PAC Launched To Press Feds To Release More Info On UFOs
Topline
A team of political consultants and business leaders launched a political action committee Thursday dedicated to pushing the government to disclose more information on UFOs, weeks before Congress is set to receive a report on “unidentified aerial phenomena”—military jargon for what used to be known as unidentified flying objects—from U.S. intelligence agencies.
The Pentagon formally released three unclassified videos taken by Navy pilots in April 2020 of … [+]
Key Facts
The UFO Political Action Committee, or UFOPac, whose formation was first reported by Politico, is led by Peter Ragone, a political adviser to California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), GOP consultant Matt Mackowiak and Darius Fisher, the CEO of a digital reputation management firm.
The group is dedicated to persuading the U.S. government to “disclose, declassify, and demystify all information related to UFOs,” according to a press release.
Its founders say the group will “educate” voters about UFOs, champion transparency, and support candidates who “advocate for the release of information” related to UFOs.
Fisher told Forbes the PAC is a “grassroots movement” that will raise money from donors online, and claimed the group has already received “serious interest from donors and the media” in just a few hours of launching.
The PAC’s formation comes days after Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) called on the government in a 60 Minutes interview to take UFO sightings “seriously” and to develop a reporting process where data on UFOs can be “cataloged and constantly analyzed until we get some answers.”
Crucial Quote
“We created the UFOPac because it has become clear to us that there may be more to this topic than governments are willing to share,” Fisher said in a statement. “UFOPac.org will help build a mass movement to share this with our elected representatives – regardless of party or political affiliation.” On its website, the group says that once “UFO phenomenon is verified by the government and available data is released” it will help academic and technology communities study the “technologies, physics, and mechanics of these crafts” without stigma.
Key Background
As part of the massive $2.3 trillion spending bill Congress passed in December, lawmakers instructed the director of national intelligence and secretary of defense to work together to deliver a report on “unidentified aerial phenomena.” Lawmakers gave intelligence officials 180 days to hand over the report to Congress, a deadline that comes next month. The legislation stipulates the report must offer “detailed analysis of unidentified aerial phenomena data and intelligence” and “a detailed description of an interagency process” to report sightings of UFOs. In March, former intelligence director John Ratcliffe told Fox News, “Frankly, there are a lot more sightings than have been made public.”, From 2007 to 2012, the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency gathered information on UFOs under a $22 million unclassified program sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) that the public was unaware of until 2017, when media outlets reported on it.
Chief Critic
“There’s a stigma on Capitol Hill. Some of my colleagues are very interested in this topic and some kind of giggle when you bring it up,” Rubio added during his 60 Minutes interview.
Surprising Fact
Last April, the Pentagon released three unclassified videos of “unidentified aerial phenomena” shot by Navy pilots that were previously published by the New York Times in 2017. In one clip, an oblong object moves through the sky as a pilot yells, “Look at that thing, dude — it’s rotating!”
Further Reading
Why Aren’t Astronomers Paying More Attention To UFOs? (Forbes)
Here’s Why The Pentagon Officially Released UFO Video Footage (Forbes)
For some Navy pilots, UFO sightings were an ordinary event: ‘Every day for at least a couple years’ (Washington Post)
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