Representative Anna Paulina Luna, chair of the Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets, has publicly called for the closure and defunding of the Pentagon’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO). Speaking in March 2026, Luna expressed deep dissatisfaction with AARO’s handling of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) investigations, labelling the office as ineffective and misleading. She cited classified briefings and internal reviews, notably criticising former AARO director Sean Kirkpatrick on the congressional record. Luna’s criticisms come amid ongoing congressional efforts to secure greater transparency about UAPs, including the release of previously classified footage and testimonies. Meanwhile, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was revealed to operate its own UAP Working Group, an internal investigative body, which corroborates Luna’s assertions regarding fragmented federal approaches. In the legal arena, former intelligence officer David Grusch has pursued a federal lawsuit demanding the release of documents supporting his claim that non-human biological craft and remains are held by the US government.
Key to the controversy is the adversarial relationship between Luna’s task force and AARO, which she has publicly denounced as obstructive and error-prone. Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Christopher Mellon described AARO’s reports as historically unreliable, further undermining confidence in the office’s work. These developments coincide with AARO’s announcement that it will coordinate ongoing UAP file declassification under the direction of former President Trump’s administration, despite Luna’s call for defunding. The FBI’s secretive UAP Working Group, confirmed through Politico reporting and statements by former UAP Task Force Director Jay Stratton, operates with more than a dozen agents but remains largely outside public awareness. Meanwhile, Grusch’s lawsuit alleges unlawful withholding of information by the Department of Defense regarding UAP evidence referenced in his congressional testimony. This case emphasises friction between government transparency efforts and entrenched secrecy culture.
This dispute reflects broader issues within US government structures managing UAP investigations, where overlapping jurisdictions and conflicting agendas hinder coherent disclosure policy. AARO, established to centralise anomaly resolution efforts, has struggled with credibility partly due to perceived defensive stances and inconsistent reporting. The FBI’s parallel task group suggests a compartmentalised approach, possibly designed to safeguard sensitive intelligence channels. Historically, government UFO investigations have been fragmented, from Project Blue Book to modern task forces, often provoking public and congressional frustration over secrecy. Luna’s denunciation and pursuit of bureaucratic overhaul echo wider congressional scepticism, intensified by whistleblower claims like those of Grusch who allege possession of non-human materials. These tensions underscore the challenge of balancing national security concerns with demands for transparency regarding phenomena that continue to defy conventional explanation. The unfolding legal and political actions may yet redefine US federal policy on UAP disclosure.
Source: UFO News
