20241113-SD001.pdf
[^2]: Open Library author search for "Pasulka," records for *American Cosmic* (Oxford University Press, 2019), *Encounters* (St. Martin's Press, 2023), and *Heaven Can Wait* (Oxford University Press). https://openlibrary.org/search.json?author=Pasulka
[^3]: Nathaniel Rich, "Ufologists, Unite!," *The New York Review of Books*, April 18, 2024, reviewing *American Cosmic* and *Encounters*. https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2024/04/18/ufologists-unite-american-cosmic-d-w-pasulka/ (the review's account is the sole source for the passages so cited; the books themselves were not opened).
[^4]: Micah Hanks, "The Sol Foundation: How a New Think Tank of Academics is Applying 'Cutting-Edge Research' to the UAP Mystery," *The Debrief*, September 12, 2023 (embedding her post of September 11, 2023). https://thedebrief.org/the-sol-foundation-how-a-new-think-tank-of-academics-is-applying-cutting-edge-research-the-uap-mystery/
[^5]: Micah Hanks, *The Debrief*, February 12, 2024. https://thedebrief.org/the-sol-foundation-academias-new-uap-think-tank-releases-videos-of-lectures-from-its-inaugural-symposium/
[^6]: Signatory letter of November 12, 2024, House Committee on Oversight and Accountability (the statement of Tim Gallaudet), https://docs.house.gov/meetings/GO/GO12/20241113/117721/HHRG-118-GO12-Wstate-GallaudetPhDRearAdmiralUSNavyRetT-20241113-SD001.pdf
[^7]: The Sol Foundation, home page, "People" section (Advisory Board), https://thesolfoundation.org/ , read October 3, 2026.
[^8]: IRS Form 990 for 2024, EIN 93-3649160, Part VII. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/933649160/202543269349300004/full

88
10 - PEOPLE/(N-S)/Garry Nolan.md
View file

@ -5,7 +5,62 @@ category: "UFO & Anomalous Phenomena"
tags:
- Person
- UFO
- Stanford
- SolFoundation
- Akoya
alias:
- Garry Nolan
- Garry P. Nolan
- Garry Nolan, Ph.D.
- Dr. Garry Nolan
summary: "Garry Nolan is a leading research scientist at Stanford University, specializing in genetics, immunology, and bioinformatics."
relations:
relations:
- type: employed_by
with: "[[Stanford University]]"
role: "Rachford and Carlota A. Harris Professor, Department of Pathology, School of Medicine"
fn: 13
- type: director_of
with: "[[Nodality]]"
start: 2009-10-19
role: "executive officer and director on the Form D signed October 26, 2009 (offering $10,000,000, $3,499,999 sold) and director on the Form D signed January 12, 2010 (offering $13,500,000, $9,999,997 sold)"
fn: 3
- type: director_of
with: "[[DVS Sciences]]"
start: 2010-12-20
role: "director on Form D filed February 16, 2011 (offering $14,797,741; $4,131,828 sold, six investors)"
fn: 4
- type: director_of
with: "[[BINA Technologies]]"
start: 2011-04-08
role: "director on Forms D filed April 21, 2011 ($1,500,000 offered, $1,100,000 sold, nine investors) and March 28, 2012 ($2,000,000 offered, $1,204,545 sold, twelve investors)"
fn: 5
- type: director_of
with: "[[PrognosDx Health]]"
start: 2011-02-28
role: "director on Forms D filed March 15, May 17 and June 28, 2011"
fn: 6
- type: founded
with: "[[Akoya Biosciences]]"
role: "co-founder and director (director on Forms D of July 2017 and October 2018; Form 3 filed April 20, 2021 as director holding 680,084 common shares); company acquired by Quanterix in 2025"
fn: 7
- type: member_of
with: "[[To The Stars Academy of Arts & Science]]"
start: 2017-08-15
role: "named to the advisory board in the Regulation A offering circular of August 15, 2017, with Christopher Mellon, Adele Gilpin, Norman Kahn, Colm Kelleher and Paul Rapp"
fn: 8
- type: founded
with: "[[Sol Foundation]]"
start: 2023-08-15
role: "co-founder; director (0 hours, no compensation) on the 2024 Form 990"
fn: 9
- type: member_of
with: "[[UAP Science Advisory Council]]"
start: 2026-06
role: "materials science and molecular biology, on the list Avi Loeb supplied to DefenseScoop"
fn: 15
updated: 2026-10-03
created: 2026-10-03
---
Garry Nolan is a leading research scientist at [[Stanford University]], specializing in genetics, immunology, and bioinformatics. He trained under Nobel Prize-winning biologist [[David Baltimore]] and has published over 200 research papers and holds twenty biotechnology patents[^1].
@ -29,6 +84,39 @@ Further research revealed that many of the individuals in the study group had be
Dr. Nolan has also been involved in the analysis of alleged UAP materials. He and the French scientist [[Jacques Vallee]] collaborated on a paper analyzing a metallic slag recovered from a 1977 UAP crash in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Their analysis revealed that the material contained isotopes of magnesium and iron that were arranged in a highly structured and deliberate manner, a feat that is beyond our current technological capabilities.[^2]
### Companies and investors
Securities filings name Nolan as a director or executive officer of a series of private life-science companies. On Form D filings with the [[Securities and Exchange Commission]] he appears as an executive officer and director of [[Nodality]] (first filing, signed October 26, 2009, for a $10,000,000 offering of which $3,499,999 had been sold to one investor) and as a director of the same company on the second filing (January 2010, a $13,500,000 offering of which $9,999,997 had been sold to four investors), as a director of [[DVS Sciences]] (filed February 16, 2011, $14,797,741 offered, $4,131,828 sold), as a director of [[BINA Technologies]] (filed April 21, 2011 and March 28, 2012, the second recording $1,204,545 sold to twelve investors) and as a director of [[PrognosDx Health]] (three filings between March and June 2011, for $25,000, $10,000 and $15,000, each sold to one investor).[^3][^4][^5][^6]
[[Akoya Biosciences]] filed Forms D on July 14, 2017 (nine million dollars offered and sold, six investors) and October 2, 2018 ($25,500,000 offered, $24,500,000 sold), each listing Nolan with [[Thomas Raffin]], [[Robert Shepler]] and [[Matthew Winkler]] as directors. Its 2021 prospectus calls Nolan "our co-founder and director," says he "originally developed our CODEX technology" at Stanford, which licenses the patents to the company, and says he is the first recipient of the [[Teal Innovator Award]] (2012) from the [[Department of Defense]]. Raffin is described there as a co-founder of [[Rigel Pharmaceuticals]] and of the [[San Francisco]] life-science private equity firm [[Telegraph Hill Partners]]. Nolan filed a Form 3 on April 20, 2021 as a director holding 680,084 shares of common stock and options on 42,918 more.[^7] Akoya's proxy statements for 2022, 2023 and 2024 and its 2025 merger proxy with [[Quanterix]] carry his name.[^7]
### Advisory boards
The Regulation A offering circular of [[To The Stars Academy of Arts & Science]] filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 15, 2017 lists an advisory board of [[Christopher Mellon]], [[Adele Gilpin]], [[Norman Kahn]], [[Colm Kelleher]], Nolan and [[Paul Rapp]], gives Nolan's chair as the Rachford and Carlota A. Harris Professorship in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology (the November 2024 letter to Congress gives the Department of Pathology), and describes Nolan as "the founder" of "several successful biotechnology companies" who "is an outspoken proponent of translating public investment in basic research to serve the public welfare."[^8]
### Sol Foundation and later activity
Nolan co-founded the [[Sol Foundation]] with [[Peter Skafish]] and was introduced in 2023 as its "Executive Director of the Board." He said that because of his Stanford position he could not hold an officer role in an outside company and took no salary.[^9] The foundation's 2024 Form 990 lists him as a director at zero hours and zero compensation, and the [[Internal Revenue Service|IRS]] master file gives his Redwood City address as the care-of address for the organization's records.[^9][^10] The foundation's website, read October 3, 2026, lists him as "Co-Founder & Executive Director of the Board."[^11] The November 2023 symposium was hosted by the Nolan Laboratory and the Stanford School of Medicine.[^12] He signed the November 12, 2024 letter to Congress urging passage of the review-board provisions of the [[Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Disclosure Act]], listing his chair as the Rachford and Carlota A. Harris Professorship in Pathology.[^13]
In Encounters (2023), [[Diana Walsh Pasulka]] identified the figure she had called "James Master" in American Cosmic, a "world leading scientist" who had analyzed an alleged artifact, as Nolan.[^14] In June 2026 Nolan, Skafish and [[Tim Gallaudet]] were named among twelve members of a UAP Science Advisory Council led by [[Avi Loeb]].[^15]
The [[Federal Election Commission]] database lists contributions from a Garry Nolan of Redwood City, California who gives Stanford as his employer: $250 to [[Hillary Clinton]]'s 2016 campaign committee on April 7, 2016, $2,900 to [[Mike Levin]]'s congressional campaign on March 22, 2021, and small amounts through [[ActBlue]] to other Democratic candidates, most recently on October 28, 2024.[^16]
### Footnotes
[^1]: Jacobsen, Annie. *Phenomena: The Secret History of the U.S. Government's Investigations into Extrasensory Perception and Psychokinesis*. Little, Brown and Company, 2017.
[^2]: Elizondo, Luis. *Imminent*. William Morrow, 2024.
[^3]: SEC Form D, Nodality Inc, accession 0001372142-09-000007 (filed October 26, 2009; first sale October 19, 2009) and 0001372142-10-000001 (filed January 13, 2010; first sale December 30, 2009). https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1372142/000137214209000007/primary_doc.xml
[^4]: SEC Form D, DVS Sciences, Inc., accession 0001512982-11-000001, filed February 16, 2011. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1512982/000151298211000001/primary_doc.xml
[^5]: SEC Form D, BINA Technologies Inc., accessions 0001518373-11-000002 (filed April 21, 2011) and 0001518373-12-000003 (filed March 28, 2012). https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1518373/000151837312000003/primary_doc.xml
[^6]: SEC Form D, PrognosDx Health, Inc., accessions 0001515122-11-000002, -000003 and -000004 (filed March 15, May 17 and June 28, 2011). https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1515122/000151512211000002/primary_doc.xml
[^7]: SEC Form D, Akoya Biosciences, Inc. (CIK 1711933), accessions 0001446933-17-000008 (first sale July 12, 2017, signed July 14, 2017) and 0001446933-18-000007 (first sale September 26, 2018, signed October 2, 2018), https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1711933/000144693317000008/primary_doc.xml ; Form 3, Garry Nolan, accession 0001104659-21-052709 (April 20, 2021); prospectus (424B4), accession 0001104659-21-051518 (April 19, 2021), "Management" and "Business" sections. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1711933/000110465921051518/tm212065-15_424b4.htm
[^8]: To The Stars Academy of Arts & Science Inc., Form 1-A, offering circular Part II and III, accession 0001144204-17-043466 (filed August 15, 2017), "Advisory Board." https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1710274/000114420417043466/v473169_partiiandiii.htm
[^9]: Micah Hanks, "The Sol Foundation: How a New Think Tank of Academics is Applying 'Cutting-Edge Research' to the UAP Mystery," *The Debrief*, September 12, 2023. https://thedebrief.org/the-sol-foundation-how-a-new-think-tank-of-academics-is-applying-cutting-edge-research-the-uap-mystery/
[^10]: IRS Form 990 for 2024, EIN 93-3649160; ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer API record for the same EIN. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/933649160
[^11]: The Sol Foundation, home page, "People" section, https://thesolfoundation.org/ , read October 3, 2026.
[^12]: Micah Hanks, *The Debrief*, February 12, 2024. https://thedebrief.org/the-sol-foundation-academias-new-uap-think-tank-releases-videos-of-lectures-from-its-inaugural-symposium/
[^13]: Signatory entry in the letter of November 12, 2024, statement of Tim Gallaudet, House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, hearing of November 13, 2024. https://docs.house.gov/meetings/GO/GO12/20241113/117721/HHRG-118-GO12-Wstate-GallaudetPhDRearAdmiralUSNavyRetT-20241113-SD001.pdf
[^14]: Nathaniel Rich, "Ufologists, Unite!," *The New York Review of Books*, April 18, 2024 (sole source for the passage so cited; Encounters not opened). https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2024/04/18/ufologists-unite-american-cosmic-d-w-pasulka/
[^15]: "New science advisory council forms to help US government 'resolve the UAP mystery,'" *DefenseScoop*, June 17, 2026. https://defensescoop.com/2026/06/17/new-science-advisory-council-forms-to-help-us-government-resolve-the-uap-mystery/
[^16]: Federal Election Commission, Schedule A receipts, contributor name "NOLAN, GARRY," city Redwood City, queried October 3, 2026 (twenty-five records, 2016 to 2024; employer given as Stanford University or Stanford University School of Medicine). The identity of the donor with the Stanford professor rests on the employer field only.

2
10 - PEOPLE/(N-S)/Garry Reid.md
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@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ summary: "According to Elizondo, Garry Reid was part of a hostile leadership env
According to Elizondo, Garry Reid was part of a hostile leadership environment within the OUSD(I) that was determined to undermine and dismantle AATIP. After Elizondo resigned from the Pentagon in October 2017 and addressed his resignation letter to Secretary of Defense [[James Mattis]], Reid allegedly intercepted the letter and confronted Elizondo, threatening to damage his career and security clearance.[^1]
Following Elizondo's public disclosure of AATIP, Elizondo wrote that Reid launched a "scorched-earth" campaign against him. This included seizing his computers and files, questioning his former employees, and launching a criminal inquiry with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) into the release of the three declassified UAP videos. This investigation ultimately found no wrongdoing on Elizondo's part. Reid was also allegedly responsible for the Pentagon's public statements that falsely denied Elizondo's involvement with AATIP.[^1]
Following Elizondo's public disclosure of AATIP, Elizondo wrote that Reid launched a "scorched-earth" campaign against him. This included seizing his computers and files, questioning his former employees, and launching a criminal inquiry with the Air Force [[Office of Special Investigations]] (AFOSI) into the release of the three UAP videos. This investigation ultimately found no wrongdoing on Elizondo's part. Reid was also allegedly responsible for the Pentagon's public statements that falsely denied Elizondo's involvement with AATIP.[^1]
### Inspector General Investigation

9
10 - PEOPLE/(N-S)/Hal Puthoff.md
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@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
---
created: 2026-05-17
updated: 2026-10-02
updated: 2026-10-03
title: Hal Puthoff
aliases:
- Hal Puthoff
@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ Puthoff hired Targ as a research colleague, and together they developed the remo
### The 1996 Account
After the CIA declassified 270 pages of SRI reports in July 1995, Puthoff published his own account. In early 1972, doing laser research at SRI, he had written a proposal that Ingo Swann saw at [[Cleve Backster]]'s laboratory and wrote to him, and Puthoff invited him for a week in June 1972. He arranged access to "a well-shielded magnetometer used in a quark-detection experiment in the Physics Department at Stanford University," in a vault beneath the floor "shielded by mu-metal shielding, an aluminum container, copper shielding and a superconducting shield"; Swann "appeared to perturb the operation of the magnetometer" and then "went on to 'remote view' the interior of the apparatus, rendering by drawing a reasonable facsimile of its rather complex (and heretofore unpublished) construction." Within weeks "a pair of visitors showed up at SRI with the above report in hand. Their credentials showed them to be from the CIA. They knew of my previous background as a [[Office of Naval Intelligence|Naval Intelligence]] Officer and then civilian employee at the National Security Agency," and spoke of "increasing concern in the intelligence community about the level of effort in Soviet parapsychology being funded by the Soviet security services." An eight-month "Biofield Measurements Program" of 49,909 dollars followed, and Russell Targ joined; the second year, January 1974 to February 1975, was funded at 149,555 dollars. The first coordinate target, "the West Virginia Site," produced from one subject "a detailed map of the building and grounds layout" and from the other "information about the interior including codewords, data subsequently verified by sponsor sources"; Pat Price then "went on to scan the other side of the globe for a Communist Bloc equivalent and found one located in the Urals," also "verified by personnel in the sponsor organization as being substantially correct." The [[Semipalatinsk]] experiment of July 1974, "carried out in three phases," was "under direct control of the COTR," and "several details concerning the salient technology of the Semipalatinsk site appeared to dovetail with data from other sources, and a number of specific large structural elements were correctly described." The CIA "dropped out as a major player in the mid-seventies due to pressure on the Agency (unrelated to the RV Program) from the [[Church Committee|Church-Pike Congressional Committee]]," and Major General [[Edmund Thompson]], the Army's assistant chief of staff for intelligence from 1977 to 1981, said: "I had one or more briefings by SRI and was impressed. The decision I made was to set up a small, in-house, low-cost effort in remote viewing." One application, Puthoff noted, "yielded not only a published, statistically significant result, but also a return of $26,000 in 30 days in the silver futures market." The article does not mention [[Scientology]].[^1]
After the CIA declassified 270 pages of SRI reports in July 1995, Puthoff published his own account. In early 1972, doing laser research at SRI, he had written a proposal that Ingo Swann saw at [[Cleve Backster]]'s laboratory and wrote to him, and Puthoff invited him for a week in June 1972. He arranged access to "a well-shielded magnetometer used in a quark-detection experiment in the Physics Department at Stanford University," in a vault beneath the floor "shielded by mu-metal shielding, an aluminum container, copper shielding and a superconducting shield"; Swann "appeared to perturb the operation of the magnetometer" and then "went on to 'remote view' the interior of the apparatus, rendering by drawing a reasonable facsimile of its rather complex (and heretofore unpublished) construction." Within weeks "a pair of visitors showed up at SRI with the above report in hand. Their credentials showed them to be from the CIA. They knew of my previous background as a [[Office of Naval Intelligence|Naval Intelligence]] Officer and then civilian employee at the [[NSA|National Security Agency]]," and spoke of "increasing concern in the intelligence community about the level of effort in Soviet parapsychology being funded by the Soviet security services." An eight-month "Biofield Measurements Program" of 49,909 dollars followed, and Russell Targ joined; the second year, January 1974 to February 1975, was funded at 149,555 dollars. The first coordinate target, "the West Virginia Site," produced from one subject "a detailed map of the building and grounds layout" and from the other "information about the interior including codewords, data subsequently verified by sponsor sources"; Pat Price then "went on to scan the other side of the globe for a Communist Bloc equivalent and found one located in the Urals," also "verified by personnel in the sponsor organization as being substantially correct." The [[Semipalatinsk]] experiment of July 1974, "carried out in three phases," was "under direct control of the COTR," and "several details concerning the salient technology of the Semipalatinsk site appeared to dovetail with data from other sources, and a number of specific large structural elements were correctly described." The CIA "dropped out as a major player in the mid-seventies due to pressure on the Agency (unrelated to the RV Program) from the [[Church Committee|Church-Pike Congressional Committee]]," and Major General [[Edmund Thompson]], the Army's assistant chief of staff for intelligence from 1977 to 1981, said: "I had one or more briefings by SRI and was impressed. The decision I made was to set up a small, in-house, low-cost effort in remote viewing." One application, Puthoff noted, "yielded not only a published, statistically significant result, but also a return of $26,000 in 30 days in the silver futures market." The article does not mention [[Scientology]].[^1]
### Protocol Development and Pat Price
@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ After leaving SRI, Puthoff founded [[EarthTech International|EarthTech]] Interna
### UFO-Related Contacts, 1985 to 1996
A page of handwritten notes by [[Oke Shannon]] of [[Los Alamos]], headed "Attendees" and placed by the authors of the [[Loose Threads Report]] at a meeting of August 7, 1985 labeled "ATP Ten," lists "Hal Puthoff" among participants in the [[Advanced Theoretical Physics Working Group]] convened by [[John B. Alexander]] in the BDM facility at [[McLean, Virginia]]; those authors write that Shannon's notes of the first meeting show Puthoff giving a presentation on remote viewing.[^6] [[Jacques Vallee]] recorded a 1989 telephone conversation in which Puthoff said that Alexander had briefed "the head of [[NORAD|Norad]], the head of the [[United States Space Command|Space Command]], the top guy at [[Strategic Defense Initiative|SDI]]" and that "a lot of people had been briefed and had agreed to cooperate"; Vallee's account has Puthoff conceding that the plan "may have been killed by someone deciding that the timing was wrong, or they were the wrong people, or the approach was bad."[^7] At the 2018 conference of the [[Scientific Coalition for UAP Studies]], asked about Alexander's conclusion that no program could be found, he answered that "somebody else [was] doing it" and that "if materials are being held in [[Special Access Programs]], a casual conversation even with high-level people, who know your interest, and they're interested too, won't necessarily reveal facts."[^6]
A page of handwritten notes by [[Oke Shannon]] of [[Los Alamos]], headed "Attendees" and placed by the authors of the [[Loose Threads Report]] at a meeting of August 7, 1985 labeled "ATP Ten," lists "Hal Puthoff" among participants in the [[Advanced Theoretical Physics Working Group]] convened by [[John B. Alexander]] in the [[BDM Corporation|BDM]] facility at [[McLean, Virginia]]; those authors write that Shannon's notes of the first meeting show Puthoff giving a presentation on remote viewing.[^6] [[Jacques Vallee]] recorded a 1989 telephone conversation in which Puthoff said that Alexander had briefed "the head of [[NORAD|Norad]], the head of the [[United States Space Command|Space Command]], the top guy at [[Strategic Defense Initiative|SDI]]" and that "a lot of people had been briefed and had agreed to cooperate"; Vallee's account has Puthoff conceding that the plan "may have been killed by someone deciding that the timing was wrong, or they were the wrong people, or the approach was bad."[^7] At the 2018 conference of the [[Scientific Coalition for UAP Studies]], asked about Alexander's conclusion that no program could be found, he answered that "somebody else [was] doing it" and that "if materials are being held in [[Special Access Programs]], a casual conversation even with high-level people, who know your interest, and they're interested too, won't necessarily reveal facts."[^6]
[[Mark Pilkington]] wrote in *[[Mirage Men]]* that at a Denny's restaurant "back in 1986" Kit Green, Puthoff and Vallee "distilled what they knew about the subject into what has become known as the 'core story.'"[^8] Shannon said in a 2022 interview that in 1999 Vice Admiral [[Thomas R. Wilson]] telephoned him to ask whether [[Eric Davis]] could be trusted and "may have even mentioned Hal Puthoff and one or two other people."[^6]
@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ On October 17, 1996 [[Laurance Rockefeller]] wrote to [[John Gibbons|John H. Gib
Puthoff contributed as a scientific consultant to the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP), the Pentagon program that investigated Unidentified Aerial Phenomena from approximately 2007 to 2012 under [[Luis D. Elizondo III|Luis Elizondo]]. His contribution included commissioning and reviewing Defense Intelligence Reference Documents (DIRDs) - theoretical analyses of advanced aerospace concepts including warp drives, traversable wormholes, negative energy, and exotic propulsion systems. His EarthTech research in zero-point energy physics made him the natural contractor for the theoretical physics studies that formed part of AATIP's research portfolio.
Puthoff became a founding member and scientific advisor to To the Stars Academy of Arts and Science (TTSA), the public benefit corporation established by [[Tom DeLonge]] in 2017, which published three declassified [[United States Navy|Navy]] videos of UAP encounters and became a public vehicle for intelligence community-adjacent UAP disclosure.
Puthoff became a founding member and scientific advisor to To the Stars Academy of Arts and Science (TTSA), the public benefit corporation established by [[Tom DeLonge]] in 2017, which published three unclassified [[United States Navy|Navy]] videos of UAP encounters that the [[Department of Defense]] stated on April 27, 2020 it had authorized for release after "unauthorized releases in 2007 and 2017,"[^11] and became a public vehicle for intelligence community-adjacent UAP disclosure.
### Footnotes
@ -113,3 +113,4 @@ Puthoff became a founding member and scientific advisor to To the Stars Academy
[^8]: Pilkington, Mark. *Mirage Men.* 2010, chapter "The Man in the White Coat" (the Denny's statement is Pilkington's narration), https://avalonlibrary.net/ebooks/Mark%20Pilkington%20-%20Mirage%20Men%20-%20A%20Journey%20into%20Disinformation,%20Paranoia%20and%20UFOs.pdf. Sole source for the passage.
[^9]: Rockefeller, Laurance S., letter of October 17, 1996 with "Suggested Invitees for the Meeting of Scientists," Clinton Presidential Library, Office of Science and Technology Policy FOIA 01-22, item 72, https://avalonlibrary.net/Grant_Cameron/Clinton_Presidential_Library_collection/OSTP%20-%20FOIA%2001%2022/ (file "1996 10 17_Laurance Rockefeller to John Gibbons"). The OSTP routing slip addresses the letter to Gibbons; the invitation text and invitee list are enclosures.
[^10]: Boylan, Richard J. "UFO/ET-Disclosure Policy Splits Covert Network," *Perceptions,* http://web.archive.org/web/20130831033026/http://www.think-aboutit.com/ufo/aviary.htm. Sole source.
[^11]: U.S. Department of Defense. "Statement by the Department of Defense on the Release of Historical Navy Videos," April 27, 2020. https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/2165713/statement-by-the-department-of-defense-on-the-release-of-historical-navy-videos/ (read through the Internet Archive capture, https://web.archive.org/web/2020id_/https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/2165713/statement-by-the-department-of-defense-on-the-release-of-historical-navy-videos/). Greenewald, John, Jr. "Navy Officially Releases UFO/UAP Videos, Calls Them 'Historical.'" The Black Vault, April 27, 2020 (reproduces the statement and gives the GOFAST date). https://www.theblackvault.com/documentarchive/navy-officially-releases-ufo-uap-videos-calls-them-historical/

34
10 - PEOPLE/(N-S)/Harry Reid.md
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@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ relations:
role: "Nevada constituent; Bigelow and Bigelow companies contributed 10,800 dollars to Friends for Harry Reid and 10,000 dollars to the Searchlight Leadership Fund, 1998 to 2010"
start: 1998
fn: 6
updated: 2026-10-02
updated: 2026-10-03
---
[[Harry Reid]] was a [[United States]] Senator from [[Nevada]] who served as the Senate Majority Leader. He was a pivotal figure in the establishment and funding of the [[Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program]] (AATIP) and a staunch supporter of the [[Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena]] (UAP) disclosure movement until his death in 2021.[^1]
@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ Senator Reid's interest in the UAP topic was sparked by his position as the sena
### Funding for AATIP
Elizondo wrote that in 2007 Senator Reid, along with Senators [[Ted Stevens]] of [[Alaska]] and [[Daniel Inouye]] of [[Hawaii]], secured $22 million in funding for the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AAWSAP), the precursor to AATIP. These three men controlled congressional spending for "black budget" [[Pentagon]] programs, and their bipartisan support was essential for the program's creation. Reid continued to be a champion for the program, later securing an additional $10 million in funding for AATIP, though the funds were ultimately diverted to another program.[^1]
Elizondo wrote that Senator Reid, along with Senators [[Ted Stevens]] of [[Alaska]] and [[Daniel Inouye]] of [[Hawaii]], funded the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AAWSAP), the precursor to AATIP. These three men controlled congressional spending for "black budget" [[Pentagon]] programs, and their bipartisan support was essential for the program's creation. Reid continued to be a champion for the program, later securing an additional $10 million in funding for AATIP, though the funds were ultimately diverted to another program.[^1]
### Support for Disclosure
@ -50,7 +50,25 @@ DIA's talking points for a Reid visit to the DIA Director (May 4, 2009) state th
### Contributions from Robert Bigelow and Bigelow companies
[[OpenFEC]] itemized receipts show contributions of 2,000 dollars (two entries of 1,000 dollars, August 7, 1998), 4,000 dollars (two entries of 2,000 dollars, June 12, 2003) and 4,800 dollars (two entries of 2,400 dollars, June 8, 2010) from Robert Bigelow of [[Las Vegas]] to [[Friends for Harry Reid]], the Senate campaign committee. The [[Searchlight Leadership Fund]], registered to Reid as sponsor, received 5,000 dollars from Bigelow on June 13, 2003 and 5,000 dollars from [[Bigelow Development Aerospace]] LLC on June 30, 2004. The [[Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee]] received 28,500 dollars from Bigelow on September 28, 2007 and 28,500 dollars on June 30, 2008.[^6]
[[OpenFEC]] itemized receipts show contributions of 2,000 dollars (two entries of 1,000 dollars, August 7, 1998), 4,000 dollars (two entries of 2,000 dollars, June 12, 2003) and 4,800 dollars (two entries of 2,400 dollars, June 8, 2010) from Robert Bigelow of [[Las Vegas]] to [[Friends for Harry Reid]], the Senate campaign committee. The [[Searchlight Leadership Fund]], registered to Reid as sponsor, received 5,000 dollars from Bigelow on June 13, 2003 and 5,000 dollars from [[Bigelow Development Aerospace]] LLC on June 30, 2004. The [[Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee]] received 28,500 dollars from Bigelow on September 28, 2007 and 28,500 dollars on June 30, 2008.[^6] [[Politico]]'s [[Bryan Bender]] wrote in 2017 that Bigelow "was also a regular contributor to Reid's reelection campaigns, campaign finance records show, at least $10,000 from 1998 to 2008," and in 2021 called him "Reid's longtime UFO svengali (and campaign donor)"; the itemized entries above were not reconciled with that total.[^7]
### Reid in Elizondo's account
Elizondo wrote that Lacatski told him in 2009 that the program was funded "through the efforts of a bipartisan group of senators," Reid, Stevens and Inouye, who "controlled congressional spending for black-budget Pentagon programs," and that Reid, "the senator of the state that housed Area 51," was regarded on Capitol Hill "as a bulldog in a pit of vipers." He wrote that Reid "counted Bob among his friends," Bigelow's BAASS being the prime contractor.[^8] The foreword by [[Christopher Mellon]], dated May 16, 2024, states that Elizondo made him aware of an investigation "using $22 million in DoD funds earmarked for UAP analysis by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in 2008," that the Air Force and most of the intelligence community "refused to support this congressionally funded UAP investigation," and that the Defense Department "worked to kill this short-lived program at its earliest opportunity."[^9] Elizondo's own chapters do not give the year or the amount; the 2008 date and 22 million dollar figure are Mellon's, and the Defense Intelligence Agency papers described below give a 10 million dollar earmark in the July 2008 supplemental and a 12 million dollar earmark for fiscal 2010.
Elizondo wrote that the money "programmed for the years 2008 to 12" ran out, that Reid "thought he could come up with another fresh infusion" for 2013 and 2014, and that Stratton "ran point" and obtained 10 million dollars from Reid which "another DoD program had absconded."[^10] He wrote that in late 2017 the reporter [[Helene Cooper]] told him she had met "the now-retired senator Harry Reid, who had unabashedly corroborated his and his colleagues' involvement in funding the original program that led to AATIP and my leadership role," and that "Harry Reid had my back"; the book's photograph section reproduces what it calls an official letter from Reid "countering the later claims made by the Pentagon" that Elizondo had no part in AATIP.[^11] He wrote that Reid vouched for the group with the producers of the 60 Minutes segment of May 2021 and, in his last weeks, was kept briefed by Elizondo's group while ill with pancreatic cancer; that Reid "said he would keep fighting his cancer until Biden signed the act"; that President [[Joe Biden]] signed the second UAP bill two days after Christmas 2021; and that "a day later" Reid died, with his wife Landra and his assistant Katie present.[^12] A Defense Department official of the same surname, Garry Reid, is no relation; see [[Garry Reid]].[^13]
### AATIP appropriation, special access request and the December 2017 reporting
The *New York Times* article of December 16, 2017 stated that the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program began in 2007 and was "largely funded at the request of Harry Reid, the Nevada Democrat who was the Senate majority leader at the time," with most of the money going to an aerospace company run by Robert Bigelow, "a billionaire entrepreneur and longtime friend of Mr. Reid's." Reid was quoted: "I'm not embarrassed or ashamed or sorry I got this thing going." The article said that contracts it obtained "show a congressional appropriation of just under $22 million beginning in late 2008 through 2011," and quoted Reid on the 2007 origin: Bigelow told him a Defense Intelligence Agency official wanted to visit his [[Utah]] ranch, Reid then met agency officials and summoned Stevens and Inouye to a secure room in the [[United States Capitol|Capitol]], and "none of the three senators wanted a public debate on the Senate floor," Reid said: "This was so-called black money. Stevens knows about it, Inouye knows about it. But that was it, and that's how we wanted it." Politico's same-day account by Bryan Bender, which said that "Reid and Bigelow did not respond to multiple requests for comment," gave the start as 2009 and said Reid "first secured the appropriation to begin the program in 2009 with the support of the late Senators Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) and Republican Ted Stevens (R-Alaska)."[^14][^7]
According to [[Gideon Lewis-Kraus]], a senior Defense Intelligence Agency official wrote to Bigelow in 2007 about [[Skinwalker Ranch]], Bigelow connected him to Reid, and Reid enlisted Stevens and Inouye; "in the 2008 Supplemental Appropriations Bill, twenty-two million dollars of so-called black money was set aside." Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies was "the only bidder" on the public solicitation for the [[Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program]]. A former intelligence official told Lewis-Kraus that "Reid would call them out of a meeting and say, 'I want you to be doing this. This was appropriated.'" In June 2009 Reid asked that the program be given "restricted special access program" status; in November 2009 the Defense Department denied the request.[^15]
A July 24, 2009 memorandum from Reid to Deputy Secretary of Defense William Lynn on that request was published in a redacted form by the Las Vegas station [[KLAS-TV|KLAS]] on July 25, 2018 (reporters [[George Knapp]] and [[Matt Adams]]) and in a version restoring the names of Luis Elizondo and [[Hal Puthoff]] the following June. Pentagon spokesperson [[Susan Gough]] told [[The Black Vault]] on June 13, 2019 that the memo was "authentic," that "DOD received it and responded to Sen. Reid," and that it "makes no change to previous statements" that Elizondo had no assigned AATIP responsibilities in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence.[^16]
### Statements
Reid told Lewis-Kraus, "I was told for decades that [[Lockheed Martin|Lockheed]] had some of these retrieved materials," that he had tried to obtain a classified approval for himself to see them and "they would not approve that," and that this was why he had requested special access status for AATIP. A July 2020 *Times* article by [[Leslie Kean]] and [[Ralph Blumenthal]] said that he "believed that crashes of vehicles from other worlds had occurred and that retrieved materials had been studied secretly for decades, often by aerospace companies under government contracts," the paper corrected the sentence the next day; Reid told Lewis-Kraus that he admired Kean but had never seen proof of any remnants, and that the Pentagon had not given a reason for refusing his clearance request.[^15] Lewis-Kraus also quotes a former intelligence official on the 2008 appropriation: "people worried that if this all came out, that the government was spending money on this, this will be a bad story."[^15]
### Footnotes
@ -60,3 +78,13 @@ DIA's talking points for a Reid visit to the DIA Director (May 4, 2009) state th
[^4]: Defense Intelligence Agency, Talking Paper, "Senator Reid Visit to Director, DIA," May 4, 2009. https://documents2.theblackvault.com/documents/dia/AAWSAP/DR_Reid_Mtg_May09.pdf
[^5]: Defense Intelligence Agency, Info Memo U-10-2552CE to the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, 2010. https://documents2.theblackvault.com/documents/dia/AAWSAP/U-10-2552CE-IM-ATL.pdf
[^6]: Federal Election Commission, OpenFEC API, schedule A; Searchlight Leadership Fund is committee C00327395 (sponsor candidate S6NV00028, Harry Reid) and Friends for Harry Reid committee C00204370. https://api.open.fec.gov/v1/schedules/schedule_a/
[^7]: Bender, Bryan. "The Pentagon's Secret Search for UFOs." *Politico,* December 16, 2017. https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/12/16/pentagon-ufo-search-harry-reid-216111 (full text read through https://web.archive.org/web/2018id_/https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/12/16/pentagon-ufo-search-harry-reid-216111); Bender, "The Hidden History of How Washington Embraced UFOs," *Politico Magazine,* May 28, 2021. https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/05/28/ufos-secret-history-government-washington-dc-487900
[^8]: Luis Elizondo, *Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs* (New York: William Morrow, 2024), pp. 11 to 15 (Reid indexed at pp. 11 and 13 to 14; Bigelow at p. 15). Page numbers are those of the printed index where it lists the passage; the digital copy read carries no pagination, so other pages are interpolated from index entries and may be off by one.
[^9]: Luis Elizondo, *Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs* (New York: William Morrow, 2024), Foreword by Christopher Mellon, dated May 16, 2024, pp. xiii to xxii (the Reid passage near p. xv).
[^10]: Luis Elizondo, *Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs* (New York: William Morrow, 2024), pp. 88 to 89.
[^11]: Luis Elizondo, *Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs* (New York: William Morrow, 2024), pp. 209 to 210 and the photograph section (caption beginning "Official letter from former Senate Majority Leader and AATIP sponsor Harry Reid").
[^12]: Luis Elizondo, *Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs* (New York: William Morrow, 2024), pp. 230 and 235 to 236 (Reid indexed at pp. 235 to 236).
[^13]: Luis Elizondo, *Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs* (New York: William Morrow, 2024), p. 143 (Garry Reid "no relation to our congressional benefactor, Senator Harry Reid").
[^14]: Cooper, Helene, Ralph Blumenthal and Leslie Kean. "Glowing Auras and 'Black Money': The Pentagon's Mysterious U.F.O. Program." *The New York Times,* December 16, 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/16/us/politics/pentagon-program-ufo-harry-reid.html (full text read through the Internet Archive capture, https://web.archive.org/web/2023id_/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/16/us/politics/pentagon-program-ufo-harry-reid.html).
[^15]: Lewis-Kraus, Gideon. "How the Pentagon Started Taking U.F.O.s Seriously." *The New Yorker,* May 10, 2021. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/05/10/how-the-pentagon-started-taking-ufos-seriously
[^16]: Greenewald, John, Jr. "Pentagon Reinforces Mr. Luis Elizondo Had 'No Responsibilities' on AATIP; Senator Harry Reid's 2009 Memo Changes Nothing." The Black Vault, June 14, 2019. https://www.theblackvault.com/documentarchive/pentagon-reinforces-mr-luis-elizondo-had-no-responsibilities-on-aatip-senator-harry-reids-2009-memo-changes-nothing

21
10 - PEOPLE/(N-S)/Jay Stratton.md
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@ -3,6 +3,17 @@ category: "UFO & Anomalous Phenomena"
tags:
- Person
- UFO
relations:
- type: employed_by
with: "[[Defense Intelligence Agency]]"
start: 2009
role: "AAWSAP and AATIP investigator and recruiter of Elizondo; in Elizondo's account helped create AAWSAP, wrote the report on the 2004 Nimitz encounter and the OPLAN Interloper proposal"
fn: 2
- type: director_of
with: "[[UAP Task Force]]"
role: "first director, per Elizondo, after the Secretary of Defense announced the task force"
fn: 3
updated: 2026-10-03
summary: "In early 2009, Jay Stratton, along with a colleague, approached Luis Elizondo to recruit him for a highly classified program at the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA)."
---
[[Jay Stratton]] is a former US Navy intelligence officer who played a crucial role in the [[Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program]] (AATIP) and later became the first director of the [[UAP Task Force]]. He was instrumental in recruiting [[Luis Elizondo]] into the UAP investigation effort and was a key investigator and strategist throughout the process.[^1]
@ -19,7 +30,15 @@ When AATIP faced internal opposition and lost its funding, Stratton worked with
### UAP Task Force
After Elizondo's resignation from the Pentagon, Stratton remained in the government and was tasked by Navy intelligence leadership to build a whole-of-government interagency task force to continue the UAP investigation. This effort, which he built from the ground up, became the Pentagon's [[UAP Task Force]], and Stratton was named its first director. In this role, he continued to push the UAP issue forward within the government, briefing members of Congress and the White House National Security Council, and laying the groundwork for future legislative action.[^1]
After Elizondo's resignation from the Pentagon, Stratton remained in the government and was tasked by Navy intelligence leadership to build a whole-of-government interagency task force to continue the UAP investigation. This effort, which he built from the ground up, became the Pentagon's [[UAP Task Force]], and Stratton was named its first director. In this role, he continued to push the UAP issue forward within the government, briefing members of Congress and the [[White House]] [[National Security Council]], and laying the groundwork for future legislative action.[^1]
### Stratton in Elizondo's account
Elizondo described Stratton in early 2009 as "a serious male in his midthirties," who "helped create something called the AAWSAP," and who with a colleague he calls "[[Rosemary Caine]]" arrived at his Arlington office wearing blue credentials identifying them as government intelligence officials.[^2] He wrote that Stratton "investigated the incident before I joined the team" and "had written a detailed AAWSAP/AATIP report" on the Nimitz encounter of November 2004, and that pilots later told Stratton they had been debriefed by intelligence officers and saw no follow-up.[^4] He wrote that Stratton drafted the operation plan "Interloper," "a classic 'honey pot,'" with dates, call signs, ship names and radar data, which the Joint Staff declined to give a compartment designation in late 2016, and that Stratton proposed the term unidentified aerial phenomena in place of UFO.[^5] After the resignation, Elizondo wrote, Stratton fielded briefing requests from members of Congress, Navy intelligence leadership tasked him with building a whole-of-government task force with members from the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]], the [[National Reconnaissance Office]], [[NASA]] and the Federal Aviation Administration, the Secretary of Defense announced the UAP Task Force "after a couple of years" and named Stratton its first director, and the [[Legacy Program]] then "started quietly pushing back on Jay."[^3]
### Footnotes
[^1]: Elizondo, Luis. *Imminent*. William Morrow, 2024.
[^2]: Luis Elizondo, *Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs* (New York: William Morrow, 2024), pp. 5 to 14. Page numbers are those of the printed index where it lists the passage; the digital copy read carries no pagination, so other pages are interpolated from index entries and may be off by one.
[^3]: Luis Elizondo, *Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs* (New York: William Morrow, 2024), pp. 211 and 223 (task force and first director at p. 223).
[^4]: Luis Elizondo, *Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs* (New York: William Morrow, 2024), pp. 71 to 73.
[^5]: Luis Elizondo, *Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs* (New York: William Morrow, 2024), pp. 143, 147 and 186 (Interloper at pp. 143 and 186; the term UAP at p. 186).

75
10 - PEOPLE/(N-S)/Karl Nell.md Normal file
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@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
---
category: "UFO & Anomalous Phenomena"
tags:
- Person
- UFO
- UAP
- USArmy
- UAPTaskForce
- SolFoundation
- Disclosure
alias:
- Karl Nell
- Karl E. Nell
- Col. Karl Nell
- Colonel Karl Nell
- Colonel Karl E. Nell
summary: "Retired U.S. Army colonel and aerospace executive named as the Army's liaison to the UAP Task Force from 2021 to 2022, vouched for David Grusch in 2023 and spoke at both Sol Foundation symposia."
location: "United States"
relations:
- type: employed_by
with: "[[United States Army]]"
role: "commissioned officer through colonel (Army Reserve per his own biography); active-duty adviser to the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army; retired by June 2023; last active-duty assignment as Army director supporting the UAP Task Force (own biography, 2025)"
fn: 1
- type: member_of
with: "[[UAP Task Force]]"
start: 2021
end: 2022
role: "Army liaison, as stated by Leslie Kean and Ralph Blumenthal; worked with David Grusch there"
fn: 2
- type: employed_by
with: "[[Lockheed Martin]]"
role: "Lockheed Missiles and Space, senior systems engineer and SATCOM lead, per his own biography (dates not stated in the version opened)"
fn: 3
- type: member_of
with: "[[Sol Foundation]]"
start: 2023-11-17
role: "keynote speaker at the 2023 symposium; speaker at the 2024 symposium; author of the Sol paper 'The UFO Enigma' (May 2025); not listed on the foundation's website roster read October 3, 2026"
fn: 4
- type: employed_by
with: "[[StarDustX Materials]]"
role: "chief executive officer, per the Sol paper's author note (May 2025)"
fn: 9
created: 2026-10-03
updated: 2026-10-03
---
Karl E. Nell is a retired colonel of the [[United States Army]] and an aerospace executive. A biography published by the investor conference organizer [[SALT]] describes more than thirty years in firms including [[Bell Labs|Bell Telephone Laboratories]], [[Lockheed Martin]] Missiles and Space, [[TASC]], [[CACI]] and [[ENSCO]], service as vice president and general manager of a national-security research division, deputy chief technology officer of a "$2-billion company," and "Distinguished Fellow" of the Congressionally chartered [[IT Acquisition Advisory Council]]. It adds that he commanded "at every grade level through colonel," including activation of an expeditionary military intelligence brigade supporting the [[XVIII Airborne Corps]] and the [[Joint Special Operations Command]], and was selected by name for an active-duty assignment advising the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army.[^1] The author note to his 2025 Sol Foundation paper lists him as modernization advisor to the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, deputy chief of staff for [[United States Africa Command]], commander of the [[336th Expeditionary Military Intelligence Brigade]] and technical intelligence operations officer for the [[Combined Joint Captured Materiel Exploitation Center]] in [[Iraq]], and says his last active-duty assignment was as Army director supporting the UAP Task Force and that he is chief executive officer of StarDustX Materials, Inc., "a multimillion-dollar VC-backed startup focused on metamaterial analysis and design."[^9]
A second published biography states that he is a graduate of the [[University of Pennsylvania]], [[Boston University]], the [[Air Force Institute of Technology]] and the [[United States Army War College]], and that he was chief executive of a startup developing "iterative meta-materials generation."[^3]
### UAP Task Force
[[Leslie Kean]] and [[Ralph Blumenthal]] wrote on June 5, 2023 that Nell was "a recently retired Army Colonel and current aerospace executive who was the Army's liaison for the UAP Task Force from 2021 to 2022 and worked with Grusch there." Kean and Blumenthal quote him as saying that [[David Grusch]]'s "assertion concerning the existence of a terrestrial arms race occurring sub-rosa over the past eighty years focused on reverse engineering technologies of unknown origin is fundamentally correct, as is the indisputable realization that at least some of these technologies of unknown origin derive from non-human intelligence." They also quote a 2022 performance evaluation by [[Laura A. Potter]], Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Headquarters, Department of the Army, calling him "an officer with the strongest possible moral compass."[^2] The SALT biography states that his engagements with senior Defense Department leaders and with Congress "directly contributed to the creation and inclusion of UAP legislation within the National Defense Authorization Acts of 2022 and 2023."[^1]
### Sol Foundation and the Senate amendment
Nell was a keynote speaker at the first [[Sol Foundation]] symposium, held November 17 to 18, 2023 in [[Palo Alto, California]] ([[The Debrief]] called him a "top keynote speaker"), and returned in November 2024 to the [[Fort Mason Center]] in [[San Francisco]], where he and [[Garry Nolan]] held a fireside conversation on what they called the "UAP/NHI Hilbert Problems."[^4][^5] A catalogue of his appearances lists a Sol Foundation video titled "Karl Nell on The Schumer Amendment & Controlled Disclosure," a reference to the Senate amendment on UAP records sponsored by [[Chuck Schumer]] and Senator [[Mike Rounds]] in July 2023.[^3] A 2023 post on [[Der Standard]]'s UFO blog, "Out there," titled "Ufo-Bombe mit kurzer Lunte: Die Sol Foundation," is reported by a search-engine summary to say that Nell presented himself as a principal author of that amendment; the post sits behind the site's consent wall, was not read, and the claim is not made on this page.[^6] The text of the amendment to S. 2226 as posted by the [[Senate Democrats]] names Schumer, Rounds, [[Marco Rubio]] and [[Kirsten Gillibrand]] as its proponents; its header carries the [[Senate Office of the Legislative Counsel]] file code "BAG23A78 JDP S.L.C." and names no other drafter.[^7]
### Statements and later appearances
At a May 21, 2024 SALT iConnections session in [[New York]], Nell and [[Alex Klokus]] appeared under the title "'Zero Doubt' Non-Human Intelligence on Earth."[^3] The same catalogue lists a March 9, 2025 question-and-answer session after the [[South by Southwest]] premiere of the film "The Age of Disclosure," with the producer [[Dan Farah]], [[Jim Semivan]], [[Tim Gallaudet]], [[Hal Puthoff]] and Nolan, and a 2025 appearance at the [[Archives of the Impossible]] conference.[^3]
Nell does not appear among the signatories of the November 12, 2024 letter urging the review-board provisions of the [[Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Disclosure Act]].[^8] His Sol paper of May 2025 argues for enactment of the Act's review-board and eminent-domain provisions "or by executive order."[^9]
### Footnotes
[^1]: "Karl Nell," SALT speaker biography. https://www.salt.org/speakers/karl-nell
[^2]: Leslie Kean and Ralph Blumenthal, "Intelligence Officials Say U.S. Has Retrieved Non-Human Craft," *The Debrief*, June 5, 2023. https://thedebrief.org/intelligence-officials-say-u-s-has-retrieved-non-human-craft/
[^3]: Anomaly Archives, "Nell, Karl E.," biography and list of appearances. https://anomalyarchives.org/collections/file/nell-karl/
[^4]: Micah Hanks, *The Debrief*, February 12, 2024. https://thedebrief.org/the-sol-foundation-academias-new-uap-think-tank-releases-videos-of-lectures-from-its-inaugural-symposium/
[^5]: Chrissy Newton, *The Debrief*, December 20, 2024. https://thedebrief.org/academics-investors-and-uap-seekers-unite-at-the-2024-sol-foundation-symposium/
[^6]: "Ufo-Bombe mit kurzer Lunte: Die Sol Foundation," *Der Standard*, 2023. https://www.derstandard.at/story/3000000196294/ufo-bombe-mit-kurzer-lunte-die-sol-foundation (consent wall; body not read; the claim comes from a search-engine summary only).
[^7]: Amendment intended to be proposed to S. 2226, 118th Congress, first session, "To provide for the expeditious disclosure of unidentified anomalous phenomena records," opened October 3, 2026. https://www.democrats.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/uap_amendment.pdf
[^8]: Signatory letter of November 12, 2024, House Committee on Oversight and Accountability. https://docs.house.gov/meetings/GO/GO12/20241113/117721/HHRG-118-GO12-Wstate-GallaudetPhDRearAdmiralUSNavyRetT-20241113-SD001.pdf
[^9]: Karl E. Nell, "The UFO Enigma: A Call for US Government Disclosure," The Policy Papers of the Sol Foundation, Spring 2025, Executive Summary and "About the Author." https://thesolfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/The-UFO-Enigma_Sol-Foundation.pdf

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---
category: "UFO & Anomalous Phenomena"
tags:
- Person
- UFO
- UAP
- Anthropologist
- SolFoundation
- Disclosure
alias:
- Peter Skafish
- Dr. Peter Skafish
- Skafish
summary: "Sociocultural anthropologist (PhD, University of California, Berkeley) who co-founded the Sol Foundation with Garry Nolan in 2023, signed its 2024 Form 990 as secretary, and joined a UAP Science Advisory Council in June 2026."
location: "California"
relations:
- type: founded
with: "[[Sol Foundation]]"
start: 2023-08-15
role: "co-founder with Garry Nolan; 'Director of Research' (2023), 'executive director' (2024 and on the foundation's website in October 2026); secretary and principal officer on the 2024 Form 990, reportable compensation $20,000"
fn: 5
- type: director_of
with: "[[Institute of Speculative and Critical Inquiry]]"
role: "founder and director, as stated in his IKKM biography and signatory line"
fn: 1
- type: employed_by
with: "[[Collège de France]]"
role: "maître de conférences associé, per his IKKM biography (dates not given)"
fn: 1
- type: employed_by
with: "[[McGill University]]"
role: "Andrew W. Mellon postdoctoral fellow in anthropology, per his IKKM biography (dates not given)"
fn: 1
- type: member_of
with: "[[UAP Science Advisory Council]]"
start: 2026-06
role: "anthropology, on the list Avi Loeb supplied to DefenseScoop"
fn: 10
created: 2026-10-03
updated: 2026-10-03
---
Peter Skafish holds a doctorate in sociocultural anthropology from the [[University of California, Berkeley]]. His [[IKKM]] biography lists appointments as maître de conférences associé at the [[Collège de France]], Andrew W. Mellon postdoctoral fellow in the anthropology department of [[McGill University]], [[Fondation Fyssen]] postdoctoral fellow at the [[Laboratoire d'Anthropologie Sociale]], visiting faculty at Berkeley and research fellow at the [[Internationales Kolleg für Kulturtechnikforschung und Medienphilosophie]] of the [[Bauhaus-Universität Weimar]]. It states that he was founding and directing a research center, the [[Institute of Speculative and Critical Inquiry]].[^1] He co-founded the [[Sol Foundation]] with [[Garry Nolan]] in 2023.[^2]
### Scholarship
The same biography credits Skafish with the introduction to the English translation of [[Claude Lévi-Strauss]]'s "De Montaigne à Montaigne" and with co-editing "Comparative Metaphysics: Ontology After Anthropology." Its list of research interests reads "anthropological ontology, cosmopolitics, religion and secularism, outsider thought, planetarity, translation." A project statement written during the fellowship describes a book manuscript, "The Interpretation of Equivocations," arguing for "beings incompossible with those of modernity" and taking the Chinese medical concepts of qi and the pulse as its first case.[^1]
His book "Rough Metaphysics" was published by the [[University of Minnesota Press]] in 2023.[^3] Its subject is the American writer [[Jane Roberts]] and the "Seth" material she produced as a trance medium; the subtitle is "The Speculative Thought and Mediumship of Jane Roberts."[^3]
### Sol Foundation
Skafish was introduced to Nolan, who said the two concluded that the field lacked "a sort of professionalization of the arena." Interviewed in September 2023 as Sol's director of research, Skafish said, "What happened in 2017 and after wasn't a big surprise to me," and, of the legislative and declassified record, that "we would probably be close to settling the question of whether these things the 'genuine' UAP are non-anthropogenic." He added that "no one should be expected to believe that UAP are non-anthropogenic vehicles."[^2] He said the foundation would produce white papers on legislative oversight and on "helping the intelligence community, but also ensuring that it stays within ethical bounds and the law," and he described one aim as to "lower the temperature" of the disclosure debate.[^2]
The foundation's website, read on October 3, 2026, lists him as "Co-Founder & Executive Director," beside Nolan as "Co-Founder & Executive Director of the Board."[^4] The 2024 Form 990 of the Sol Foundation lists Skafish as secretary at one hour a week with reportable compensation of $20,000 and other compensation of $40,000, names him as principal officer, and carries his signature dated November 16, 2025.[^5] Skafish said in a December 2024 email that the second symposium was convened because of "a divisive election season and the likely failure of the UAP Disclosure Act."[^6] The March 2024 Sol white paper "UAP in Crowded Skies" names him as executive director.[^7] He is the author of Volume 1, No. 6 of the foundation's papers (November 2024), "The Prospect of Executive Branch [[Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena]] Secrecy: The Harm to Congress and Potential Remedies," whose abstract begins that "long-standing secrecy within the executive branch may have concealed decades of UAP knowledge, research programs, and potentially retrieved technologies from Congress itself."[^8]
### Letters and councils
Skafish signed the November 12, 2024 letter to Congress urging passage of the review-board provisions of the [[Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Disclosure Act]], identifying himself as "Co-Founder, Sol Foundation; Sociocultural Anthropologist; Researcher; Author." The signers included Garry Nolan, [[Avi Loeb]], [[John B. Alexander]], [[Christopher Mellon]], [[Tim Gallaudet]], [[Luis Elizondo]], [[Diana Walsh Pasulka]] and [[Yuan Fung]] of the [[UAP Disclosure Fund]].[^9]
In June 2026 Loeb gave [[DefenseScoop]] a list of twelve members of a "UAP Science Advisory Council" that included Skafish, listed under anthropology, with Nolan, Gallaudet, [[Michael Shermer]], [[Ben Lamm]] and others. An official of the [[Office of the Director of National Intelligence]] said the council was among advisory groups to an interagency UAP Governance Board.[^10]
### Footnotes
[^1]: Peter Skafish, IKKM Weimar former-fellows page. https://www.ikkm-weimar.de/en/former-fellows/peter-skafish/
[^2]: Micah Hanks, "The Sol Foundation: How a New Think Tank of Academics is Applying 'Cutting-Edge Research' to the UAP Mystery," *The Debrief*, September 12, 2023. https://thedebrief.org/the-sol-foundation-how-a-new-think-tank-of-academics-is-applying-cutting-edge-research-the-uap-mystery/
[^3]: Open Library edition record for "Rough Metaphysics: The Speculative Thought and Mediumship of Jane Roberts" (University of Minnesota Press, 2023, 384 pages, ISBN 9781517915155). https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781517915155.json
[^4]: The Sol Foundation, home page, "People" section, https://thesolfoundation.org/ , read October 3, 2026.
[^5]: IRS Form 990 for 2024, EIN 93-3649160, object ID 202543269349300004. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/933649160/202543269349300004/full
[^6]: Chrissy Newton, "Academics, Investors, and UAP Seekers Unite at the 2024 Sol Foundation Symposium," *The Debrief*, December 20, 2024. https://thedebrief.org/academics-investors-and-uap-seekers-unite-at-the-2024-sol-foundation-symposium/
[^7]: "UAP in Crowded Skies," The White Papers of the Sol Foundation, vol. 1, no. 2, March 2024. https://thesolfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Sol_WhitePaper_Vol1N2.pdf
[^8]: The Sol Foundation, "All Publications," entry for Peter Skafish, Vol. 1 No. 6, November 2024, https://thesolfoundation.org/all-publications/ , read October 3, 2026.
[^9]: Signatory letter dated November 12, 2024, in the statement of Tim Gallaudet, House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, November 13, 2024. https://docs.house.gov/meetings/GO/GO12/20241113/117721/HHRG-118-GO12-Wstate-GallaudetPhDRearAdmiralUSNavyRetT-20241113-SD001.pdf
[^10]: "New science advisory council forms to help US government 'resolve the UAP mystery,'" *DefenseScoop*, June 17, 2026. https://defensescoop.com/2026/06/17/new-science-advisory-council-forms-to-help-us-government-resolve-the-uap-mystery/