Elizondo OIG documents 2017 to 2019

(b)(6)
Original Message
From: (b)(6) CIV OSD PA (USA)
Sent: Wednesday, June 5, 2019 11:15 AM
To: (b)(6) I CIV USN DCNO N2N6 (USA)
IV USN DCNO N2N6 (US) I)(6)
Cc: (b)(6) CIV (USA) kIWREr
Subject: E izon • o Trans er of AATIP
(b)(6)
(b)(6)
(b)(6)
Gentlemen,
Both Luis Elizondo himself and former DASD Chris Mellon have contacted our
office because they believe the statements that we've put out regarding
AATIP and particularly Elizondo's role in it, are false (and Elizondo is
threatening to sue). Per the information we've received from DIA and
OUSD(I), Elizondo was briefly supporting the DIA office that managed the
AATIP program, but after early 2010, while in OUSD(I), he had no
responsibilities for AATIP. Elizondo claims he continued working on
AATIP/UAPs until he resigned in 2017. He claims that J. Stratton in Navy
knew of the program/his involvement, and that then-SECDEF Mattis and/or his
front office was briefed on the program, and that two Navy pilots briefed
the SECDEF/his front office on "what they saw."
First, are you aware of any briefings on UAPs/AATIP to then-SECDEF Mattis'
front office in general, and in particular, do have any
knowledge/reports/documentation that two Navy pilots briefed the SECDEF
front office on any UAP incidents in the 2016-2017 time frame?
Second, do you know who J. Stratton is? Does he still work for Navy
(perhaps somewhere in the SECNAV/secretariat side, rather than the military
side of Navy)? Did he previously/does he still have anything to do with
UAPs?
Third. There is confusion -- probably as a result of semantics/terminology
-- over whether the program "ended" or was "transitioned." By the best
information we've received, the formal AATIP program last received funding
in the FY2010 NDAA, and those funds ran out, with the completion of the
final 12 of 38 technical studies, in 2012. From the overall DoD
perspective, that was the end of AATIP as a program. However, I'm beginning
to think what happened is that some office in either OSD and/or Navy (e.g.,
N2N6) continued to track/monitor UAP incidents -- but not as an official
program, just as a mission/function/duty of an office, with no funding line,
and certainly not as "AATIP." I think that is what Elizondo is referring to
when he claims that he continued to work with/in AATIP until 2017. Can you
shed any light on that?
Regards,
(b)(6)
Defense Public Affairs Operations, OSD(Public Affairs)
(b)(6)