Leslie Kean
Leslie Kean is an investigative journalist, author, and one of the most influential figures in modern UAP research and disclosure efforts. She is best known for co-authoring the landmark 2017 New York Times article that revealed the existence of the Pentagon's AATIP (Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program) and brought UAP videos ("Gimbal," "GoFast," and "FLIR1") into mainstream public discourse. Earlier in her career, Kean led a multi-year legal battle to compel NASA to release documents related to the 1965 Kecksburg UFO Crash.
| Role | Journalist and investigative reporter |
|---|
Early Career and Kecksburg Investigation
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Leslie Kean became involved in investigating the Kecksburg, Pennsylvania crash case. In May 2000, she organized a conference titled "Combating Media Ridicule and Searching for Evidence on the 1965 Kecksburg Crash Case," where she presented findings from her correspondence with Nicholas Johnson, NASA's Chief Scientist for Orbital Debris at the NASA Johnson Space Center.
Johnson analyzed orbital data of the Soviet spacecraft Cosmos 96 and definitively concluded it could not have been responsible for the Kecksburg event. Johnson stated: "No man-made object came down over Pennsylvania" on December 9, 1965, at the time of the crash. He also eliminated Project Corona, a U.S. spy satellite program, as a potential explanation.
Legal Action Against NASA
In the early 2000s, Kean partnered with the Coalition of Freedom of Information (CFI) to take legal action against NASA for withholding Kecksburg-related documents. After years of stonewalling, Kean and CFI won a settlement in October 2007 that required NASA to:
- Search for and release all relevant Kecksburg files
- Pay all legal fees incurred by Kean and CFI
NASA's document search concluded in August 2009. The agency posted 20 pages of documents related to Project Moondust — a Cold War-era program tasked with recovering descended foreign space vehicles — but none had direct relevance to Kecksburg. According to NASA's public affairs statement, the agency had transferred Kecksburg files to the National Archives approximately two years after the 1965 incident. In 1996, the National Archives informed NASA that the files had been marked as lost since 1987.
Despite the disappointing outcome, Kean's legal victory established an important precedent for using courts to compel government transparency on UAP-related matters.
The 2017 New York Times Article
On December 16, 2017, Leslie Kean co-authored (with Helene Cooper and Ralph Blumenthal) the New York Times article "Glowing Auras and 'Black Money': The Pentagon's Mysterious U.F.O. Program." The article revealed:
- The existence of the Pentagon's AATIP, funded with $22 million in "black money"
- Analysis of UAP encounters by military personnel, including the release of three declassified videos: "Gimbal," "GoFast," and "FLIR1"
- Testimony from former Pentagon official Luis Elizondo, who ran AATIP and resigned in protest over the lack of attention given to UAP threats
The article was a watershed moment in UAP disclosure, legitimizing the subject in mainstream media and prompting Congressional hearings, the establishment of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), and renewed public and scientific interest in the phenomenon.
Subsequent Coverage
Following the 2017 article, Kean continued to report on UAP developments, including:
- Coverage of whistleblower David Grusch's claims regarding crash retrieval programs
- Reporting on Carl Nell and other high-level officials supporting disclosure
- Articles in The Debrief discussing the 40 whistleblowers Grusch interviewed
Books and Advocacy
Leslie Kean is the author of UFOs: Generals, Pilots, and Government Officials Go on the Record (2010), a comprehensive examination of credible UFO cases supported by testimony from military and government officials worldwide. The book is widely regarded as one of the most serious and evidence-based works on the subject.
Kean has consistently advocated for scientific inquiry into UAP, government transparency, and the destigmatization of the phenomenon. Her journalism is characterized by meticulous sourcing, reliance on official documents and credible witnesses, and a commitment to presenting UAP as a legitimate subject of investigation rather than fringe speculation.
Impact and Legacy
Leslie Kean's work has fundamentally shifted the conversation around UAP in the 21st century. Her 2017 New York Times article is credited with breaking the decades-long taboo on serious UAP reporting in mainstream media. Her earlier work on Kecksburg demonstrated the power of legal action and investigative journalism in challenging government secrecy.
Kean's approach — grounded in evidence, official testimony, and collaboration with credible sources — has set a standard for UAP journalism and continues to influence disclosure efforts worldwide.
Sources
- Video - The 1965 Kecksburg, Pennsylvania UFO Crash
- Leslie Kean, UFOs: Generals, Pilots, and Government Officials Go on the Record (2010)
- Cooper, Kean, Blumenthal, "Glowing Auras and 'Black Money': The Pentagon's Mysterious U.F.O. Program," The New York Times, December 16, 2017