David Grusch

Former NGA/USAF intelligence officer who testified under oath in July 2023 to a multi-decade UAP crash-retrieval and reverse-engineering program.

Current role: Former USAF officer and intelligence official; UAP whistleblower. Left Rep. Eric Burlison's staff around September 2026 and now speaks publicly as a private citizen, with a FOIA suit against the Department of Defense pending

Former roles:

Special Advisor on UAP, personal office of Rep. Eric Burlison (Mar 2025 – c. Sep 2026)
Co-lead, UAP and transmedium object analysis, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (until Apr 2023)
Representative to the UAP Task Force / AARO predecessor (2019–2021)

Background

Former United States Air Force officer and intelligence official. Before going public he served as the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency's co-lead for UAP and transmedium object analysis, and as a representative to the Pentagon's UAP Task Force. He filed a whistleblower complaint with the Intelligence Community Inspector General in May 2022, which the IC IG deemed "credible and urgent" in July 2022. He resigned from government in April 2023 and testified publicly before a House Oversight subcommittee on 26 July 2023. From March 2025 he worked as Special Advisor on UAP in Rep. Eric Burlison's personal office, a role he said on 30 September 2026 he had recently left. He has not claimed first-hand contact with non-human beings; his account rests on interviews with people he says had direct knowledge, and on documents and footage he says he reviewed.

On the record

2026-09-30 – Joe Rogan Experience #2560, own account – said he had recently finished working on Rep. Burlison's staff, and that he had personally viewed video of a retrieval operation showing dead non-human bodies he described as "human looking": "I think three or four is what I saw." He declined to date the footage, which is not public, and acknowledged fabrication risk. On the overall claim: "We've recovered material aka intact semi-intact craft. We've, you know, recovered this anomalous intelligence piloting the craft. And, you know, we are reverse engineering that." Also said he is filing with an Air Force board for retirement. JRE #2560 · Footage segment · IBTimes
2026-06-09 – press conference on the Capitol steps with Reps. Luna, Burchett, Burlison and Moskowitz (not a hearing, no oath) – called for restored congressional oversight and NDA relief for insiders, and alleged the government was aware of several dozen cases involving what he described as non-human biological material. LA Mag preview · UAPRAD briefing
2026-05-05 – Judicial Watch's "On Watch" – described himself as still special adviser to Rep. Burlison and discussed his FOIA suit, Grusch v. U.S. Department of Defense, No. 1:2026cv00607 (E.D. Va.), seeking records of an Air Force unauthorized-disclosure complaint against him, which he says was rejected because his statements were DOPSR-cleared. Summary
2026-01 – The Megyn Kelly Show, as transcribed by Liberation Times – said former DNI James Clapper "was well aware of the crash retrieval issue, managed the crash retrieval issue". Liberation Times
2025-12-09 – Fox News – said President Trump has been "fully briefed" on UAP: "the current president is very knowledgeable on this subject." NewsNation
2025-03-26 – statement on joining Rep. Burlison's office – "I'm both immensely humbled and deeply honored to join Congressman Burlison and his amazing team of professionals in pushing for government transparency. [...] I will use all my expertise to support Rep. Burlison and help the US Congress restore full oversight [...]" Statement · Burlison release
2023-07-26 – House Oversight subcommittee, under oath – stated he was informed in the course of official duties of a multi-decade UAP crash retrieval and reverse engineering program to which he was denied access; that the U.S. is in possession of intact and partially intact craft; that "non-human" biologics were recovered per people with direct knowledge; that his claims rest on interviews with ~40 witnesses over four years; offered further detail in a SCIF. Statement PDF · Video
2023-06-11 – NewsNation interview with Ross Coulthart – claimed to have viewed documents describing a 1933 recovery in Italy later obtained by the U.S.; alleged "white-collar crime" to conceal and fund programs; said he raised concerns with AARO's Kirkpatrick who did not follow up. Interview

Reported claims (secondary / anonymous-sourced)

2026-09-30 – on JRE, relayed from others – accounts he attributed to unnamed sources rather than his own observation, including alleged hostile encounters, an alleged underwater base, alleged parallel programs in China and Russia, and a claim that Robert Bigelow met Trump in February 2026. None is documented. JRE #2560
2026-09-02 – Rep. Eric Burlison to Ask a Pol – on a White House NDA waiver for Grusch: "They'll waive it, but what he needs is his clearances all brought back." Ask a Pol
2026-09-01 – Rep. Anna Paulina Luna to Ask a Pol – the White House can grant Grusch an NDA waiver and "I think he's already talking with them directly". Ask a Pol
2026-04-24 – Liberation Times, citing Rep. Burlison and unnamed sources – reported that Grusch had been helping the late Air Force intelligence officer Matthew Sullivan come forward before his death in 2024. Liberation Times
2026-01-24 – Liberation Times, citing three unnamed sources – alleged that Clapper and former PDDNI Stephanie O'Sullivan oversaw an ODNI programme involving recovery of exotic vehicles. No response from Clapper, O'Sullivan or ODNI is recorded. Liberation Times
2025-07-25 – Rep. Burlison, interview – said IC IG investigations prompted by Grusch's complaint had confirmed that several programs unlawfully withheld information from Congress, while the broader UAP claims remained unconfirmed. Clip
2025-04-15 – Rep. Burlison, podcast – said Grusch had given House Oversight the names of around 20 officials read in to classified UAP programs. Clip
2024-01-04 – Dr. Eric Davis, on Facebook – said he was one of Grusch's classified IC IG witnesses and that Grusch "heard no rumors" but located program personnel via special security system access. Screenshot
2023-07-30 – Sen. Marco Rubio, on record to Askapol – confirmed the IC IG referred the matter to the intel committees as "urgent and credible". Askapol
2023-06 – per Ross Coulthart – Grusch provided names, locations and witness lists to the IC IG. Source

Responses and criticism

2024-03-08 – AARO Historical Record Report Vol. 1 – "no empirical evidence" for reverse-engineering claims. This remains AARO's position. Report PDF
2023-08-22 – Rep. Mike Turner (Fox) – "testifies about things they don't know anything about". Timeline entry
2023-08-09 – The Intercept (Klippenstein) – published FOIA'd records of 2014/2018 mental-health incidents; Grusch pre-empted with a statement via Coulthart. Intercept
2023-07-27 – Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick (AARO), personal LinkedIn (later deleted) – AARO had found no credible evidence for reverse-engineering programs; said no whistleblower had worked for AARO. Timeline entry
Attorney: Charles McCullough III, former IC IG.

Timeline of involvement

2021-07 – provides classified UAP information to DoD IG
2022-05 – files Disclosure of Urgent Concern / reprisal complaint with IC IG
2022-07 – IC IG deems complaint "credible and urgent"; referred to HPSCI/SSCI
2022-12 – SCIF testimony to intel committee counsels
2023-04-07 – resigns from government
2023-06-05 – story breaks (The Debrief); NewsNation interview airs 2023-06-11
2023-07-26 – public testimony, House Oversight subcommittee
2023-08-15 – listed as involved with the newly launched Sol Foundation
2024-01-12 – IC IG briefs House Oversight members; Reps publicly affirm his credibility
2025-03-21 – joins Rep. Burlison's personal office as Special Advisor on UAP, initially a four-month post (report)
2025-04 – scheduled with Elizondo and Mellon for a SCIF meeting with House Oversight members (Ask a Pol)
2026 – files Grusch v. U.S. Department of Defense, No. 1:2026cv00607 (E.D. Va.), a FOIA suit over the Air Force complaint against him
2026-06-09 – Capitol steps press conference with Reps. Luna, Burchett, Burlison and Moskowitz
2026-09 – leaves Rep. Burlison's staff, by his own account around Labor Day
2026-09-30 – Joe Rogan Experience #2560

Relevant links

Part of the Key People in Disclosure series. Verified 2026-10-10. Spotted an error? Reach out.