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Former Air Force intelligence officer David Grusch urged the Defense Intelligence Agency to release records for lawmakers as members of Congress pressed for broader disclosure of UAP files and stronger penalties for officials who withhold information.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Former Air Force intelligence officer and unidentified aerial phenomena whistleblower David Grusch claimed this week that intelligence agencies concealed billions of dollars in secret spending from Congress, renewing pressure on federal officials to turn over records lawmakers say remain hidden from oversight.
Grusch made the allegations during a Capitol Hill event with members of the House Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets, according to a Fox News report. He said his investigation uncovered what he described as annual “slush funds” used to support activities outside normal congressional oversight channels.
“This is also a real fraud, waste and abuse issue,” Grusch said. “During my investigation, I found slush funds to the tune of billions of dollars per annum for these activities.”
Grusch, who previously served on the Pentagon’s Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force and later represented the National Reconnaissance Office on the task force, first drew national attention in 2023 when he testified before Congress about alleged government programs involving recovered unidentified craft.
The new claims come as lawmakers and the Trump administration have increased efforts to declassify government UAP records. Those efforts have included the release of hundreds of pages of previously secret files, along with renewed demands for agencies to disclose additional information about unexplained aerial incidents.
The Trump administration’s fiscal year 2027 budget includes nearly $132 billion in military and national intelligence spending, much of it contained in classified programs available only to limited groups of cleared officials and lawmakers.
Asked during the event what the government knows about nonhuman intelligence, Grusch claimed the government is aware of “several” different alien species.
“It’s a continuum from corporeal bipedal type life to, you know, what I would consider is like sentient plasma life,” Grusch said. “But there are several that this government is aware of.”
Grusch did not provide evidence for that claim during the event.
He also accused the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Pentagon’s main military intelligence agency, of obstructing congressional oversight. Grusch said records requested by lawmakers have not been fully provided despite what he described as lawful congressional requests. He urged the DIA to release more documents for review and possible declassification.
The DIA could not immediately be reached for comment.
The Pentagon has repeatedly said its investigations have not found verified evidence of extraterrestrial technology. Prior government reviews have also disputed claims that secret crash-retrieval programs exist.
Several lawmakers appeared with Grusch and said agencies have continued resisting congressional attempts to obtain UAP-related information.
“We would ask questions, and they would then push back. We would ask more questions, and the pushback became more significant,” said Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla. “We would try to put language in an amendment, in a bill, and they would oppose it.”
Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., said Congress needs stronger enforcement tools when officials withhold information.
“There must be real penalties for officials who knowingly withhold information from Congress,” Burlison said.
Moskowitz connected the UAP debate to broader concerns about Pentagon accountability and unexplained defense spending.
“There’s trillions of dollars missing at the Pentagon. Where does that money go?” he said.
The Pentagon has failed seven consecutive annual audits. Defense officials have said the audit failures reflect long-running problems involving asset tracking and accounting systems across the department.
Grusch said other potential witnesses have been reluctant to come forward because of fear of retaliation and possible legal exposure.
Burlison called on President Donald Trump to waive nondisclosure agreements for people with knowledge of alleged government UAP programs and to grant immunity to witnesses willing to testify.
“Grant immunity to anyone who has already come forward, and everyone who will come forward,” Burlison said. “Open the door and let them speak.”
“Congress is requesting specific records and videos,” Burlison added. “These agencies and contractors know that we know that they exist, and we’re going to get them released.”
Burlison said lawmakers are continuing to press agencies and defense contractors for records they believe remain classified. He also said his office obtained MQ-9 footage of a UAP incident off the coast of Yemen through what he described as a “Tom Clancy-style dead drop.”
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., who chairs the House task force examining the issue, said lawmakers are discussing possible immunity protections for people with knowledge of alleged craft locations, recovered materials or advanced technologies.
The disclosure push comes as lawmakers seek greater access to information tied to some of the government’s most restricted programs.
The debate has also been shaped by recent allegations involving former CIA official David Rush, who federal investigators say used a fraudulent “special access program” in a scheme involving more than $40 million in gold bars and millions in government funds. The case has drawn renewed attention to how highly restricted government programs can operate with limited outside visibility.
The event followed the Trump administration’s recent release of a large collection of previously classified UAP records, including military reports, sensor data and witness accounts.
Lawmakers and disclosure advocates have said those releases show progress toward transparency. They also argue that the government still holds significant classified information that Congress and the public have not seen.
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