UFO hearing: Ex-Pentagon official says government 'cabal' is hiding 'the fact that we are not alone'

A former Pentagon official testified before Congress that the U.S. government has evidence that “we are not alone in the cosmos” but that a “plot” of officials is hiding the information.

The official, Luiz Elizondo, is the former head of the Defense Department's Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP), which was tasked with investigating unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs). He and other witnesses testified before the House Oversight Committee.

“Excessive secrecy has led to serious offenses against loyal officials, military personnel and the public, all to hide the fact that we are not alone in the cosmos,” Elizondo said, later calling the group a “cabal.”

“A small cadre within our own government dealing with the UAP issue has created a culture of oppression and intimidation of which I personally and many of my former colleagues have fallen victim,” he continued.

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Elizondo continued to call on Congress to enact legislation to protect whistleblowers who are currently too afraid to speak out about government operations.

“I believe that as Americans we can handle the truth. And I also believe that the world deserves the truth,” he said.

The hearing is part of a larger effort by lawmakers to investigate UAPs and determine whether elements within the government are unlawfully withholding evidence from Congress.

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One of the key programs involved in this problem is the Pentagon's All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO).

In July 2019, a UAP (unidentified anomalous phenomenon) was filmed by the USS Omaha off the coast of San Diego. (Jeremy Corbell/WeaponizedPodcast)

AARO's mission is to synchronize the efforts of the Department of Defense and other U.S. federal departments and agencies to “detect, identify, and attribute objects of interest” in or around military installations or airspace that pose a threat to operational security or that could constitute national security – including anomalous, unidentified space, air, underwater and transmedium objects.

The Pentagon says the program found no evidence that UAPs were of extraterrestrial origin.

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Dr. Tim Gallaudet, a retired U.S. Navy rear admiral, also testified at Wednesday's hearing. He reported an incident in which personnel aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt encountered UAPs during a military exercise.

“During this exercise, I received an email on the Navy's secure network from the operations officer at Fleet Forces Command. The email was addressed to all subordinate commanders and the subject line read in all caps: URGENT SAFETY OF FLIGHT PROBLEM. The text The content of the email was short but alarming, with words like: “If any of you know what this is, tell me as soon as possible. We have several collisions in the air and if we don't solve the problem soon, we will have to do it.” “End the exercise,” said Gallaudet.

A new office dedicated to investigating UAP (UFO) sightings secured full funding in the 2024 defense budget. (Ministry of Defense)

“Accompanying the email was the so-called “Go Fast” video captured using the forward-looking infrared sensor aboard one of the Navy F/A-18 aircraft participating in the exercise,” he added.

“The very next day the email disappeared from my account and those of the other recipients without giving any reason. “Furthermore, the Fleet Forces Commander and his operations officer never discussed the incident again,” he continued.

A third witness, journalist Michael Shellenberger, says that sources in the Pentagon claim the existence of an Unacknowledged Special Access Program (USAP) called the “Immaculate Constellation.”

Journalist Michael Shellenberger testified before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday.

He says sources told him that the program consolidates information collected by the military about UAPs.

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“A source warned that simply printing the name 'Immaculate Constellation' could trigger government surveillance of me under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) by whoever publishes it,” Shellenberger said. “'You won't comment on it, but if you talk about it, you're going into a danger zone,' I was told. 'You enforce secrecy with great vigor.'”