UFO Crash Retrievals: Demanding Accountability From Our Intelligence Committees
UFO Crash Retrievals: Demanding Accountability From Our Intelligence Committees
UFO Crash Retrievals: Demanding Accountability From Our Intelligence Committees
UFO Crash Retrievals: Demanding Accountability From Our Intelligence Committees
Revealing the Unseen: Grusch’s Allegations Open Doors to Congressional Investigation
In an extraordinary series of events, the veil over one of the longest-running enigmas in modern history has begun to lift. Recent disclosures by David Grusch, a decorated combat officer with deep ties to U.S. intelligence — specifically, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), and the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) Task Force — have sparked an unprecedented interest in the phenomenon previously relegated to the fringes of mainstream discourse. Grusch’s assertions concerning an ongoing clandestine race for technology of non-human origin could potentially herald a new era of Congressional scrutiny and public transparency on the topic of UAPs (formerly UFOs and now referred to as Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena).
Former NRO/NGA Officer David Charles Grusch and Journalist Ross Coulthart • Image Credit: NewsNation
Grusch’s revelations, punctuated by a series of classified briefings to the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community (ICIG) as well as both the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) in Congress, point to a decades-long covert operation focused on the retrieval and exploitation of UAP-related materials. His assertions have turned a new spotlight on this traditionally murky subject, one shrouded in secrecy, misinformation, and wild speculation. The implications of his statements, if proven true, carry profound implications not just for national security, but for our understanding of the world and the technologies it may hold.
Moreover, Grusch’s willingness to come forward has instigated a contentious dialogue on UAPs, a conversation that now involves not just enthusiasts and conspiracy theorists, but serious players in the realms of academia, defense, and politics. It has also set the stage for Congress to exercise its oversight role in a matter of seemingly paramount importance.
This unfolding narrative raises a host of critical questions that Congress, along with the rest of us, will have to grapple with in the coming months and years. The stakes are high, and the time for exploration, investigation, and ultimately, understanding, is now.
Behind Closed Doors: Understanding the Intelligence Committees and Their Roles
Senate Intel Chair Mark R. Warner and Vice Chair Marco Rubio • Image Credit: ABC News
In order to appreciate the significance of these recent revelations, we must first understand the allegations made by Grusch. At the core, Grusch contends that a covert program has been operating for decades, recovering and exploiting materials from multiple crashed, landed, and/or captured technical vehicles “spacecraft” created by an alleged non-human intelligence (NHI). Furthermore, he alleges that this program was intentionally (and illegally) shielded from proper Congressional oversight, and he was targeted and harassed for his investigation into these matters.
With this startling information now resting in the hands of Congress, it’s crucial to comprehend how this information is handled, and who exactly has access to it. This necessity arises from the highly classified nature of the documents involved, which can only be handled and viewed by individuals with the requisite security clearances.
In Congress, these individuals are usually part of the intelligence committees — the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI). Each committee is staffed by a mix of elected members of Congress and professional staff members who possess the necessary security clearances to handle and analyze classified information.
Counsels are attorneys who are appointed to serve on the committee and provide legal advice and support to the members. They are responsible for reviewing classified materials, conducting investigations, and drafting legislation and committee reports. Given their legal expertise and high-level security clearances, they are often the ones in possession of classified documents.
Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) Staffing Structure
In the hierarchical structure of these committees, members of Congress — Senators or Representatives — are at the top, followed by the committee’s staff director. Reporting to the staff director are the committee counsels, and under them are the professional staff members, who are subject matter experts in various areas of intelligence. Each of these individuals has the necessary security clearances to access classified information.
Understanding this structure is vital as we delve deeper into this issue. The allegations brought forward by Grusch are of national importance and handling them involves strict adherence to protocols and processes, given the sensitive nature of the information involved. The intelligence committees, and particularly the counsels within them, are the gatekeepers of this process, bearing the responsibility of evaluating the information and determining the next course of action.
The Gatekeepers: Key Personnel with Access to Classified Information
The nature of Grusch’s allegations required an exceptional level of security clearance due to their implications on national security and the underlying highly classified programs. Ross Coulthart, one of the investigative journalists who broke the story, has indeed confirmed that Grusch provided hours of sworn testimony to the committee counsels and their staff on both the House and Senate Intelligence Committees. This process is rumored to have generated hundreds of pages of transcripts, with Grusch providing additional classified documentation to support his claims.
The involvement of committee counsels at this stage, as opposed to the wider intelligence committee staff, is due to the high classification of the underlying programs related to Grusch’s allegations. The majority of the intelligence staff in both the Senate and House do not possess the necessary security clearance levels, often referred to as ‘tickets’, to access some of the Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) pertaining to these programs. Consequently, this sensitive task fell upon the shoulders of the committee counsels, those few individuals with the necessary clearance and legal expertise to process such critical and delicate information.
Having established why the counsel of the Intelligence Committee is the primary custodian for such sensitive matters, we now turn our attention to the individuals who, by virtue of their roles and responsibilities, have access to this high-level information.
Meghan Green, Deputy General Counsel of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Sarah Istel, Deputy General Counsel of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and Elliott Walden, Counsel at the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, are some of the key personnel in this context. Given their respective positions, they would potentially be the ones who bear the responsibility of evaluating and managing the data from Grusch’s allegations.
Similarly, Janet Fisher, Deputy General Counsel at the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and Clete Johnson, Professional Staff and Counsel at the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, also potentially have access to this crucial information. While this is not an exhaustive list of all counsel staff, it hopefully can guide others in digging deeper into the internal sharing of information related to Grusch’s allegations within the intel committees.
It’s important to distinguish the role of the counsel from that of the Staff Directors. While the counsel holds the keys to this highly sensitive information, the Staff Directors coordinate the work of the committee. Mike Casey serves as the Staff Director at the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, while William Evans is the Subcommittee Staff Director and Counsel at the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Aaron Thurman, serving as the Deputy Staff Director at the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, also plays a key part in this structure.
By understanding these roles, we can better comprehend who holds the reins of power when it comes to the potential disclosure of this information. It’s these individuals who our representatives would need to liaise with in order to advance the conversation and promote transparency.
Making a Difference: A Call to Action for Public Disclosure
It is of paramount importance that we, as informed citizens, take proactive steps to ensure that our elected representatives understand the gravity of David Grusch’s allegations and act upon them. We must remind them that the Intelligence Community Inspector General (ICIG) has deemed these allegations both ‘urgent’ and ‘credible’ — a recognition that should not be taken lightly given Grusch’s credentials and extensive experience within the intelligence community.
It is time to reach out to our respective Senators and Representatives on the Intelligence Committees and urge them to liaise with folks like Meghan Green, Sarah Istel, Elliott Walden, Janet Fisher, Clete Johnson, Mike Casey, William Evans, and Aaron Thurman, who are well-placed within the intelligence committee structure to inform them directly about the current status of the investigation. Provided below is an example script that can be used to communicate with your local Senators and Representatives to address this issue.
Subject:
Urgent Attention Required on UAP InvestigationDear [Representative’s Name],I am a concerned constituent writing to express my deep concern over the serious allegations made by David Grusch, a former senior intelligence officer. Mr. Grusch’s claims pertain to the handling of classified programs related to Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP), including the retrieval and reverse engineering of non-human intelligence (NHI) crash artifacts. The Intelligence Community Inspector General (ICIG) has deemed these allegations as ‘urgent’ and ‘credible,’ meriting immediate and thorough investigation.These allegations have the potential to have broad implications for our national security and therefore should not be a partisan issue. There is already a growing bipartisan consensus around the need for increased transparency and oversight over our intelligence activities. In light of these allegations, I urge you to support this consensus and take immediate action to investigate these claims.It is my understanding that individuals such as Meghan Green, Sarah Istel, Elliott Walden, Janet Fisher, Clete Johnson, Mike Casey, William Evans, Aaron Thurman, and/or others are well-positioned within the structure of the intelligence committees and would potentially have direct information on the current status of this matter. I urge you to liaise with them and/or their colleagues for an update.It is also of note that it has been alleged that the designated body within the Department of Defense (AARO) to investigate UAP has been explicitly denied access to the alleged program(s). So the current statements from Susan Gough (Pentagon spokesperson) and Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick (Director, All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office) stating, “to date, there is no verifiable evidence,” seems to sidestep this issue and are not an accurate representation of the facts based on newly provided testimony from David Grusch.As your constituent, I believe I have the right to know about the activities that our government is engaged in, especially when these matters concern national security. Transparency and accountability in these matters are paramount to rebuilding trust in our institutions, which currently is at an all-time low.I sincerely hope that you will consider my concerns seriously and take immediate steps to ensure that these allegations are investigated thoroughly and transparently.Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
If you are unsure who represents the district or state you live in, you can use the following link to find out who your Senators and Representatives are: https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member
Encourage your representatives to take these allegations seriously, regardless of party lines. The issue of oversight and accountability for intelligence activities is a bi-partisan issue; both Democrats and Republicans have already expressed their support for more oversight and transparency in this area.
Americans have a right to know about the activities that their government is engaged in, especially when it pertains to matters of national security. Transparency and accountability in such matters are not just ideals to aspire to, but an essential part of a healthy democracy.
The current geopolitical and domestic climate only underscores the urgency of this issue. Trust in the government is at an all-time low, and addressing these allegations with the seriousness and transparency they deserve could be a step toward restoring that trust.
Take action today, make your voice heard, and ensure that we hold our government accountable. Because, ultimately, it is through our collective efforts that we can effect change.
___
Jun 13 at 1:23 PM PT
Editor’s Note: This article was updated from its original version to provide additional information on how readers can contact their Senators and Representatives.
date published
Jun 13, 2023
reading time
9 min read
Revealing the Unseen: Grusch’s Allegations Open Doors to Congressional Investigation
In an extraordinary series of events, the veil over one of the longest-running enigmas in modern history has begun to lift. Recent disclosures by David Grusch, a decorated combat officer with deep ties to U.S. intelligence — specifically, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), and the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) Task Force — have sparked an unprecedented interest in the phenomenon previously relegated to the fringes of mainstream discourse. Grusch’s assertions concerning an ongoing clandestine race for technology of non-human origin could potentially herald a new era of Congressional scrutiny and public transparency on the topic of UAPs (formerly UFOs and now referred to as Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena).
Former NRO/NGA Officer David Charles Grusch and Journalist Ross Coulthart • Image Credit: NewsNation
Grusch’s revelations, punctuated by a series of classified briefings to the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community (ICIG) as well as both the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) in Congress, point to a decades-long covert operation focused on the retrieval and exploitation of UAP-related materials. His assertions have turned a new spotlight on this traditionally murky subject, one shrouded in secrecy, misinformation, and wild speculation. The implications of his statements, if proven true, carry profound implications not just for national security, but for our understanding of the world and the technologies it may hold.
Moreover, Grusch’s willingness to come forward has instigated a contentious dialogue on UAPs, a conversation that now involves not just enthusiasts and conspiracy theorists, but serious players in the realms of academia, defense, and politics. It has also set the stage for Congress to exercise its oversight role in a matter of seemingly paramount importance.
This unfolding narrative raises a host of critical questions that Congress, along with the rest of us, will have to grapple with in the coming months and years. The stakes are high, and the time for exploration, investigation, and ultimately, understanding, is now.
Behind Closed Doors: Understanding the Intelligence Committees and Their Roles
Senate Intel Chair Mark R. Warner and Vice Chair Marco Rubio • Image Credit: ABC News
In order to appreciate the significance of these recent revelations, we must first understand the allegations made by Grusch. At the core, Grusch contends that a covert program has been operating for decades, recovering and exploiting materials from multiple crashed, landed, and/or captured technical vehicles “spacecraft” created by an alleged non-human intelligence (NHI). Furthermore, he alleges that this program was intentionally (and illegally) shielded from proper Congressional oversight, and he was targeted and harassed for his investigation into these matters.
With this startling information now resting in the hands of Congress, it’s crucial to comprehend how this information is handled, and who exactly has access to it. This necessity arises from the highly classified nature of the documents involved, which can only be handled and viewed by individuals with the requisite security clearances.
In Congress, these individuals are usually part of the intelligence committees — the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI). Each committee is staffed by a mix of elected members of Congress and professional staff members who possess the necessary security clearances to handle and analyze classified information.
Counsels are attorneys who are appointed to serve on the committee and provide legal advice and support to the members. They are responsible for reviewing classified materials, conducting investigations, and drafting legislation and committee reports. Given their legal expertise and high-level security clearances, they are often the ones in possession of classified documents.
Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) Staffing Structure
In the hierarchical structure of these committees, members of Congress — Senators or Representatives — are at the top, followed by the committee’s staff director. Reporting to the staff director are the committee counsels, and under them are the professional staff members, who are subject matter experts in various areas of intelligence. Each of these individuals has the necessary security clearances to access classified information.
Understanding this structure is vital as we delve deeper into this issue. The allegations brought forward by Grusch are of national importance and handling them involves strict adherence to protocols and processes, given the sensitive nature of the information involved. The intelligence committees, and particularly the counsels within them, are the gatekeepers of this process, bearing the responsibility of evaluating the information and determining the next course of action.
The Gatekeepers: Key Personnel with Access to Classified Information
The nature of Grusch’s allegations required an exceptional level of security clearance due to their implications on national security and the underlying highly classified programs. Ross Coulthart, one of the investigative journalists who broke the story, has indeed confirmed that Grusch provided hours of sworn testimony to the committee counsels and their staff on both the House and Senate Intelligence Committees. This process is rumored to have generated hundreds of pages of transcripts, with Grusch providing additional classified documentation to support his claims.
The involvement of committee counsels at this stage, as opposed to the wider intelligence committee staff, is due to the high classification of the underlying programs related to Grusch’s allegations. The majority of the intelligence staff in both the Senate and House do not possess the necessary security clearance levels, often referred to as ‘tickets’, to access some of the Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) pertaining to these programs. Consequently, this sensitive task fell upon the shoulders of the committee counsels, those few individuals with the necessary clearance and legal expertise to process such critical and delicate information.
Having established why the counsel of the Intelligence Committee is the primary custodian for such sensitive matters, we now turn our attention to the individuals who, by virtue of their roles and responsibilities, have access to this high-level information.
Meghan Green, Deputy General Counsel of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Sarah Istel, Deputy General Counsel of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and Elliott Walden, Counsel at the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, are some of the key personnel in this context. Given their respective positions, they would potentially be the ones who bear the responsibility of evaluating and managing the data from Grusch’s allegations.
Similarly, Janet Fisher, Deputy General Counsel at the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and Clete Johnson, Professional Staff and Counsel at the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, also potentially have access to this crucial information. While this is not an exhaustive list of all counsel staff, it hopefully can guide others in digging deeper into the internal sharing of information related to Grusch’s allegations within the intel committees.
It’s important to distinguish the role of the counsel from that of the Staff Directors. While the counsel holds the keys to this highly sensitive information, the Staff Directors coordinate the work of the committee. Mike Casey serves as the Staff Director at the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, while William Evans is the Subcommittee Staff Director and Counsel at the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Aaron Thurman, serving as the Deputy Staff Director at the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, also plays a key part in this structure.
By understanding these roles, we can better comprehend who holds the reins of power when it comes to the potential disclosure of this information. It’s these individuals who our representatives would need to liaise with in order to advance the conversation and promote transparency.
Making a Difference: A Call to Action for Public Disclosure
It is of paramount importance that we, as informed citizens, take proactive steps to ensure that our elected representatives understand the gravity of David Grusch’s allegations and act upon them. We must remind them that the Intelligence Community Inspector General (ICIG) has deemed these allegations both ‘urgent’ and ‘credible’ — a recognition that should not be taken lightly given Grusch’s credentials and extensive experience within the intelligence community.
It is time to reach out to our respective Senators and Representatives on the Intelligence Committees and urge them to liaise with folks like Meghan Green, Sarah Istel, Elliott Walden, Janet Fisher, Clete Johnson, Mike Casey, William Evans, and Aaron Thurman, who are well-placed within the intelligence committee structure to inform them directly about the current status of the investigation. Provided below is an example script that can be used to communicate with your local Senators and Representatives to address this issue.
Subject:
Urgent Attention Required on UAP InvestigationDear [Representative’s Name],I am a concerned constituent writing to express my deep concern over the serious allegations made by David Grusch, a former senior intelligence officer. Mr. Grusch’s claims pertain to the handling of classified programs related to Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP), including the retrieval and reverse engineering of non-human intelligence (NHI) crash artifacts. The Intelligence Community Inspector General (ICIG) has deemed these allegations as ‘urgent’ and ‘credible,’ meriting immediate and thorough investigation.These allegations have the potential to have broad implications for our national security and therefore should not be a partisan issue. There is already a growing bipartisan consensus around the need for increased transparency and oversight over our intelligence activities. In light of these allegations, I urge you to support this consensus and take immediate action to investigate these claims.It is my understanding that individuals such as Meghan Green, Sarah Istel, Elliott Walden, Janet Fisher, Clete Johnson, Mike Casey, William Evans, Aaron Thurman, and/or others are well-positioned within the structure of the intelligence committees and would potentially have direct information on the current status of this matter. I urge you to liaise with them and/or their colleagues for an update.It is also of note that it has been alleged that the designated body within the Department of Defense (AARO) to investigate UAP has been explicitly denied access to the alleged program(s). So the current statements from Susan Gough (Pentagon spokesperson) and Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick (Director, All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office) stating, “to date, there is no verifiable evidence,” seems to sidestep this issue and are not an accurate representation of the facts based on newly provided testimony from David Grusch.As your constituent, I believe I have the right to know about the activities that our government is engaged in, especially when these matters concern national security. Transparency and accountability in these matters are paramount to rebuilding trust in our institutions, which currently is at an all-time low.I sincerely hope that you will consider my concerns seriously and take immediate steps to ensure that these allegations are investigated thoroughly and transparently.Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
If you are unsure who represents the district or state you live in, you can use the following link to find out who your Senators and Representatives are: https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member
Encourage your representatives to take these allegations seriously, regardless of party lines. The issue of oversight and accountability for intelligence activities is a bi-partisan issue; both Democrats and Republicans have already expressed their support for more oversight and transparency in this area.
Americans have a right to know about the activities that their government is engaged in, especially when it pertains to matters of national security. Transparency and accountability in such matters are not just ideals to aspire to, but an essential part of a healthy democracy.
The current geopolitical and domestic climate only underscores the urgency of this issue. Trust in the government is at an all-time low, and addressing these allegations with the seriousness and transparency they deserve could be a step toward restoring that trust.
Take action today, make your voice heard, and ensure that we hold our government accountable. Because, ultimately, it is through our collective efforts that we can effect change.
___
Jun 13 at 1:23 PM PT
Editor’s Note: This article was updated from its original version to provide additional information on how readers can contact their Senators and Representatives.
date published
Jun 13, 2023
reading time
9 min read
Revealing the Unseen: Grusch’s Allegations Open Doors to Congressional Investigation
In an extraordinary series of events, the veil over one of the longest-running enigmas in modern history has begun to lift. Recent disclosures by David Grusch, a decorated combat officer with deep ties to U.S. intelligence — specifically, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), and the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) Task Force — have sparked an unprecedented interest in the phenomenon previously relegated to the fringes of mainstream discourse. Grusch’s assertions concerning an ongoing clandestine race for technology of non-human origin could potentially herald a new era of Congressional scrutiny and public transparency on the topic of UAPs (formerly UFOs and now referred to as Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena).
Former NRO/NGA Officer David Charles Grusch and Journalist Ross Coulthart • Image Credit: NewsNation
Grusch’s revelations, punctuated by a series of classified briefings to the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community (ICIG) as well as both the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) in Congress, point to a decades-long covert operation focused on the retrieval and exploitation of UAP-related materials. His assertions have turned a new spotlight on this traditionally murky subject, one shrouded in secrecy, misinformation, and wild speculation. The implications of his statements, if proven true, carry profound implications not just for national security, but for our understanding of the world and the technologies it may hold.
Moreover, Grusch’s willingness to come forward has instigated a contentious dialogue on UAPs, a conversation that now involves not just enthusiasts and conspiracy theorists, but serious players in the realms of academia, defense, and politics. It has also set the stage for Congress to exercise its oversight role in a matter of seemingly paramount importance.
This unfolding narrative raises a host of critical questions that Congress, along with the rest of us, will have to grapple with in the coming months and years. The stakes are high, and the time for exploration, investigation, and ultimately, understanding, is now.
Behind Closed Doors: Understanding the Intelligence Committees and Their Roles
Senate Intel Chair Mark R. Warner and Vice Chair Marco Rubio • Image Credit: ABC News
In order to appreciate the significance of these recent revelations, we must first understand the allegations made by Grusch. At the core, Grusch contends that a covert program has been operating for decades, recovering and exploiting materials from multiple crashed, landed, and/or captured technical vehicles “spacecraft” created by an alleged non-human intelligence (NHI). Furthermore, he alleges that this program was intentionally (and illegally) shielded from proper Congressional oversight, and he was targeted and harassed for his investigation into these matters.
With this startling information now resting in the hands of Congress, it’s crucial to comprehend how this information is handled, and who exactly has access to it. This necessity arises from the highly classified nature of the documents involved, which can only be handled and viewed by individuals with the requisite security clearances.
In Congress, these individuals are usually part of the intelligence committees — the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI). Each committee is staffed by a mix of elected members of Congress and professional staff members who possess the necessary security clearances to handle and analyze classified information.
Counsels are attorneys who are appointed to serve on the committee and provide legal advice and support to the members. They are responsible for reviewing classified materials, conducting investigations, and drafting legislation and committee reports. Given their legal expertise and high-level security clearances, they are often the ones in possession of classified documents.
Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) Staffing Structure
In the hierarchical structure of these committees, members of Congress — Senators or Representatives — are at the top, followed by the committee’s staff director. Reporting to the staff director are the committee counsels, and under them are the professional staff members, who are subject matter experts in various areas of intelligence. Each of these individuals has the necessary security clearances to access classified information.
Understanding this structure is vital as we delve deeper into this issue. The allegations brought forward by Grusch are of national importance and handling them involves strict adherence to protocols and processes, given the sensitive nature of the information involved. The intelligence committees, and particularly the counsels within them, are the gatekeepers of this process, bearing the responsibility of evaluating the information and determining the next course of action.
The Gatekeepers: Key Personnel with Access to Classified Information
The nature of Grusch’s allegations required an exceptional level of security clearance due to their implications on national security and the underlying highly classified programs. Ross Coulthart, one of the investigative journalists who broke the story, has indeed confirmed that Grusch provided hours of sworn testimony to the committee counsels and their staff on both the House and Senate Intelligence Committees. This process is rumored to have generated hundreds of pages of transcripts, with Grusch providing additional classified documentation to support his claims.
The involvement of committee counsels at this stage, as opposed to the wider intelligence committee staff, is due to the high classification of the underlying programs related to Grusch’s allegations. The majority of the intelligence staff in both the Senate and House do not possess the necessary security clearance levels, often referred to as ‘tickets’, to access some of the Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) pertaining to these programs. Consequently, this sensitive task fell upon the shoulders of the committee counsels, those few individuals with the necessary clearance and legal expertise to process such critical and delicate information.
Having established why the counsel of the Intelligence Committee is the primary custodian for such sensitive matters, we now turn our attention to the individuals who, by virtue of their roles and responsibilities, have access to this high-level information.
Meghan Green, Deputy General Counsel of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Sarah Istel, Deputy General Counsel of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and Elliott Walden, Counsel at the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, are some of the key personnel in this context. Given their respective positions, they would potentially be the ones who bear the responsibility of evaluating and managing the data from Grusch’s allegations.
Similarly, Janet Fisher, Deputy General Counsel at the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and Clete Johnson, Professional Staff and Counsel at the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, also potentially have access to this crucial information. While this is not an exhaustive list of all counsel staff, it hopefully can guide others in digging deeper into the internal sharing of information related to Grusch’s allegations within the intel committees.
It’s important to distinguish the role of the counsel from that of the Staff Directors. While the counsel holds the keys to this highly sensitive information, the Staff Directors coordinate the work of the committee. Mike Casey serves as the Staff Director at the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, while William Evans is the Subcommittee Staff Director and Counsel at the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Aaron Thurman, serving as the Deputy Staff Director at the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, also plays a key part in this structure.
By understanding these roles, we can better comprehend who holds the reins of power when it comes to the potential disclosure of this information. It’s these individuals who our representatives would need to liaise with in order to advance the conversation and promote transparency.
Making a Difference: A Call to Action for Public Disclosure
It is of paramount importance that we, as informed citizens, take proactive steps to ensure that our elected representatives understand the gravity of David Grusch’s allegations and act upon them. We must remind them that the Intelligence Community Inspector General (ICIG) has deemed these allegations both ‘urgent’ and ‘credible’ — a recognition that should not be taken lightly given Grusch’s credentials and extensive experience within the intelligence community.
It is time to reach out to our respective Senators and Representatives on the Intelligence Committees and urge them to liaise with folks like Meghan Green, Sarah Istel, Elliott Walden, Janet Fisher, Clete Johnson, Mike Casey, William Evans, and Aaron Thurman, who are well-placed within the intelligence committee structure to inform them directly about the current status of the investigation. Provided below is an example script that can be used to communicate with your local Senators and Representatives to address this issue.
Subject:
Urgent Attention Required on UAP InvestigationDear [Representative’s Name],I am a concerned constituent writing to express my deep concern over the serious allegations made by David Grusch, a former senior intelligence officer. Mr. Grusch’s claims pertain to the handling of classified programs related to Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP), including the retrieval and reverse engineering of non-human intelligence (NHI) crash artifacts. The Intelligence Community Inspector General (ICIG) has deemed these allegations as ‘urgent’ and ‘credible,’ meriting immediate and thorough investigation.These allegations have the potential to have broad implications for our national security and therefore should not be a partisan issue. There is already a growing bipartisan consensus around the need for increased transparency and oversight over our intelligence activities. In light of these allegations, I urge you to support this consensus and take immediate action to investigate these claims.It is my understanding that individuals such as Meghan Green, Sarah Istel, Elliott Walden, Janet Fisher, Clete Johnson, Mike Casey, William Evans, Aaron Thurman, and/or others are well-positioned within the structure of the intelligence committees and would potentially have direct information on the current status of this matter. I urge you to liaise with them and/or their colleagues for an update.It is also of note that it has been alleged that the designated body within the Department of Defense (AARO) to investigate UAP has been explicitly denied access to the alleged program(s). So the current statements from Susan Gough (Pentagon spokesperson) and Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick (Director, All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office) stating, “to date, there is no verifiable evidence,” seems to sidestep this issue and are not an accurate representation of the facts based on newly provided testimony from David Grusch.As your constituent, I believe I have the right to know about the activities that our government is engaged in, especially when these matters concern national security. Transparency and accountability in these matters are paramount to rebuilding trust in our institutions, which currently is at an all-time low.I sincerely hope that you will consider my concerns seriously and take immediate steps to ensure that these allegations are investigated thoroughly and transparently.Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
If you are unsure who represents the district or state you live in, you can use the following link to find out who your Senators and Representatives are: https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member
Encourage your representatives to take these allegations seriously, regardless of party lines. The issue of oversight and accountability for intelligence activities is a bi-partisan issue; both Democrats and Republicans have already expressed their support for more oversight and transparency in this area.
Americans have a right to know about the activities that their government is engaged in, especially when it pertains to matters of national security. Transparency and accountability in such matters are not just ideals to aspire to, but an essential part of a healthy democracy.
The current geopolitical and domestic climate only underscores the urgency of this issue. Trust in the government is at an all-time low, and addressing these allegations with the seriousness and transparency they deserve could be a step toward restoring that trust.
Take action today, make your voice heard, and ensure that we hold our government accountable. Because, ultimately, it is through our collective efforts that we can effect change.
___
Jun 13 at 1:23 PM PT
Editor’s Note: This article was updated from its original version to provide additional information on how readers can contact their Senators and Representatives.
date published
Jun 13, 2023
reading time
9 min read
Revealing the Unseen: Grusch’s Allegations Open Doors to Congressional Investigation
In an extraordinary series of events, the veil over one of the longest-running enigmas in modern history has begun to lift. Recent disclosures by David Grusch, a decorated combat officer with deep ties to U.S. intelligence — specifically, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), and the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) Task Force — have sparked an unprecedented interest in the phenomenon previously relegated to the fringes of mainstream discourse. Grusch’s assertions concerning an ongoing clandestine race for technology of non-human origin could potentially herald a new era of Congressional scrutiny and public transparency on the topic of UAPs (formerly UFOs and now referred to as Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena).
Former NRO/NGA Officer David Charles Grusch and Journalist Ross Coulthart • Image Credit: NewsNation
Grusch’s revelations, punctuated by a series of classified briefings to the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community (ICIG) as well as both the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) in Congress, point to a decades-long covert operation focused on the retrieval and exploitation of UAP-related materials. His assertions have turned a new spotlight on this traditionally murky subject, one shrouded in secrecy, misinformation, and wild speculation. The implications of his statements, if proven true, carry profound implications not just for national security, but for our understanding of the world and the technologies it may hold.
Moreover, Grusch’s willingness to come forward has instigated a contentious dialogue on UAPs, a conversation that now involves not just enthusiasts and conspiracy theorists, but serious players in the realms of academia, defense, and politics. It has also set the stage for Congress to exercise its oversight role in a matter of seemingly paramount importance.
This unfolding narrative raises a host of critical questions that Congress, along with the rest of us, will have to grapple with in the coming months and years. The stakes are high, and the time for exploration, investigation, and ultimately, understanding, is now.
Behind Closed Doors: Understanding the Intelligence Committees and Their Roles
Senate Intel Chair Mark R. Warner and Vice Chair Marco Rubio • Image Credit: ABC News
In order to appreciate the significance of these recent revelations, we must first understand the allegations made by Grusch. At the core, Grusch contends that a covert program has been operating for decades, recovering and exploiting materials from multiple crashed, landed, and/or captured technical vehicles “spacecraft” created by an alleged non-human intelligence (NHI). Furthermore, he alleges that this program was intentionally (and illegally) shielded from proper Congressional oversight, and he was targeted and harassed for his investigation into these matters.
With this startling information now resting in the hands of Congress, it’s crucial to comprehend how this information is handled, and who exactly has access to it. This necessity arises from the highly classified nature of the documents involved, which can only be handled and viewed by individuals with the requisite security clearances.
In Congress, these individuals are usually part of the intelligence committees — the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI). Each committee is staffed by a mix of elected members of Congress and professional staff members who possess the necessary security clearances to handle and analyze classified information.
Counsels are attorneys who are appointed to serve on the committee and provide legal advice and support to the members. They are responsible for reviewing classified materials, conducting investigations, and drafting legislation and committee reports. Given their legal expertise and high-level security clearances, they are often the ones in possession of classified documents.
Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) Staffing Structure
In the hierarchical structure of these committees, members of Congress — Senators or Representatives — are at the top, followed by the committee’s staff director. Reporting to the staff director are the committee counsels, and under them are the professional staff members, who are subject matter experts in various areas of intelligence. Each of these individuals has the necessary security clearances to access classified information.
Understanding this structure is vital as we delve deeper into this issue. The allegations brought forward by Grusch are of national importance and handling them involves strict adherence to protocols and processes, given the sensitive nature of the information involved. The intelligence committees, and particularly the counsels within them, are the gatekeepers of this process, bearing the responsibility of evaluating the information and determining the next course of action.
The Gatekeepers: Key Personnel with Access to Classified Information
The nature of Grusch’s allegations required an exceptional level of security clearance due to their implications on national security and the underlying highly classified programs. Ross Coulthart, one of the investigative journalists who broke the story, has indeed confirmed that Grusch provided hours of sworn testimony to the committee counsels and their staff on both the House and Senate Intelligence Committees. This process is rumored to have generated hundreds of pages of transcripts, with Grusch providing additional classified documentation to support his claims.
The involvement of committee counsels at this stage, as opposed to the wider intelligence committee staff, is due to the high classification of the underlying programs related to Grusch’s allegations. The majority of the intelligence staff in both the Senate and House do not possess the necessary security clearance levels, often referred to as ‘tickets’, to access some of the Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) pertaining to these programs. Consequently, this sensitive task fell upon the shoulders of the committee counsels, those few individuals with the necessary clearance and legal expertise to process such critical and delicate information.
Having established why the counsel of the Intelligence Committee is the primary custodian for such sensitive matters, we now turn our attention to the individuals who, by virtue of their roles and responsibilities, have access to this high-level information.
Meghan Green, Deputy General Counsel of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Sarah Istel, Deputy General Counsel of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and Elliott Walden, Counsel at the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, are some of the key personnel in this context. Given their respective positions, they would potentially be the ones who bear the responsibility of evaluating and managing the data from Grusch’s allegations.
Similarly, Janet Fisher, Deputy General Counsel at the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and Clete Johnson, Professional Staff and Counsel at the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, also potentially have access to this crucial information. While this is not an exhaustive list of all counsel staff, it hopefully can guide others in digging deeper into the internal sharing of information related to Grusch’s allegations within the intel committees.
It’s important to distinguish the role of the counsel from that of the Staff Directors. While the counsel holds the keys to this highly sensitive information, the Staff Directors coordinate the work of the committee. Mike Casey serves as the Staff Director at the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, while William Evans is the Subcommittee Staff Director and Counsel at the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Aaron Thurman, serving as the Deputy Staff Director at the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, also plays a key part in this structure.
By understanding these roles, we can better comprehend who holds the reins of power when it comes to the potential disclosure of this information. It’s these individuals who our representatives would need to liaise with in order to advance the conversation and promote transparency.
Making a Difference: A Call to Action for Public Disclosure
It is of paramount importance that we, as informed citizens, take proactive steps to ensure that our elected representatives understand the gravity of David Grusch’s allegations and act upon them. We must remind them that the Intelligence Community Inspector General (ICIG) has deemed these allegations both ‘urgent’ and ‘credible’ — a recognition that should not be taken lightly given Grusch’s credentials and extensive experience within the intelligence community.
It is time to reach out to our respective Senators and Representatives on the Intelligence Committees and urge them to liaise with folks like Meghan Green, Sarah Istel, Elliott Walden, Janet Fisher, Clete Johnson, Mike Casey, William Evans, and Aaron Thurman, who are well-placed within the intelligence committee structure to inform them directly about the current status of the investigation. Provided below is an example script that can be used to communicate with your local Senators and Representatives to address this issue.
Subject:
Urgent Attention Required on UAP InvestigationDear [Representative’s Name],I am a concerned constituent writing to express my deep concern over the serious allegations made by David Grusch, a former senior intelligence officer. Mr. Grusch’s claims pertain to the handling of classified programs related to Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP), including the retrieval and reverse engineering of non-human intelligence (NHI) crash artifacts. The Intelligence Community Inspector General (ICIG) has deemed these allegations as ‘urgent’ and ‘credible,’ meriting immediate and thorough investigation.These allegations have the potential to have broad implications for our national security and therefore should not be a partisan issue. There is already a growing bipartisan consensus around the need for increased transparency and oversight over our intelligence activities. In light of these allegations, I urge you to support this consensus and take immediate action to investigate these claims.It is my understanding that individuals such as Meghan Green, Sarah Istel, Elliott Walden, Janet Fisher, Clete Johnson, Mike Casey, William Evans, Aaron Thurman, and/or others are well-positioned within the structure of the intelligence committees and would potentially have direct information on the current status of this matter. I urge you to liaise with them and/or their colleagues for an update.It is also of note that it has been alleged that the designated body within the Department of Defense (AARO) to investigate UAP has been explicitly denied access to the alleged program(s). So the current statements from Susan Gough (Pentagon spokesperson) and Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick (Director, All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office) stating, “to date, there is no verifiable evidence,” seems to sidestep this issue and are not an accurate representation of the facts based on newly provided testimony from David Grusch.As your constituent, I believe I have the right to know about the activities that our government is engaged in, especially when these matters concern national security. Transparency and accountability in these matters are paramount to rebuilding trust in our institutions, which currently is at an all-time low.I sincerely hope that you will consider my concerns seriously and take immediate steps to ensure that these allegations are investigated thoroughly and transparently.Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
If you are unsure who represents the district or state you live in, you can use the following link to find out who your Senators and Representatives are: https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member
Encourage your representatives to take these allegations seriously, regardless of party lines. The issue of oversight and accountability for intelligence activities is a bi-partisan issue; both Democrats and Republicans have already expressed their support for more oversight and transparency in this area.
Americans have a right to know about the activities that their government is engaged in, especially when it pertains to matters of national security. Transparency and accountability in such matters are not just ideals to aspire to, but an essential part of a healthy democracy.
The current geopolitical and domestic climate only underscores the urgency of this issue. Trust in the government is at an all-time low, and addressing these allegations with the seriousness and transparency they deserve could be a step toward restoring that trust.
Take action today, make your voice heard, and ensure that we hold our government accountable. Because, ultimately, it is through our collective efforts that we can effect change.
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Jun 13 at 1:23 PM PT
Editor’s Note: This article was updated from its original version to provide additional information on how readers can contact their Senators and Representatives.
date published
Jun 13, 2023
reading time
9 min read
